The Singer Company was once the world's leading producer of sewing machines that achieved peak domestic and foreign influence by the late nineteenth century. In 1902 the Singer Company began plans to enlarge its headquarters in downtown Manhattan. Ernest Flagg was selected as the architect, and his initial design was for a thirty-five story tower; however, the company decided to almost double its height. The Beaux-Arts style skyscraper, made of red brick and bluestone, was completed in 1908 and stretched to 612 feet. Although significantly taller than previous skyscrapers, the Singer Tower held the title of tallest building for only one year, when the Metropolitan Life Tower surpassed it. In 1963 the Singer Corporation sold the building, and in 1968 it became the tallest building ever demolished by a company. It was replaced by the U.S. Steel building, which is now known as Liberty Plaza.