Lancaster daily intelligencer. [volume] (Lancaster, Pa.) 1864-1928, 1883-03-30
THE FULTON BANK.
A VERY HANDsUME NEW BUILDING,

LII l. ~ LII Wv DAl4vAO
Ready for "The FIrsl''-Its Novel Architec-
ture-A Splendid Room for Business
"A Description of 1t.
The new banking house of the Fulton
National bank, No. II North Queen street,
is so nearly finished that tho officers ex-
pect to remove the effects into it this
evening and be ready to transact business
therein to morrow.
The building was erected expressly for
substantial, convenient and best appointed
banks in the state. 1t was designed by
Fred'k DiDkelberg, architect, and erected
by Philip Dinkelberg, carpenter and
builder, under the supervision of the
building committee, Messrs. John r. Bit
ner, Lewis s. Hartman, and John L.
Miller. The style of architecture is known
as the Romanesque. The front elevation
has the appearance of two. story build
ing. Four massive pillars of highly
polished Quincy granite, with an entabla-
turc of finely cut, but unpublished granite,
support the front wall, which is of terra
Gotta tiles and Lancaster pressed brick.
Above the front entrance to the banking
room is the name of the institution,
" FULTON NATIONAL BASE" in large
letters moulded in red tiles. There are
three second-story windows with arched
tops, and spanning the three windows is a
massive arch Of red tiles, reaching almost
to the cornice, the interior of tho arch
being filled in with light c)lored tiles,
giving tho front a unique and attractive
appearance. All the front windows are
filled with the finest plate glass set in
solid oak frames. The front doors leading
into the banking room are of solid oak,
with handsomely carved mouldings, and
inside the doors is a handsome vestibule
of solid oak and plato glass, with doors
right and left leading iutO the bank. By
this arrangement Qf the doors the currents
of air caused by the opening of doors in
cold or windy weather are avoided.
The banking room is "a feet, inches in
width, 20 feet in longth and SO feet in
height from floor to ceiling. The ceiling
is an elliptic arch, and is pierced by a
skylight Is feet long and feet wide and
filled with heavy frosted glass. The
walls and ceiling are finished in grey sand
mortar. The ground floor of the bank
rests on two heavy brick arches, springing
from the cellar That part of the floor
within tho counters is of yellow pine the
part outside the cOunters, intended for the
use of the public, is of tiles Of white and blue
marble. AS stated above, the banking
house externally looks like two story
building, but internally it is only one
story, the lofty ceiling rising to the
height of two full stories At either end
of tho banking room just below the second
range Of windows are galleries of solid
oak, which add much to the appearance
of the room. The galleries are protected
by ornamental iron railing.
The front counters for the use of the
receiving and paying tellers are placed
about twenty feet back from the entrance
to tho bank and are about fourteen feet in
width. The counters Of the other cler rs
arc at right angles with these, aod extend
back to the vault. All the counters are of
oak and are enclosed within heavy oak
railing protected By woven wire screens,
with wickets through which tho clerks
transact business with the outside world.
Within the enclosure, near tho vault, is
tho presidents room, a cosy little apart
ment Of ornamental oak and plate glass.
The vault is of hard brick, the walls being
nearly two feet thick. 1t is provided with
fire and burglar proof doors from the Cor
liss safe manufactory, Providence, Il. l.
Within the vault are three of the Corliss
spherical safes, two of them fitted up with
small boxes for safety depositors, and the
other for the use of the bank. So invul.
nerable are the safes to the attacks of
burglars that the manufacturers offer to
place So, 200 in ono of them and subject it
to attack by any reputable locksmith Or
safe manufacturer, and if within sc hours
he can either break it or open it he shall
have the So, 900 inside and 81, 900 more for
his trouble. The vault is entirely fire
proof, and as it stands in the middle of
the room, the officers and wa.chman can
walk all around it to see that it is not
tampered with, if anyone should be fool
hardy enough to make the attempt. In
rear of the vault is small room intended
for the use of private depositors, where
they may conveniently Count their money,
write checks, make calculations, Sc. In
rear of this is the directors room, which
will be comfortably fitted up tor their use.
Adjoining it is a cloak room. water closet
and other cOnveniences. The cellar, the
entrance to which is adjoining the direc
tors room, is furnished with first class
furnace, which heats the entiro building
with hot air. The several rooms are ad-
mirably lighted aud ventilated, and gas
brackets conveniently placed furnish al
abundance of light at night.
The cost of the new building and the
site upon which it stands, is from $22, 900
to s25, coo. 1t appears to be in every re-
spect admirably adapted to banking pur-
poses, and in the hands Of its energetic
officers and careful board of directors will
no doubt attract large share of public
patronage and be of great convenience to
the business inen of this city and county.
Prospects for building,
Since the 1st of February permits have
been issued by the mayor for the erection.
in this city, of 36 new buildings. OF these
81 are for 2-story dwellings, 1 for a story
dwelling, for back buildings, for the
Mannerchor hall and one for tho Chicago
beef market. This large number of per
mits taken out so carly in the season
augurs we'll for great activity among
builders later in the season; while the
large proportion of dwelling houses in the
list show that the town is steadily and
rapidly growing.