The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1866-05-07
RICHMOND MONDAY MORNING, MAY Z, 1866.

The NEW NATIONAL BANK OF VIRGINIA
BUnDING.-The terrible and disastrous
fire of April, 1865, great as was the ruin
and misfortune which it caused, has not
been without its compensating advantages +;
and Richmond now possesses degree of
architectural beauty which she might not
have enjoyed for half century to come,
but that the energies of her people, palsied
by the vicissitudes Of war, were called into
new life by the sad ravages of that confia-
grafton which reduced great portion OF
this city to a heap of smouldering ruins.
New stores have been built on every side,
all the improvements of the day have been
called into active requisition, the use OF
| iron girders, columns, and friezes, has be-
come general, and among the handsomest
of the new buildings which have been
erected in our midst is that which will be
opened for business this morning by the
National Bank of Virginia, at the corner oil
Main and Eleventh streets.
This building, the progress of which to-
wards completion has been watched with
, SO much interest, is in the Italian style,
and was designed and superintended in It's
| erection by Mr.. Albert l.. West, late
architect and engineer of the Confederate
! Government Works at Augusta, Georgia,
and for many years previous an architect
and engineer of acknowledged eminence
in this city.
The National Bank of Virginia Building
was commenced in August, 1865. 1t has
front on Main street of thirty feet, and on
Eleventh street of about eighty feet. The
| building is three stories high above the
basement, the floor of the main story be-
| ing six feet above the level of Main street.
| First in order is the basement, which has
pitch of ten feet six inches, and is divided
| into two sets Of rooms. One of these,
which has its entrance on Main street, is
occupied by Messrs. Grubbs s. Williams,
Real Estate Auctioneers, whose office,
under the American Hotel, was burned
down in the great fire.
Messrs. Grubbs & Williams then occu-
pied temporary Offices on Main street, be-
tween Seventh and Eighth streets, and
their new offices at the National Bank
Building are fitted up in a commodious and
elegant style, which does credit to firm
which has so long borne an enviable repu-
tation for integrity, experience and marked
ability among tho commercial men OF Rich
mond. The second set of rooms, the en-
trance to which is on Eleventh street, is
now occupied by f. J. Euker, who keeps
there an excellent bar-rOom and saloon.
The main story, which is used as the ofhce
of the National Bank of Virginia, is en-
tered through pair Of handsomely
wrought iron gates, and has pitch OF
TWENTY-FIVE feet. Over the fire proof vault,
in the rear, is a handsomely furnished
room, which will he used for the meetings
of the Board of Directors. The banking
| Office is foored with cncaustic tyles, the
ceiling is tastcfully tresCOcd, the desks
and counters are of solid black walnut,
and the whole appointments are at once
substantial, appropriate, and chaStc IN de-
| sign. 4 commodious spiral staircase OF
iron leads to the second and third stories,
which are fitted up for Offices, and con-
| tain every necessary convenience.
! The entire building is heated by water,
| not steam, so that every room will in the
sevcrcst winter weather have the regular
temperature OF a genial day i'll spring
and, taken as Il whole, the building is
planned with such Judgment that the inte-
rior is as complete for every purpose as the
exterior is imposing and striking in its ge-
! neral appearance of symmetrical lightncsS
! Of finish, combined with enduring and mas
! SivC i'll strength.
/ The contractors for the work were: W
J. HumeS, brick work; j. 7. Tyrce & Bro.
thcr, carpenters work; p. Ii. Russell
plastcring; S. Y. Landrum, painting; and
/ G. 4 \. Bargamin, Jr., plumbing and gas
| fitting: McSsrs. Tanner & Ehbets, the
! Architectural Iron Works of New York
! William B. Cook, and Asa Snyder & Co..
contracted for the iron work; and the
handsome frcSco work was executed by F
ROeth.
! The entire cost OF the new building is
about fifty thousand dollars, and as an or.
namcnt to the city and a structure cmi.
ncntly adapted to the requirements of g
large and popular banking corporation, il
reflects the greatest credit upon the energy
Of the Board of Directors and the untiring
labor of the architect, Mr.. West.
The officers of the National Bank OF
Virginia are as follows:
! PreSident.-S. 7. Suit.
Vice Presalent.-G. T. May.
CdShiT.-J. B. Morton.
DreCt0rS.-D Currie, l.. D. Crcnshaw
A. +. Harvey, C. I. Wortham, L. 0. Nol
ting, G. w. Gillian, James NJ. Talbot, j
P. Ballard, G. W. Williams, and Matthew
Blair.
Paying Teller. B. Macmurdo.
ReCeiUing TeHr.-Charles III. HueStis.
The authorized capital of the bank i:
$500, 900, of which 100000 has been pait
in, and when we remember the large busi
ness transacted by the National Bank O
Virginia in their temporary offices at the
custom-house, and the soundness of theil
financial condition, there can be no doub
that the amount of their transactions vii
continue rapidly but steadily to increase
as they have done from the first day tha
the bank was opened to the public.
The "WIcKHAM BUILDING NEW OFFT