Carew Tower in Cincinnati, Ohio is a Notable Skycraper

The tallest building in Cincinnati, Ohio, standing 49 stories and 574 feet tall, the Carew Tower is a National Historic Landmark. Built from 1929 to 1931, this skyscraper overlooks the Ohio River and has had many uses in its almost eight decades.

The Carew Tower was designed by the architectural firm W.W. Ahlschlager & Associates with Delano & Aldrich and developed by John J. Emery, according to historic records. It was largely considered to be "a city within a city'' and was one of the first mixed-use skyscrapers in the Midwest, boasting offices, apartments, and retail establishments.

Construction on this Art Deco-style building began just before the stock market crash of 1929 and because of that, much of its Art Deco ornamentation was scaled down in order to save money. On the exterior of the Carew Tower, everything above the third floor is very plain. There are, however, a number of Art Deco touches throughout the interior, including the Palm Court, which is considered one of the world's best examples of French Art Deco architecture. Marble floors and iron railings are commonplace. Records show that this beautiful building contains, in all, 9 miles of brass piping, 15 railroad cars full of glass, 40 railroad cars full of stone, 60 miles of floor and window molding, 41 elevators, 15,000 tons of structural steel, and 4 million bricks. It was quite a project, given the tough times the country was currently experiencing.

The final price for the structure was $3 million and it took only 13 months to complete, with workers toiling around the clock. The tower is named for its longest tenant, the Mabley and Carew Department Store, which occupied several of the floors from 1930 until 1960. Since that time, a variety of other stores have replaced the signature department store.

Today's Carew Tower still includes offices, shops, and a hotel, currently the Hilton Cincinnati Netherland Plaza, a luxury establishment that uses the ornate Palm Court as its centerpiece restaurant. Another notable feature of the tower is the 49th floor observation deck, which is open to the general public. A visit to the deck requires an elevator ride to the 45th floor and a walk up a few flights of steps to the observation area. It offers one of the best views of the city, allowing visitors to see several miles in any direction when the weather is clear. Operators of the deck say it is one of the city's least visited attractions though one of its best and most affordable, costing only a few dollars admission fee. It is open daily with varying hours.

Currently, the stores at Carew Tower range from popular women's apparel shops to upscale jewelry stores and kitschy souvenir shops. There are also a few places at the tower where visitors can grab a quick bite to eat or a cup of coffee. Parking is available in several nearby garages.