Elevator

As her struggle with diabetes worsened, Maggie Walker commissioned noted African American architect Charles T. Russell to contract the installation of an elevator to lift her to the second floor of her house which included her bedroom and private bath. The hand-operated elevator functioned like a dumbwaiter with a large rope, pulleys, and counter-weight. The elevator cage itself was made by the Otis Elevator Company and was installed by local company J.A. Umlauf for a steep price of $1,625 (roughly $20,000 today).