Jenney, William Le Baron

William Le Baron Jenney (1832–1907) has secured a permanent place in the annals of architecture for his lasting impact on the skyline of many major American cities. His designs in architecture allowed the modern skyscraper to emerge as the answer to the limits of space in cramped urban areas.

Jenney was born in 1832 to William P. and Eliza Jenney. The senior Jenney owned a fleet of commercial whalers and occasionally took William on trips to the Pacific. In 1853, William decided to pursue a career in history and architecture in Paris. At that time, Jenney came in contact with many of the revered styles of embellished architecture that were prominent in Europe. He eventually attained a degree in engineering (1856) and returned to the United States. When the Civil War erupted in 1861, Jenney joined the Union Army and was eventually appointed to the Army of Tennessee under General Ulysses S. Grant. Jenney rose to the rank of major, a title that he retained to the end of his life. After the war, he came to settle in Chicago, where he started an architectural firm.

It has been reported that in 1881, as the construction of the Home Insurance Building began, Jenney remembered his journey to the Philippines and the construction design of the local inhabitants, whose huts consisted of a strong skeletal frame with an overlay of reeds, bamboo, and whatnot. More likely, Jenney was influenced by the balloon-frame construction of the Chicago area.

The concept of the skyscraper was simple in engineering and had to meet three criteria. First, the frame had to be steel. Over a steel I-beam skeleton, masonry and glass were used to build the walls to shelter inhabitants from the elements. The use of glass from floor to ceiling was important, as electrical light was still in its early stages, and ambient light was needed to illuminate the interiors of the buildings. Second, the building had to be at least 10 stories in height. With the steel frame anchored in the sandstone foundation, granite could be used to accent the frame and corners, thus reducing the overall weight. With less weight, especially on the upper floors, higher buildings could be constructed. Third, because of the height, an elevator had to be incorporated into the building. With these elements, a skyscraper was the new answer to space in places like Chicago.

Jenney built several skyscrapers in addition to the Home Insurance Building, which was located at the corner of LaSalle and Adams Streets in the heart of the Loop and financial district. Many considered Jenny's designs to be somewhat tepid, and given his engineering background, this is understandable. Because of his overall work, however—his designs were used at the World's Columbian Exposition of 1893, and designs by him and his colleagues culminated in the Chicago School of Architecture—it is no surprise that his vision and legacy should be remembered in grandeur.