Merchants' National Bank Building (1895), Baltimore
Merchants National Bank Building (1895) in Baltimore | |
_in_Baltimore,_MD..jpg) The Merchants' National Bank Building (1895), as pictured in the American Architect and Building News, Nov. 13,1893. No. 934. | |
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| Location | 301 Water St., Baltimore, Maryland |
|---|---|
| Architect | Baldwin & Pennington |
| Part of | Business and Government Historic District (ID87002065[1]) |
| Added to NRHP | 1987 |
The Merchants' National Bank Building (1895), Baltimore was a historic bank building at 301 Water Street, at the corner of South Street, in Baltimore, Maryland. It was a 7-story, Renaissance Revival style building designed by the Baltimore-based architectural firm of Baldwin & Pennington, and constructed in 1893-1895. Johns Hopkins, a Baltimore businessman, abolitionist, and philanthropist, had been president of the bank from 1853 until his death in 1873. [2][3]
Architecture and ownership history
When the 7 story Merchants National Bank Building was completed in 1895 the Baltimore sun called it "a splendid building" and a fine addition to the many recent handsome office buildings erected in Baltimore. Optimistically, the Sun article also mentioned that the steel frame encased in brick masonry with granite facing on the outside made the structure "fire-proof throughout".[4]
It burnt down 9 years later, a victim of the Great Baltimore Fire of 1904. Almost the entire interior was destroyed, except for the banking rooms on the first floor.[5] The bank then decided to make its headquarters a two story building, which it remained for almost 80 years.
Merchants consolidated with the Mechanics NB of Baltimore in 1912 and consolidated at the Mechanics' location. This property was then surplused and sold to Baltimore insurance company USF&G, which kept it till the 1970s. Baltimore Federal Savings & Loan bought the property in 1977, and in 1982 erected a new 17 story Postmodern style building, spanning the entire block between Water and East Lombard, South and Commerce Streets. The original two story building was preserved as a historic facade. The construction cost was approximately $20 million. The architect was Donald N. Coupard Associates (now DNC Architects), [6] and Whiting-Turner was the general contractor.[7] [8][9]
- Landmark
The 1895 Merchants' National Bank Building facade is a historic district contributing property, within the Baltimore Business and Government Historic District, which was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1987.[10]
References
- ^ "National Register Information System". National Register of Historic Places. National Park Service. March 13, 2009.
- ^ "Seventy Years a Bank: Merchants' National Rechartered For Two Decades More Came Under Jackson's Veto". The Baltimore Sun. June 10, 1905.
{{cite news}}:|access-date=requires|url=(help) - ^ "Death of Johns Hopkins His Last illness Life and Character His Career as a Merchant and Banker His Benevolent Enterprises Monuments of Learning and Charity, &c". The Baltimore Sun. Dec 25, 1873. Retrieved 12 February 2014.
- ^ "A Splendid Building- Completed for Occupancy by the Merchants' National Bank - Modern Ideas in Construction". The Baltimore Sun. March 8, 1895.
{{cite news}}:|access-date=requires|url=(help) - ^ "TO REMODEL MERCHANTS' BANK: President Thomas Says Work Will Begin When Insurance Is Adjusted". The Baltimore Sun. March 16, 1904.
{{cite news}}:|access-date=requires|url=(help) - ^ "DNC Architects".
- ^ "Whiting-Turner".
- ^ "Baltimore Federal changes plans". The Baltimore Sun, B5. July 20, 1982.
{{cite news}}:|access-date=requires|url=(help) - ^ "Back from the Harbor". The Baltimore Sun, K4. July 25, 1982.
{{cite news}}:|access-date=requires|url=(help) - ^ "National Register of Historic Places".