Seattle: Research by Skyscrapers.com's editors has stripped Seattle's famous Smith Tower of one of its records, and some of its height.

Ever since Smith Tower was conceived in 1910, it has always been labeled a 42-story tower. It also laid claim to being the tallest skyscraper in the world outside of New York City. Neither is correct. Our research shows that the tower's actual height is only 462 feet (not 500 as claimed from the start), and only 36 floors, including the pyramidal cap. In fact, the actual plans submitted to, and approved by, the City was for a 36-story steel and concrete tower, never for 42 stories. The 36 floors include the main floor, 33 full floors of office space, the 35th floor with observation deck, and the steeple-like mechanical penthouse.

When the tower opened on July 4, 1914 it was the tallest building in the United States west of Ohio - but not the tallest outside of New York. Cincinnati's PNC Tower and the Philadelphia Philadelphia City Hall were both taller. Our belief is Mr. Smith's over-exuberant son, Burns Lyman Smith, bally-hooed the structure as more building than it was. It must have been a tremendous temptation to 'round-up' to an even 500 feet. Why 42 floors was always the official floor count, when only 36 were ever constructed, will continue to be a mystery.