Hedden Construction Company

Infobox Skyscraper
building_name= Metropolitan Life Insurance Company Tower


previous_building= Singer Building
year_built= 1909
surpassed_by_building= Woolworth Building
year_highest=1909
year_end= 1913
location= New York City, USA
height_meters= 213
height_feet= 700
height_stories= 50
construction_period= 1909 (base:1893)
destroyed=
emporis_id=115458Some of the finest buildings in New Jersey, New York, and other large eastern cities were built by the Hedden Construction Company, one of the largest construction companies operating in Newark in the very early 1900s. Among the most notable is the Metropolitan Life Insurance Company Tower located at One Madison Avenue in New York, NY. The tower was the world's tallest building from 1909 to 1913 and home to the Hedden Construction Company's main offices located on the 36th and 37th floors. During this prosperous period over $40,000,000 in construction contracts and payments were collected by the firm.

The Hedden Construction Company was started as a partnership between Mr. Viner Jones Hedden, and Mr. J.J. Meeker. It was in this firm that after his formal schooling, Louis O. Hedden, second son of V.J. Hedden, learned the carpenter trade as his father had done. His application of work ethics won for him the title of Superintendent of Business in the firm, a position he held until the dissolution of the firm upon the death of Mr. Meeker in 1884. Later a new company was immediately organized under the name of V.J. Hedden and Sons.

The V.J. Hedden and Sons Company manufactured every variety of interior finish from the best exotic woods available. On June 1, 1896, the company was incorporated with V.J. Hedden as President and Treasurer; Charles R. Hedden as First Vice-President; Louis O. Hedden, Second Vice-President; Samuel S. Hedden, Secretary and Albert Emmet Hedden, Superintendent of Plant. This company, whose development and prosperity are largely due to the business ability of Louis O. Hedden, has been identified with the erection of some of the most beautiful and costly buildings on the eastern seaboard.

Upon the retirement of his brother Charles R. Hedden, Louis O. Hedden was picked to fill the position of First Vice-President because his ability in the construction field was unsurpassed. Louis was offered and accepted positions in many companies including Vice-President, and Director of Tri-Bullion Smelting and Developing Company of New Mexico, with offices in NY; He also was Vice-President of Boston and Alta Copper Co., of Montana, with offices in Boston.

Some other notable Hedden structures include the City Investing Building, American Bank Note Building, and the Fifth Avenue Building, New York City; the office building of the Prudential Insurance Company of America and the Kinney Building, Newark,New Jersey; the Proctor and Gamble Plant, Staten Island, New York, the Ferguson Library, Stamford, Connecticut; the Jersey City, New Jersey Post Office; the buildings for the Peabody College for Teachers, Nashville, Tennessee; and the Peoples National Bank Building, Charleston, South Carolina.

See also: Hedden Iron Construction Company

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