Poughkeepsie Savings Bank facts for kids
Quick facts for kids |
|
|
Poughkeepsie Savings Bank
|
|
Bank building in 2007, still in use by TD Banknorth
|
|
| Location | Poughkeepsie, NY |
|---|---|
| Built | 1912 |
| Architect | Mowbray and Uffinger |
| Architectural style | Classical Revival |
| MPS | Poughkeepsie Multiple Resource |
| NRHP reference No. | 98001445 |
| Added to NRHP | 1998 |
The Poughkeepsie Savings Bank building is a historic building in Poughkeepsie, New York. It stands at 21-23 Market Street. This building was the third home for the Poughkeepsie Savings Bank. This bank was the first in the city, started in 1831.
The bank first bought land at this spot and built a building. Later, in 1870, they bought the next-door lot. They expanded the building, opening the new, larger space two years later. By 1911, the bank was very successful. They decided to build a completely new and grander building. They hired the famous architects Mowbray and Uffinger. This firm had designed many bank buildings across the eastern United States.
Contents
The Bank's Design and Architecture
The architects designed the bank in a style called Classical Revival. This style looks back to ancient Greek and Roman temples. The building's walls are slightly angled because of the shape of the land.
Outside the Building
The front of the building is made of Pennsylvania marble. It sits on a granite base. You can see two large columns in the Ionic order. These columns have fancy tops with scrolls. On either side of these columns are flat, decorative columns called pilasters. These pilasters are in the Doric order, which is a simpler style.
The main entrance is set back from the street. It has a deeply recessed doorway and a small entry area called a vestibule. These parts are made of cast bronze and beautiful ornamental glass.
Inside the Building
The main banking room is very large. It measures about 40 by 40 feet (12 by 12 meters). The ceilings are very high, reaching 60 feet (18 meters). Inside, you'll see more Ionic pilasters. A continuous decorative band, called an entablature, runs along the top of the walls.
The floor was originally white marble, though it is now carpeted. The lower part of the walls, called the wainscot, is made of red marble. When the bank first opened, it had a skylight in the ceiling. There was also a huge stained glass window. This window was made by Philadelphia's D'Ascenzo Studios. It showed scenes from Henry Hudson's journey up the Hudson River on the Half Moon. It also showed Robert Fulton's first steamboat journey up the river on the Clermont. All these features made the building feel like a grand "temple of commerce."
Changes Over Time
Originally, the tellers' counter was shaped like a "U." This allowed customers to interact with tellers from three sides. In 1931, the architects' new firm, Uffinger, Foster & Bookwalter, updated the layout. They extended the counter to enclose the building's northeast corner. However, they didn't make many other big changes.
In 1948, a wall was opened on the south side. This allowed the bank to use the building next door as office space. Nine years later, in 1957, the inside was renovated again. During this time, the skylight was covered up. The beautiful stained glass window was also hidden. After this, the main lighting came from chandeliers. These chandeliers were later replaced about 20 years later.
Recognition and Recent Use
The Poughkeepsie Savings Bank building is an important historical site. It was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1998. This is a list of places in the United States that are important to history. The bank itself changed names several times. It became Bank of the Hudson and later was bought by TD Banknorth. TD Banknorth used the building as a branch office until the early 2010s.
In 2016, the building had a very interesting temporary use. It became the local headquarters for the Bernie Sanders presidential campaign. This was during the weeks leading up to the New York primary election. Volunteers decorated the bank's old vault. They put "crime scene" tape on it. They also pasted a quote from the candidate: "If a bank is too big to fail, it is too big to exist."
