The wonderfully ornate main entrance to the glorious United Shoe Machinery Building, at 160 Federal St., in the Financial District of Boston. The steel-frame skyscraper has 24 stories and a penthouse, and was built in 1929–1930 and designed by George W. Fuller and Parker, Thomas & Rice to serve as United Shoe Machinery Corp.’s headquarters.
It is one of Boston's finest Art Deco buildings, including an elaborately decorated lobby. The long-dead United United Shoe Machinery (in Boston often just called “Shoe’’) was a huge manufacturer of a wide range of industrial goods, including many things for the defense industry. At one time it controlled 98 percent of the nation's shoe-machinery business and much of that business abroad, too. Of course the American shoe business was based in New England for many years.
Below see the tower with its famous gold top.
