Edited By Alex Knapp and Michael Noer, Forbes Staff

From transcontinental railroads to the Hoover Dam to the Transamerica Pyramid, building is at the heart of American prosperity. Industrialists, developers and visionaries have shaped the nation’s landscape, while investors and entrepreneurs have transformed everything from agriculture to the index fund.

In honor of America’s 250th birthday, Forbes recognizes the 25 Greatest Builders in American History. (The 250 Greatest Living Builders can be found here).

THE 25 GREATEST BUILDERS IN AMERICAN HISTORY

1. John D. Rockefeller, 1839-1937

Through Standard Oil, founded in 1870, America’s first billionaire built the country’s energy infrastructure, refining around 90% of the nation’s oil during its Gilded Age peak.

2. Andrew Carnegie, 1835-1919

Carnegie’s steel mills churned out the building blocks of the Industrial Revolution, incorporated into railroads, bridges, buildings and naval vessels; in 1901 he sold his company to J.P Morgan for $492 million–more than $19 billion in 2026 dollars.

3. Cornelius Vanderbilt, 1794-1877

“The Commodore" launched his transportation empire in the 1820s, which moved goods by over 100 steamships at its peak in the 1840s before pivoting to railroads whose networks extended from New York into the Midwest.

4. Henry Ford, 1863-1947

Ford didn’t invent the automobile, but his innovative factories brought them into the mainstream with the Model T, more than 15 million of which were sold between 1908 and 1927.

5. Abraham Lincoln, 1809-1865

As the 16th President, Lincoln didn’t only save the Union in the Civil War–his policies enabled the first transcontinental railroad, centralized currency, expanded the Treasury bond market, and authorized land grants for universities.

6. J.P. Morgan,........

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