Back in 1903 the Ingalls Building, the 16-story tower in front of you, rose as the world's first reinforced concrete skyscraper. This 16-story tower was designed by the Cincinnati architectural firm Elzner & Anderson and bears the name of its primary financial investor, Melville E. Ingalls. At the time it opened, the building was considered a daring engineering feat: prior to 1902 the tallest reinforced concrete structure in the world reached only six stories, and because concrete has very low tensile strength many in both the public and the engineering community believed a tower of this height would collapse under wind loads or even its own weight.
When the building was completed and the supports were removed, one reporter allegedly stayed awake through the night hoping to be the first to report its demise — and instead its success contributed to the acceptance of concrete construction in high-rise buildings in the United States. The Ingalls was given a new life when it was converted to a hotel, the Courtyard by Marriott Cincinnati Downtown, in 2021. One reporter reportedly stayed awake all night expecting collapse, yet this reinforced tower, now the Courtyard by Marriott, still stands at 4th and Vine for you.