Alexandria gazette & daily advertiser. [volume] (Alexandria [Va.]) 1817-1822, 1819-06-02

built OF Pennsylvania Marble, on size n
Chesnut, between Fourth and Fifth street.
in Pm adelphia, was recently laid WITH
much ceremony by the President and hi.
rectors of the institution. The archiiec.
turaI design Of .nr. Strickland for the bui!S
ing has Leen adopted by the bank : and
the elevation is represented in the Ane.
lectic Magazine Tor March last-The de-
sign of the United States bank, is Of The
Grecian Doric, having eight futed columns,
four feet six inches in diameter, embra-
cling the whole front, taken from the Par.
thenun, or Temple of Minerva being
Invested for the sake of the distribution of
space and light. OF its Ranking columns
and, for the sake of simplicity, of the
scuIptured metop"s, the frieze and The
bassa relieve figures in the tympanum of
lie pediment.
f" The columns rise from basement G
feet in elevation, supporting plain en-
tablature, extending along the side Of a
parallelogram OF by 100 feet, inclu ~
the body OF the building and portrcos that
project ten feet 6 inches from each of The
fronts. The,vertical angle Of The pedment
is 1928, forming an uninterrupted inc
from end 10 end OF the ridge or apex OF tue
roof
The ascent to the portcos from The
street, is by flight Of six steps. TO ter
race or platform, extending l6 feet on
each A nk, and in tlont of the edihce.
"it Is On this terrace that the building is
reared, and from " hich it derives a great
portion of i,s effect. The gatewsys On
the right and left, open TO paved avenues,
which extend from Chesnut to Library
streets. along each of The TANKS, serving.to
insuIate the bui,ilng from surrounding OBJ
iec,s, it being enclosed along these ave-
nues by return Of the iron railing c2hi-
biled in the fcnt elevation
The door Of entrance opens intoa
spacious veslibule, leading TO the Lanking
room, which is placed, Immediately in the
centre of the building. On the right and
! lett ul the y,s,ibuie is the loan office and
transfer Cdice, which are entirely distinct
from the rooms appropriated TO banking
PURPOSES. The banking room in plan is
a spacious parallelogram Of 40 by 60 con.
tanning l2 polished marble pillars, OF the
Ionic order, copied from the temple OF
Minerva Polias, at Priene :-lhesc pillars
are placed at distance OF eight ieet
| from the sides Of the room, anil support
vauIted pannelled ceiling across It's shcrt-
est diameter. The desks and counters
range throughout the intercoluninatlans,
forming a Capacious area IN The centre
and along their sides, Tor the transaction
of business. The, presidents and Ca
shier's rooms on the north, together with
the vaults, and private stair cases on me
south, are adjacent TO the sides ct The
banking room, and can only be app'oarh'
| ed 5y doors of communication from his
room. The stockholders, directors and
committee rooms are situated on the south
eln front OF the huiiSing, having PISS ges
Of communication with each other. and
with the bank ing room. 1t is 10 be remark
; Ell tha, in the plan all the rooms are bound
ed by parallel walls, at right angles tr"m
the fronts and harks that these rooms
are lighted exclusively from the fanks OF
the building, which are distance of 335
feet from the boundary lines Of the lot,
aflnrding ample space for The circulation
of light and air in every direction
[.Am. Daily Adv.