U.S. Landmarks Built By Tradesmen

Every summer, the United States celebrates its birthday on the Fourth of July. Fireworks and barbeque are a festive way to recognize America’s independence, heritage and cultural landmarks. But a quick look around the nation’s cities and neighborhoods proves our country’s history is still being written—thanks to the trade industry.

America’s buildings, bridges, roads, landmarks and homes wouldn’t exist without skilled tradesmen and tradeswomen who are essential to society and the economy. Here’s a look at the trades that built America’s most famous landmarks.

Trades Building America

Skilled trade workers keep America running. Individuals in the trade industries have worked together for more than two centuries in America. They install, maintain, repair, engineer and construct buildings we use every day and landmarks that hold cultural significance. Trades people work on construction jobsites, with trade-specific crews such as:

Plumbers, pipefitters, steamfitters
Electricians
Stone and brick masons
Carpenters
Glaziers
Welders, cutters and solderers
Fabricators
Mechanical technicians
Roofers

Notable U.S. Landmarks in America

Trade workers build and maintain every day necessities, such as cars, homes, bridges and schools. Sometimes, their hard work results in well-known landmarks that are recognized and appreciated around the world for their craftsmanship, ingenuity and design. In fact, builders and tradesmen helped construct some of the most famous landmarks in the USA:

Empire State Building – Completed in 1931, this New York City skyscraper took 3,400 tradesmen to build. It stood 1,250 feet and was the world’s tallest building until 1970.
Golden Gate Bridge – This structure spans two miles across the strait where the San Francisco Bay connects to the Pacific Ocean. Opened to the public in 1937, it is the most-photographed bridge in the world.
Hoover Dam – Boulder City, Nevada, was created for 5,000 of Hoover Dam’s trade workers and their families. A total of 21,000 workers helped construct the dam, which became the target of a German bomb plot during World War II. Today, seven million tourists visit each year.
Gateway Arch – St. Louis, Missouri, is home to the Gateway Arch, designed by Eero Saarinen in 1965. As the tallest monument and the tallest arch in the world, it required the city to demolish 40 city blocks to make way for its construction.
Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum – Renowned American architect Frank Lloyd Wright designed the Guggenheim Museum in 1959. The New York City building spirals up toward the sky with six stories of white, coiled concrete.
Washington Monument – Standing 555 feet tall, the monument is the tallest in Washington, DC. By law, no other structure may be taller. It was constructed by Thomas Casey and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers.