Completed toward the end of Atlanta's first high-rise era, the Healey Building opened to the public in 1914. Rising 16 floors above downtown, the building was not completely finished, as a second tower had been put on hold because of the outbreak of World War I. When owner William Healey died shortly after the war, plans for the second tower were abandoned. Nonetheless, the single-towered stone and terracotta structure was a marvel of modern achievement and stood as a commanding landmark until the dawn of the skyscraper era.