New national era. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1870-1874, 1871-12-14
District Matters.



| Iamation OF Emancipation.
The business of the Freedmau's Saving
Bank is transferred from the wel-known loca-
ton on Seventh street to the new building on
| Pennsylvania avenue opposite the Treasury
Department. which is generally admitted to be
one of the finest structures for banking pur-
| poses in the country, and an addition to the
architectural adornments OF the city. The
building has already been fully described in
the Chronicle, and it is only now necessary to
state that the first floor, which has been re-
served for the banking business, has been fitted
up with excellent taste; and while being at
tractive in appearance, possesses the essential
qualities Of being substantial and In every
respect suitable for the purpose intended.
The cashiers room is the first entered, and is
fine one, admirably adapted for rhe transact
ton of n large business. A beautiful solid
marble counter, paneled ard moulded, extends
along the entire length This is surmounted
by black walnut desks, guarded by ratings of
the same material, behind which stands the
cashier and his assistants. Beyond this room
Is the Office of the actuary and his clerks, and
within it is the vault for the valuables. This
Is protected by a massive metal door, which is
secured sy a pOnderous combination lock-
Within the vault is an immense safe, con
structed to resist fire and burglars. These are
from the mandatory of the American Steam
Safe Company, of Baltimore, and have been
furnished by their agent, j. G.. Parker. of
Seventh street The inside apartment is for
the use of the Board Of Trustees, and is a very
line room. The three rooms have been hand
somely frescoed by Shutter, and are neatly and
comfortably furnished and carpeted. The en-
tire building has been constructed and the ar
Engagements completed, by Mr.. Robert Fleming,
the contractor, who is entitled to much credit
Tor the manner in which the work has been done
A short sketch of the history of this insti-
tuition, which has grown from a very small be-
ginning until 1T has attained its present MAJ
Vicious proportions, may not be uninteresting.
Early In 1868 charter of incorporation was
obtained from Congress, and on the 1lth of
July In that year Rev. j. w. Alvord on the
part OF the trustees, commissioned Mr.. William
). Wilson, the present cashier, to undertake the
work of making the bank known to the colored
people of this city and the freedmen of the sur
rounding localities. Mr.. Wilson was then ell |
gagged teaching school, on Twelfth street, near |
II, but Notwithstanding there then no COM |
pensatlOn attached to the Office, he cheerfuy |
undertook the duty assigned to him. His |
hrst othce was rented room in the upper part |
OF detached brick house on q street, opposite /
the Foundry Church. lie remained there until |
the following spring labCrng against much .
dstrust and prejudice ia his endeavors to i'm
press upon his own people the advantages of
the project. His first announcement of it |
was To his own pupils, and one of them, a son |
of freedman named Hill, told him his fathers
box had been broken open the previous night |
and some two hundred dollars carried off. The /
boy said his father had still twenty four dol /
lars and asked Mr.. Wilson if he would put
that in his bank. The answer being in tue |
aft rmative, the father was brought back after /
school recess and made the first deposit of S24, |
and so the freedman Hill laid the foundation Of |
an institution which struck deep root in the
soli, and whose branches now spread over
large portion of the Union. A strange part of |
the history of that deposit is, that it still re-
mains accommodating. and nothing is known of
Its owners fate. The second depositor was
the wife of Rev. DR.. Garnett, pastor of the
Fifteenth street Presbyterian Colored Church
and the third, Mr. Walker Lewis, now one of
the trustees, and the owner of large amount
OF real estate In this city, which he has accu-
muiated by prudent investments. Both these
made their deposits to show they had conf
dence in the project and to inspire it in others
During the infancy of the institution Mr..
Wilson carried the funds of it on his person,
and he did not find the load difficult one to
transport He labored on despite of every
difficulty, and with the countenance of the EN-.
inent men who obtained the charter, determined
to make the enterprise success. In the spring
OF 1866 a basement room in the house occupied
by the Freedmen's Bureau, at the corner of
office of the bank, and there the work was car
rled on until about the same time in the follow
ing year, when 1t was moved to the northwest
corner OF Pennsylvania avenue and Nineteenth
street. During this time every effort was used
to induce the colored soldiers to deposit some
thing OF their pay, and many did so who now
reap the benefit of their produce in the owner
ship OF their dwellings,. In the winter of 1867
the next move OF the bank was to the house of
re- Suii Ink- l.
and +, where TWO rooms were rented and occu-
pied for about fourteen months when another
change OF base was made to MAYS kuilding
which has just been vacated
In these years oil struggle there Was much of
interesting incident in the endeavor TO estab.
lish the bank. A detailed history of this would
bill volumes Confidence In savings Institutes
Is thing OF slow growth among all peop es,
aud it was peculiarly so OF the coIored race
They were unused to the thing aud those who
were foremost in advocating this one were
strangers to them, and were in great measure
looked upon with distrust. There were large
numbers OF colored troops being brought here
and CHARTERED In the vicinity. 1t was consid.
cred that they might be induced to save a Dor
ton OF their pay, and Mr.. Wilson, being one {
OF the representative men OF his race, went
among them In their camps on pay days aud I
explained the benefits OF the institution
ried results until the First Distrc. colored I
regiment was mustered out when he succeeded {
In getting deposits from them amounting TO ,
nearly i've thousand dollars. He remained in {
q tent all night with this amount in his breast,
but did not sleep much, through anxiety, al &
though having guard Of soldiers to protect 6
MIN. lie carried his treasure safely into town.
but for many days some doubling Thomases 9
would come along and demand back their
money, which, Of course, they got but some, {
IN their suspicion, called for it at the point of
the pistol. A Kentucky colored regiment was
stationed near this city for about a year, and I
many OF them made regular deposits with the
cashier when he paid his regular visits on paw
day. A number OF these carried away. on {
leaving, sufficient to purchase homes for them {
selves. The Second District, on its return
from Texas, and the Fourth MARYLAND. which
was stationed here for time, aud others. were
argey benefited in tie same way.
In addition to his work among the soldiers 9
Mr.. Wilson paid several visits to different
localities In Maryland and Virginia, where he |
net with great success, particularly in Rich. s
nond and on a farm of General Forests known c
~ the Sandgates, near Port Tobacco. Mary
and, where large numbers of laborers were s
employed t
The present extensive ramfcations of the a
bank by branches throughout tie South and i
Southwest, where they have fine buildings and c
10 large business, are so we'll known that it
s unnecessary to 60 into particulars, but atten-
;on may be again called to the small seed sown !
by the freedman Hill in the shape of his $24 :
deposit, from which such large fruit has grown :