The New York herald., 1868-01-05

/ De scriptiOn of tho MAGNIFICENT New Marble
I'm Hiding Being Erected Broadway
sup,erb Banking Rooms, Unsurpassed by
Any in the World-The Whole Structure a
SplenAid Monument TO Architectural Art.
OF the mn my splendid monuments to architectural art
in this city Nhich the immense and rapidly cumulative
wealth OF the metropolis finds necessary for the grow
ing expansion Oh business the magpifcens marble
ture to be occupied by the National Park Bank, in
course OF erection next the HERALD building promises
TO be one OF the nea, will be OF she largest
and most imposing, wen costes edifcss in this
the great commercial emporium or the Western World
With such pushing energy characteristic OF metropolitan
enterprise the work has been hurried forward to COM
pieton that whore short time ago were only to be
seen huge. frghtful and unsEhty excavations tho
hidden domains Of mother earth, and incoagruous
mingling OF stono and mortar scaods and brick
and marble and busy workmen, we now behold q
structure rise.
As from stroke OF the enchanter's wand
II IL true, the structure Is not yet wholly completed
and it will be time before 1t occupied but its
grand and colossal proportions clear passers
by--and NO one can pass by without looking At
it-and the fact Ia evident to all that whom
finished will be not only great additional ornament
to this portion OF tho town, but In Its admirable design
and the rare and skilled workmanship shown It,
plify srikngIy and pontcdy any building in the
city those three chief and indispensable essentials to
perfect architscture-utiy, strength and beauty In
description based careful inspection and study
Of the elaborate plans the hands OF architect We
shall speak OF tho building completed the only clear
and Ineligible way Of describing It.
Tho Park Bank bulding-for such Is the name by
which II has been chrstened and will doubtless always
60 BY, even beyond the remote contingency OF the
bank going into insovencytand ccasng to sxist-has
frontage on Broadway Of Gfty mine feet four lnches
depth or ono hundred and nfty-nn feet and L
Ann street Of feet six inches The front portion
facing Broadway hvs stories high above the cellar
and basement making total height OF one hundred
and four feet from the cellar floor to the highest
part OF the roof. These i've stories, together With
the cellar and basement, extend back fifty 1--we
feet On Ann street the building has three
stories with cellar and basement Tho remainder OF
tho structure only story in height besides cellar
and basement underneath. This central or ono story
portion Of the building s to be occupied the grand
banking room, and, a. will be our de-
scrption progresses not alone the unqueness but the
Incompatible utility and perfectness OF plan Of tho
building, in reference 10 It's leading and special feature
great banking institution, develop and them
selvex
We will commence At the foundations, which
begin thirty feet below the curb Of Broad
way. Here rests tho main pressure Of the vast
superintendent structure; but in tho and
OF strength. From the doph of thirty feet the height
OF fourteen feet below the curb the walls of
solid blue stone masonry averaging eight feet thick.
The foundation of the front wall 10 eleven fcet
IN thickness Under the safety deposit vault the found
alton is OF solid masonry, twenty -four by forty mine
feet and twentyfonr feet in hoght Tho vault itself
OF solid granite walls two feet thick, and with all the
concomitants OF safes and iron doors
and bolts, sufficient burglars without more
detailed description. We certainly give ,nem the bone
ut OF knowing where the vaults without much risk
we imagine Of incurrlng the dispieasurs of the bank
he n fyvof frnnt IN
basement on Broadway-the one thirty-four by fifty
feet and the Other seventeen by fifty feet in sizethe
residue OF this portion Of tho building to be occupied
by the bank In addition to rooms for the safes books
and varabes of the bank, there to be fine dressing
with banking institutions-a kitchen and dining
room The chief of this department has net been
selected yet to throw light the intended bill OF
fare but il 1t is keeping with everything csc only
second Soysr bo chosen to WELD the culinary baton.
with brick walls averaging i've feet in thickness to the
cellar and three foet 10 the basement and thence
way has eight feet depth OF cellar basement ten feet
deep, who she first story is foet high,
second story seventeen tho third sixteen the fourth
fifteen and the upper story TO tho roof twentyone
high Ol street the cellar Is eight Deep
msnt ten feet the first story thirteen the story
twelve and the third story fourteen feet hgh All the
requisites OF harmony and order well sdaptabty
70 the purposes for which they intended per-
feet unity in proportions are observed throughout
the lower part OF the building Thcro are offices on
the rs story on broadway each twenty by Fifty feet
fourth and fth stories large rooms by fifty
feet In dimensions Each Of the three stories Ann
street have also large and commodous rooms. adapted
like those Of the Broadway part of the building to the
muarious wants OF all classes OF business men, either
as private offices, insurance Offices, corporation
department offices, stores warerooms The rooms
are all superby lighted and that sepulchral gloom
which peryaoes so many OF our large buildings and
inc air OF danpness which gives chill 10 look
INTO them, efectuay banisned Most OF the walls
are irescoed. the facilities for ventilation and heating
elegance, combined with more tasteful and erouisits
simplicity, arc their universal characteristics. grand
staircase twelve feet wide leads from the first sories
those abyrinthan passages dark and intricate
wndings, which some architects In their ncapacty to
achieve combination Of utility and simplicity strive
| TO palm of as the utmost prolundity OF design,
| utterly wanting
And now, having travcscd the whole building under.
meath and portion devoted TO tho
special occupation Of bank will enter tho bank
and notice here the effects OF potent
/ OF the god Midas Unqualifledly 1t may be stated in
i the outset that they tho finest banking
this Continent II not in the world Architectural
vention with those auxares gold and green
produce the results accomplished. As stated
above this portion Of the building is only story
Bfty-six oe wdc and las height OF forty feet Tho
most curious feature. perhaps OF all, and what
is the roof II ~ an elongated DOME gracefully rising
and swelling from the base into an area Of vast and
imposing oxtent II Is wholly made OF iron and thick
plate glass, and down through 1t there pouring
| such splendid food or light that the dark sst
day is required The artistic combination OF the
exqusely moulded iron work and plate glass gives
pleasing effect At the corners OF tho dome are
bronze medalions OF Incompatible beauty and work
manship representing respectively Science Art Indus
try Justice Across the east and south sides Of the
there extends balcony eight feet wde supported
by iron beams and ornamental brackets But the other
features Of this room tho marble counters and desks
| and wanscoting and carpets, and all its manifold
rich appointments. and the tasteful harmony Of every
thing, and the grand and beautiful effect OF the WHOLE
no words can adequately describe. Tho fact should
not be omitted that tho banking Is lifted with
burglar and nrcproof SAFE seven by twenty fsot and
thirteen high divided into two each
by ten feet with doors In each. Besides the
described the banking department will probably the
southeriy front room Of the first story broadway
| reception and officers room. The directors
l is in the rear, on the second story.
The building Is constructed Of pure white marble from
Marion b Halls quAfriss, Tuckahoe, westchsster
| county, who also do all the cutting. The
i style Of the architecture OF the Broadway
front 10 that OF tho Roman Corinthan TO
the nst story and thence tho top OF Grccan CORN
THAN, with Manrd roof bearing large dormer windows