The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1884-07-18

The First National Bank.
Organized 1864
Harrison j. Libby, President.
Building Erected 1884.

This tablet is ofsVictoria red, sienna aud
Knoxville marbles. The presidents and
directors rooms are Immediately connected
with the main banking room and with the
public entrance hall, and measure about 16
feet by 10 feet, and 10 feet by 10 feet re-
spectively. They contain private fre-proof
vaults, chimney pieces, toilet rooms etc. These
rooms front ON Middle and Exchange streets.
The main bank vaults, the toilet and dressing
rooms for the clerks, and private staircase to
the storage rooms in the basement are behind
the main staircase. The walls and ceilings are
treated quite simply in COLOR SO as to form a
suitable background for the finish. The rooms
OF the Trust Company-on the front-are I'M
ished in similar style, the wood being ash,
stained DARK or antique. The basement con-
tains several suites of offices. as well as single
rooms, and in this portion of the building are
also the heating apparatus and the machinery
OF the elevator. The second, third and por-
ton Ct the fourth stories are arranged in
handsome suites Of offices and single rooms; in
the last named story are convenient accommo-
dations for the use of the janitor and his
family, together with large dining hall for
the of the bank officials. The finish of
the second story and basement is brown ash;
that of the third story, pine in its natural
color, and the upper story is 10 pine, painted.
The offices throughout are well supplied with
all the modern conveniencsS of plumbing, aud
with fire-proof vaults on all floors; and the
whole building is made easily accessible by
large hydraulic elevator, which will carry its
passengers speedily from bottom to top. The
staircase hall is large and well ligt ted, and is
finished in brown ash with marble tiled floor
IN the principal story. Besides the ordinary
provision for gas lighting, the entire building
is wired for electric lights.
The absolute sa fety of the funds of the bank
and of the depositors is as matter of course,
one of the vital elements in the development
of building similar to this, and has received
the most careful attention of the building COM
rnitf 0DnO .lot,n
were fully considered and the merits of this
schemes suggested by several leading manu-
facturers carefully examined. The contract
was finally awarded to George L. Damon of
Boston, vault builder, whose reputation is
well known from Maine to California, and ia
carrying cut its provisions every safeguard
against The modern burglar has been called
into requisition. No labor or material has
been spared in making this work absolutely
first class in every respect.
Brihy-the work consists OF heavy steel
lined vault nearly twenty feet long, divided by
a partition into two compartments for the use
of the bank and of the Trust Com pany respec-
lively. The vaults are closed by massive steel
doors at either end, locked by the Damon
Patent Dial and the Isham Combination
Locks; thus protected they may we'll bid de-
iance to the burglar. The bank compartment
is provided with separate steel boxes. which
are locked by the celebrated Isham LOCK with
Mr.. Damon's valuable improvements on the
same. These boxes are for the use of the
tellers. On this same floor is the special vault
for the directors, which is fitted with iron
boxes for the safe keeping of Valuables The
fire proof vaults of the stories above contain
all the modern appliances for protection
against fire and thieves and are about twenty
five in number, arranged either singly or in
groups. These are for the general use Of
tenants and will make unnecessary the small
portable safes commonly used.
The contracts for the work were signed in
April, 1883, aud the labor of demOlishing the
buildings then occupying the site began at
once. The first stone work of the foundation
being laid about the Middle of May. The
general cont. actor for the work was Mr.. Will.
liam FL. Stewart of Boston, who was formerly
a builder in Portland. The principal mechan-
les employed on the work were as follows:
Masonry, 0. A. Foster; roofing, j. Farquhar's
vault work, Geo. l.. Damon; plumbing, John p.
Santry bells and electric work, The Boston Elec-
trio Com auy; trescoing, e. 4ewitson marble work,
Wentworth, Roberts Il Co.; gas fixtures, Stilman &
Nicoll; brass work, VIM. Blake g. Co., clocks, Geo.
M. Stevens; galvanized Iron E. Van Worden g. Co.;
steam heating, w lworth Manufacturing Co.; stain
Ell glass, Reddipg, Baird & Co.; marble floor, A,
Wentworth, Roberts Co., all of Boston.
The elevator is from Otis Bros. OF New
York and Mr.. Thomas III. Jones of Portland,
furnished the plaster work and Daniel Man
nix of Portiap@ the cut granite. The wood.
work OF the entire building is from the shop of
Mr.. Stewart, with the exception of that in the
rooms of the Trust Company and part of the
bank, which was built and finished by f. O.
Bailey & Co. OF Portland. The furniture in
the presidents and directors rooms is from
Keller & Co., and IA H. Davenport of Bos,
ton. The architects are Messrs Van Brunt &
Howe of Boston. Mr. Edward P. Chase of
this city has been general superintendent.
Besides the bank and the Trust Company,
the following parties will be tenants:
I. G. Hersey; International Steamship Co.; Nova
Scotia Steamship Co.; Travellers Insurance Co., New
ance Co.. Joseph III. Webster. insurance, William
Henry Clifford. Symonds & Libby, Henry St. John
Smith, Frank W. Robinson, Robert A. Davis detec-
tive agency; Herbert NJ. Sylvester, Isaac W. Over,
Goddard, u. j. Libby & Co., John Calvin Stevens,
architect; James Hopkins Smith; Carlton.
The First National Bank Of Portland is re-
organization OF the International Bank of
Portland, which was State bank, chartered
March 22d, 1859, with st. John Smith presi-
dent, and VIM. E. Gould cashier. The capital
stock was $250,0O0, of which $125, 900 was paid
ia. March I'd, 1860, it was voted to increase
the capital $3.50 900; and Feb. 5, 1861 to increase
the capital $250,000 more. OF these amounts
$643,009 have been paid in. On Aug. Sd, 1864,
the State charter was surrendered, and the
bank was changed into a national bank, under
act of Congress, with capital of $4,000.
In 1852 the bank occupied al office in the pas
sage way to the Canal Bank of this city, be-
tween Plum and Exchange streets, on the
south side of Middle street. After a brief
time, rooms were leased on the north corner of