National Historical Landmark- Triangle Shirtwaist Factory (Brown Building)

On the afternoon of March 25, 1911, one of the worst industrial disasters in American history took place: Fire swept through the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory, resulting in the deaths of 146 workers, most of them young women.

Many suffocated or were burned to death, trapped behind crowds or locked doors; over a third of them leaped to their deaths from the windows of the factory, which occupied the 8th, 9th, and 10th floors of this building, out of the reach of the fire department's ladders.

The tragedy shocked the Nation and galvanized the labor movement to press for progressive factory legislation; by 1914, 36 new labor laws were on the books in the State of New York.

The fire is credited with changing both factory and fire prevention laws throughout the country.

Courtesy National Park Service National Historical Landmarks