Record Construction.

The 1920s set records for building and construction that would not be equaled until the 1950s. Total construction in 1925 reached more than $6 billion, having risen from slightly more than $919 million in 1916. Commercial buildings were a favorite vehicle for investment, combining a hoped-for profit with civic pride, commercial competitive spirit, and "boosterism." For example, dozens of large, up-to-date urban hotels opened their doors late in the era; they were the best in town, and many remained the best until the 1950s when they were replaced.

Urban and Suburban Boom.

The great building boom of the decade was concentrated in the urban and suburban areas. By 1925 the downtown of most medium-sized and large cities was a thicket of scaffolding as office buildings, hotels, and apartment buildings vied with each other to reach the greatest heights, both financially and literally. In the suburbs...