The Asheville citizen. [volume] (Asheville, N.C.) 1885-1889, 1886-10-17
The First .NiGttO1i0y Bunk OF
..asIteUtIEe-Its OTsn1sisgtiO1B,
and SsScccss-Its Elegant s1reeC
BastEGIS1as.

On the 18th day of December, 1885
the First National Bank Of AaheWHe was
Iopened for business. It's paid in capital
is one hundred thousand dollars, auth.
orized capital is five hundred thousand.
It's officers are VIM. E. Breese President
T. I. VanGilder Vice-President, w. H
Penland Cashier; Directors 7. I. Van
Glider, DR.. 6. w. Fletcher, J. A. Porter
Hon. VIM. A. Courtney MaYorof Charles
ton, S. CIV. W. Rollins, r. r. Rawls,
C. =. Graham, Fred A. Hull, w. E.
Breese.
Among the principal stockholders are
Geo, w. Pack, Cleveland Ohio; Pelzel
Rogers { Co., Andrew Simonds, Geo. w.
Williams, Charleston, Sc; Joseph A
Proctor, Geo. R. Bradford, Bankers
Gloucester, Mass; E. S. Wilkinson,
Banker, North Adams Mass; Zebra
QuackenbuEh. Albany, N. Y, and a large
number of the leading business men Of
Asheville and Western North Carolina.
The Bank offers its services as CORES
pondents and agents of Messrs. "Brewn
Bros. & Co.," "Knauth, Nachod &
Kuhne," and the American Exchange in
Europe (limited)," of New York, and is
prepared to cash Letters of Credit and
negotiate Domestic and Foreign Bills OF
Exchange.
The Bank begun operations in the old
banking room of the Bank of Cape FeaI
of ante bellum days. Its business pros
pering rapidly, soon convinced the man
ayers that more commodious and other,
wise suitable building was necessary, and
they purchased last April the store
building on South Court Square, fronting
Main street, of Mr.. James P. Sawyer,
and proceeded at once to thoroughly
remodel the building from cellar to
garret, in the latest and most improved
style of bank appointme ent, and to-mor
row the Bank is open for business in
their new and elegant quarters. The
plans for the improvements were design.
ed by Messrs. Breese and Hull, who have
thus proven their capacity for fine
dc
awarded Messrs Wagner and Hart whose
success in Asheville has won for them
enviable regulations. The new building
is Of medieval style. resembling an old
Norman Castle, with its embellishments
enlbrasures, fanking bastions and NAL
este turreted tower overlooking the
surrounding country. The very appear
ance of the building itself is one Of
safety. The Banking floor is approach
ed through handsome vestibnle in the
tower, through an outer door of walnut
and an inner door of cherry, beautifully
desigr ed and made especially for this
Bank by Messrs Clayton & Son, Ashe-
vile. The vestibule and lobby are laid
in marble in diamond squares; the win
dows are large and elegant, upper sashes
of best Venetian Cathedral glass, lower
of fine French plate three.eights inch
thick; piYoted in the center.
The ceiling is of corrugated iron, in
large and small panels, fre-proof, and
beautifully decorated by that accomplish
ed artist Mr.. Roger Davis. The walls are
painted rich chocolate tint, with cherry
dashboard and mouldings, elegantly fres-
coeddado style; where the walls reach the
ceiling is down-hanging frieze of old
gold bordered with rich gilt mouldings,
all the wall decorations being harmoni-
GUS. The whole floor is devoted to the
business of the bank, divided into the
business room proper, and a Presidents
room, separated by elegant screens
which, with the counters, are made of
beautifully polished cherry mouldings,
mahogonY panels, desks of cherry sur
mounted by French plate glass. Under
all the desks are closets, pigeon-h holes,
DC, for papers &e. The business room
is most conveniently arranged, and most
comfortably and attractively furnished.
The Cashiers opening is defended by
elegant mahogony and cherry pilasters
and cap, the arch being beautiful hand
wrought sun-burst, supports and defen-
ders being of brass rods let in though
carved bands of mahogony. The Presi-
dents room is finished in same general
style, elegantly furnished throughout,
sofas and chairs of elegant embossed
leather with beautiful designs and cher
ry frames.
The Conant Brothers Furniture Com
pany of Toledo Ohio, designed and man.
ufactured all the furniture, desks, coun-
ters, &C., &C., of the banking and the
Presidents room, and it was all put up
under the personal supervision of Mr.. j.
A. Conant, of the firm, who has been
spending some months in our city, and,
we are pleased to know, will make it his
future home. Mr.. Conant is stockhold-
er in the Bank, and kindly gave his per-
sonal services in this matter.
THE VAULT,
Its safes, &C., &c, is something wor-
thy of special note. 1t is on a brick
foundation, fourteen feet deep; the floor
is of railroad steel rails grouted in Port.
land cement; walls of best granite eigh-
teen inches thick with air-chamber and
inner wall of brick; ceiling of iron ribs
and boiler iron; the dome of vault is
grouted sixteen inches with arch ofgran-
ite made of stones 12xH inches fourteen
| feet long, each stone weighing a ton. All
the granite work is laid and iointed in
Portland cement, bound and keyed to-
gether with iron dowel pins, counter
sunk in every stone. Doors of the vault
outer and inner, are of Herring and Fer