The Smith Tower is oldest skyscraper (38 floors, 469 feet) in the city. Built between 1911 & 1914, it was the tallest building west of the Mississippi River until 1931 & tallest on the West Coast until the Space Needle was built in 1962. It's named after its builder: Lyman Cornelius Smith. Smith originally planned on a 14-story building. But his son convinced him to build taller than the National Realty Building in Tacoma, the tallest west of the Mississippi River at that time. Designated as a Seattle landmark in 1984, it is a lofty example of neoclassical architecture. The surface is granite to the 2nd floor, then gleaming white terracotta from the 3rd floor on up. The building has had a number of owners including Ivar Haglund, founder of Ivar's restaurants. It has been renovated several times. The 35th-floor observation deck (near the top) has a 360-degree view of downtown, SoDo, Elliott Bay & more. (The Space Needle has broader views, with the viewing deck at 518 feet, but the Smith Tower is less expensive & much less crowded.) I went to the top of the Smith Tower for the 1st time with my Cub Scout den in 1968, many thanks to Mrs. del Fierro. I have gone back twice. At the top of the Smith Tower is a pyramid with a 1,750-square-foot, 2 bedroom, 2 bathroom apartment. Last I heard, people lived in it. The observation deck is just below the pyramid.
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