Original: The first reference to an elevator is in the works of the Roman architect Vitruvius , who reported that Archimedes ( c. 287 BC â '' c. 212 BC ) built his first elevator probably in 236 BC .
Simplified: The first reference to an elevator is in the works of the Roman architect Vitruvius , who reported that Archimedes built his first elevator , probably in 236 B.C. .