Mount Morris Bank Building facts for kids
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Mount Morris Bank
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2016
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| Location | 81-85 East 125th Street at Park Avenue Manhattan, New York City |
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| Built | 1883-84, enlarged 1889-90 |
| Architect | Lamb & Rich |
| Architectural style | Queen Anne, Richardson Romanesque |
| NRHP reference No. | 89002087 |
Quick facts for kids Significant dates |
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| Added to NRHP | December 7, 1989 |
The Mount Morris Bank Building is a historic building in East Harlem, Manhattan, New York City. It's also known as the Corn Exchange Bank or Corn Exchange Building. You can find it at 81-85 East 125th Street, right on the corner of Park Avenue.
When it was built in 1883, it was a very special building. But by the late 1970s, it was empty and falling apart. It stayed empty for about 30 years! In 2009, the city had to tear down most of it because it was unsafe after a fire in 1997. But in 2012, a company decided to rebuild it. The building opened again in May 2015, ready for new businesses.
The building was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1989. This means it's an important historical site in the United States. In 1993, it was also named a New York City Landmark.
The Bank's Early Years
The Mount Morris Bank started in December 1880. Back then, Harlem was changing from a quiet suburb into a busy city neighborhood. New train lines made it easier to travel to downtown New York. The bank first rented a space nearby on 125th Street.
Construction on the new bank building began on April 3, 1883. It was finished on February 1, 1884. The bank itself moved into the main floor in late 1883. Like other buildings nearby, it was designed for both businesses and homes.
The basement, which was partly above ground, was used by the Mount Morris Safe Deposit Company. This company actually owned the building. Above the bank, there were six apartments on four floors, plus an attic. These apartments were called "The Morris." They had their own entrance and even an elevator! But they didn't last long as homes. By the early 1900s, they were changed into offices.
The architects, Lamb & Rich, designed the bank using a style called Romanesque Revival. They used rough, rock-faced sandstone. For the apartment part of the building, they used red brick in the Queen Anne style.
The building's spot was very good for people traveling to work or shopping. The New York Central Railroad ran right along Park Avenue, with a station at 125th Street.
In 1889-1890, the building was made twice as big! The original architects designed this expansion. They added a new entrance on Park Avenue. Later, in 1912, another architect named Frank A. Rooke changed the main entrances. He removed the steps that stuck out onto the sidewalk.
Changes and Rebuilding
In 1913, the Mount Morris Bank became a branch of the Corn Exchange Bank. This was one of the first banks in New York City to have many local branches. The Corn Exchange Bank later joined with another bank, Chemical Bank, in 1954.
Chemical Bank closed this branch in the mid-1960s. After that, different businesses and even a church used the building. In 1972, New York City took ownership of the building because of unpaid taxes.
By the late 1970s, many buildings in the city were being left empty. The Corn Exchange Building was one of them. It stayed empty for about 30 years, getting damaged and falling apart. In 1987, it was sealed up to keep people out.
The city's Landmarks Preservation Commission thought about making it an official landmark in 1984. They finally did so in 1993. They said the building still looked surprisingly like it did when it was new.
Sadly, a fire in 1997 destroyed the roof and the top two floors. In 2003, a person from the community bought the building. They wanted to open a cooking school, but they couldn't get enough money for the project.
The city took the building back in 2000. In 2009, they had to tear down almost everything except the basement and the main floor. This was done for safety reasons.
But then, in 2012, a company called Artimus Construction bought the building. They decided to rebuild it for shops and offices. The new design looks a lot like the original building, but it's not an exact copy. The Landmarks Preservation Commission approved the design in 2013.
The Corn Exchange Building officially reopened with an art fair in May 2015, bringing new life back to this historic spot!
See also
In Spanish: Mount Morris Bank Building para niños
