A Runway on the Roof?

The NY Times has a great story today about an eccentric developer from the early 1900s. Edward W. Browning built a number of offices and apartment buildings in Manhattan starting in 1908. The crown jewel of his real estate empire was the 1913 World’s Tower Building at 110 West 40th Street, where he envisioned planes taking off and landing from the roof. Browning had taken care to protect the light on all sides of the building, Between Broadway and Sixth Ave, by controlling the flanking parcels.

In 1913, Real Estate Magazine reported that Browning’s idea for the project was “location plus light equals leases,” and that his control of adjacent properties gave it daylight all four sides. The windows were “set in golden frames,” apparently a light polished bronze.

When the war got going in Europe, he Browning wanted to help his fellow Americans prepared by stationing airplanes on the roof of The World’s Tower. Here is the first sign that he was a little crazy: He wanted these planes to drop “dummy bombs” over Midtown to demonstrate the threat of aerial bombardment.

He also wanted to commute to work by airplane from his rooftop apartment at 35 West 81st Street to the World’s Tower Building, yet another idea that did not come to fruition.

Browning may best be remembered for his fondness for young girls. He started adopting them while he was still married to his first wife. His 3rd adoption was of a girl claiming to be 16 but when he found out that she was really 21 the adoption was annulled. He finally settled down with his 2nd wife who was only 15 at the time of their marraige.


The World’s Tower Building was renovated last summer. Office space is currently available for $42 a foot in this historic building: Adams Real Estate