Anna Connelly

Following the American Civil War, a significant demographic shift occurred in the United States, with a large number of people migrating from rural to urban regions. This migration fueled the expansion of American cities such as New York and Philadelphia, resulting in the development of taller and more crowded buildings. This expansion was driven by industrialization, which had started in the country with influence from England. [2] While it led to economic growth and development, it also raised new safety concerns, particularly regarding fire hazards. At the time, fire escapes were frequently poorly built and difficult to use, primarily made of simple ladders or ropes tied to the sides of buildings. As the risk of fires became a serious concern for the safety of those living and working in cities, there was a rising need for innovative strategies to avoid fire mishaps that would enable people to flee in an emergency. Between 1870 and 1920, approximately 11 million Americans migrated from rural to urban regions, and an additional 25 million immigrants, mostly from Europe, moved to the United States. [3] This movement was fueled by the economic opportunities provided by industrialization and urbanization, leading to the development of many American cities. However, it also resulted in new challenges related to urban planning, public health, and safety, which needed to be addressed through innovation and policy changes.

In 1860, an incident occurred in New York city due to the fire in a bakery which was able to reach the homes that were above with families inside with a disastrous outcome. In order to bring a solution, there was a law about fire safety brought by the lawmakers which stated that ; "fireproof balconies have to be connected by fireproof stairs" , which meant an expensive cost for landowners." Anna Connelly was aware of the issue and saw the need for a better solution.[4] She was determined to create an effective fire escape design that could be widely adopted to improve building safety in cities.

Planning of the fire escape by Anna Connelly.

In 1870, the whole law was going to change. All public buildings had to provide a resistant system as a fire scape for all the floors. Anna Connelly’s device was patented in August 1877 (No. 386,816A).[5] At first, her invention was planned for an upward scape since most of fires started at the lower floors. She invented a platform in which you could escape from the building on fire to one safe and go down the stairs before fire could reach them. She stated, "My invention relates to improvements in fire-escapes; and it consists of a bridge surrounded by a railing and having openings in the ends of the floor thereof, as herein described, the said bridge being adapted to be placed on the roofs of adjoining or adjacent buildings, thereby permitting the ready and safe passage from one roof to the other."

Her design evolved to safer and more reliable system.  It consisted of a series of metal platforms attached to the side of a building and connected by a series of ladders. Anna made sure the platforms on her design were wide enough to allow people to move easily and she incorporated had handrails to prevent falls. The biggest innovation was making the stair out of iron, an element which is fireproof and resistant to big weights. Anna's fire escape design quickly gained popularity and was soon installed in many buildings across the country and adopted by various departments across the country.[6]

Nowadays, fire escapes are still a vital component of building safety. Although the technology has advanced since Anna Connelly's initial design, with improvements such as larger platforms, higher-quality materials, and automatic alarms, her fundamental idea remains principal to the concept of fire escape systems. Connelly's legacy extends beyond her invention, as she is one of the first women to pursued her passion for innovation despite the obstacles of her time. Her invention is an example to the power of innovation and how one individual can make a significant impact on society by addressing its needs.