It was completed in 1931 and became the tallest building in the Garment District of Manhattan. Today it is dwarfed by the 60 story One Penn Plaza that sits across 34th Street from the Nelson Tower but still visible from most directions except the southeast. It was designed by H. Craig Severance. The building was originally planned and built by New York developer Julius Nelson.
Architecture
The building has a rectangular base and recedes at different places. Each section is of brown stone with the top of them lined with white stone. The crown is completely white stone and has a slight slope.