Located at 430 Sixteenth Street in downtown Denver, the Empire Building was constructed in 1906-07 by real estate developers Julius Myers, Horace Bennett, and Jerome Riche. The building was designed by Frank E. Edbrooke, one of Denver's most prominent and prolific architects, whose works include the city's Brown Palace Hotel, Masonic Temple, and Denver Dry Goods Store. In his 1973 book. Historic Denver 1858-1893, architectural historian Richard Brettell wrote that Edbrooke "was almost singlehandedly responsible for the architectural maturity of Denver's downtown in the late 1880s and 1890s. The Empire Building, a six-story, brick, steel frame, commercial building with Neo-classical ornament,_is representative of the mature designs of the later portion of the architect's career. The building also represents the low-rise office and retail buildings which characterized downtown Denver in the early part of the twentieth century.

Construction on the Empire Building began in 1906, at a time when Denver's economy was enjoying an economic upswing. During the depression of the 1890s, Colorado had experienced widespread business failures, unemployment, labor unrest, and agricultural distress. In 1906, however, seven million dollars were spent on new construction in Denver, and confidence in the city's growth was mirrored in the construction of the city's $250,000 Carnegie Library, YMCA Building, El Jebel Temple, and City Auditorium, which was aimed at attracting new business to Denver.

Since its construction in 1802, Montgomery Place has never been sold. Each descendant has, in turn, received the family estate.

Janet Livingston Montgomery, the oldest of the eleven children of Margaret Beekman Livingston and Judge Robert R. Livingston, married General Richard Montgomery in 1773. Two years later, he was killed at the Battle of Quebec and his wife mourned his death throughout her life. In 1802 Mrs. Montgomery purchased 250 acres of land, part of which had been the old Schuyler Patent, from John Van Benthuysen. Mrs. Montgomery was nearly sixty years old when she moved from her estate, Grasmere, to the Montgomery Place. She probably moved because of Grasmere's association with her husband, and a wish to be nearer Clermont, the Livingston estate.

This stately Neo-Renaissance building was designed by the prominent Milwaukee architectural firm of Ferry and Clas, winners of a national competition for its design. Designated a Milwaukee Landmark in 1969, this building was conceived in the architectural climate created by the 1893 Columbian Exposition in Chicago. Still serving as the county's central library, the building remains one of Milwaukee's most monumental public structures.

The city acquired the site, comprising lots purchased from Harvey Birchard, John Johnston, and John L. Mitchell, in 1890-92. Sponsored by the Joint Board of Trustees of the Public Library and Public Museum, an architectural competition was held in the fall of 1893, and the firm of Ferry and Clas was selected in early 1894. Prolonged contract negotiations ensued, with the architects finally agreeing to terms and commencing their work in the last weeks of 1894. In March 1895, they submitted plans and specifications to the board, who subsequently retained the noted Chicago architect Dankmar Adler of Adler & Sullivan to review drawings and written material. In her "Report" of October 1, 1895, librarian Theresa West states that Adler's comments, dated June 27, had generally been favorable, although he had "recommended certain changes for possible greater security." After further scrutiny by the Trustees and by the Board of Public Works, revised plans and specifications were approved, and advertisements for bids were published on August 31, 1895. Opening of the bids on September 27 proved to be a happy occasion for the Trustees as the low bid total was considerably less than anticipated. On October 3 the Sentinel declared that, "The work of excavation will be begun to-day or to-morrow...stone will probably be laid for the building within a few weeks." Construction seems to have proceeded relatively smoothly and was essentially complete by the fall of 1899. Expenditures during the period 1890-99, including outlays for lots, the competition, construction, finishing and decorating, furniture and equipment, and for the services of the architects, consultants, supervisors, and inspectors, totalled $735,000.

 Second Ward Savings Bank (now Milwaukee County Historical Center), Milwaukee Wisconsin