Hendel Building | |
 The building in 2015 | |
   | |
| Location | 241 Forbes Ave. Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania |
|---|---|
| Coordinates | 40°26′25″N 80°00′04″W / 40.44027°N 80.001°W |
| Built | 1926 |
| Part of | Fourth Avenue Historic District (Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania) (ID85001961) |
| Designated CP | March 20, 2013 |
The Hendel Building, more commonly known as the Skinny Building, is a commercial building in Downtown Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. At only 5 feet 2 inches (1.57 m) wide, it is one of the narrowest commercial buildings in the world, rivaling the Sam Kee Building in Vancouver which is considered the narrowest by Guinness World Records. The Kee building is 4 feet 11 inches (1.50 m) wide at the ground floor, but has overhanging bay windows on the second floor that extend to 6 feet (1.8 m).[1] The Skinny Building's narrow lot was created in 1903 by a street widening project, and the building itself was constructed in 1926 by Louis Hendel (c. 1874–1945), partly out of spite for neighboring business owners who complained about him obstructing the sidewalk with his fruit-selling business. Due to the building's impractical dimensions, the second and third floors have not seen much use, but the ground floor has housed a number of different businesses including a popular lunch counter. It is listed on the National Register of Historic Places as a contributing property in the Fourth Avenue Historic District.
- ^ Zurawsky, Kaitlin (May 19, 2015). "Origins of downtown 'Skinny Building' remain a mystery". WTAE. Retrieved October 31, 2018.