The Portland daily press., 1883-03-31
A SUPERB BUILDING.
Description of the New First National
Bank

Reference has been made from time to time in
these columns of the elegant building to be con-
structed by the First National Bank ON the cor
ner of Exchange, Middle and Market streets.
Wednesday the Press mentioned the names OF
the neutrality-suspicious.. w. II. Stewart, for
merly Of Portland, and Foster, OF Cambridge
and to-day is enabled to give some slight idea
of the building TO be erected To afford, how
ever, proper description the services of an
architect should be employed for the ediiice Is
of such commanding beauty, according to the
elevation plans, that an ordinary writer cannot
do them justice.
The architects win be Messrs. Van Brunt 81
Howe, of Boston, designers of Wellesley Col
lege, of the beautiful Nudge Memorial church
at Lynn, Of the Harvard Medical School on
Boylston street, Boston, besides many other
buildings OF repute, The edifce will be of the
Elizabethian style, with the Dutch steproof
very quaint and pleasing. IL win cover lo'
OF ground about eighty feet square, and be
constructed of face brick with sandstone and
terra Gotta trimmings. 1t will be four stories
in height besides the high basement which
will stand eight and half feet above the side
walk AT the conner of Middle and Exchange
streets will be beautiful tower, 100 feet high,
containing an illuminated clock. This clock
can be seen with perfect ease as far west as the
Preble House, east to India street and south to
Peaks Island. The traoery work on the sand
stone sabs will be of great beauty and origi-
nality of design These slabs are set at differ
emit spaces throughout the front elevation of
the building, especially on the basement front
and main entrance. just below the clock on
abe tower is balustrade, which is a work OF
art in its delicate carving The windows are
especially beautiful. Those on the first story
are very wide and high with arched tops, and
finished with the little Queen Anne panes of
colored glass over the great squares Of plate
glass. The windows in the other stories are
narrow, but all are surmounted with delicate
tracery, and separated from each other by
graceful Corinthian columns.
The main entrance will be superb. Not
only will ii be OF great width but the elaborate
traeary OF hammered freestone, surmounted
with beautiful hood and final, and lighted
through the hood by delicate stained glass OF
various patterns, forming an exquisite mosaic,
will attract universal attention. This main en-
trance will occupy the spot on Exchange street
where George Webster's restaurant. used 10
draw together our Portland merchants, and
will open into spacious area, or rotunda,
whence every story, and every room in each
story, will be available by quick elevator and
broad, elegant stairway. This area will ex-
tend, in the clear, from the basement to the
upper story, and be well lighted and ventilated
BY large dome.
The corner of the building at Exchange
street is so abruptly cut off that it win give
greater prominence TO the whole structure.
There will be tower on the Market and Mid
die street corner, though not of the character
OF the clock tower. Throughout the building
will be suites of rooms, consisting of one large
and two small rooms, and each suite will be
furnished with an iron fire escape ladder reach
ing-in the roar to the roofs of the buildings
below. The basement will be occupied by
offices. The lower suite in the first story on
Exchange street has been engaged by the new
Trust Company The banking rooms will be
located on Middle street, in the first story,
facing the Post Office.
The interior finish OF the structure will be
artistic and elegant There will be high dados,
tiled floors, and all the stories will be finished
in hard woods, most probably in cherry
throughout. Every floor will be furnished
with sofas for each tenant and toilet rooms.
The building will, of course, be heated by
steam and piped for Sebago. Tie janitor's
suite OF rooms will be in the fifth story, Or
upper part of the clock tower.
Application has been already made by re-
sponsible parties for two-thirds Of the renting
capacity of the building Although the build
ing is of such elaborate design, and requiring
the finest work. the contract with the firm
mentioned, for the demolition of the old build Z
ing and construction of the new, has been
made at price far below the ruling prices for
the last five years, and one at which the build
ing will earn fair interest on its present rem
tai.
Work will commence on the new structure
within two weeks, and the new edifce will be
ready for occupancy January /, 1884.