Daily Republican. [volume] ([Wilmington, Del.]) 1874-1890, 1890-03-25
NEW CENTRAL BANK.
THE HANDSOMELY BANKING
HOUSE IN THE CITY.
Detaiis Of the Buiiding-An Energetic
Committee-The Contractor aud
Sub-Conti actors-The Farrell
Safe that WIN Defy Zig FRANK.
or any Other burglar.
Tie Bank Open for
business To-day.

businoee Holiday.
The completion or tic new Central
National Bank building. on tho north
west corner Of F,fth and Market streets,
adds to the city ono OF .he most stately
bank buildings In the city of Wtlming-
ton, and marks an important epoch In |
tho prosperity Of tho city. 1t is as II the
city had taken an important step from
the city proper to that OF metropolis. |
The builders built wisely. They saw In |
the future years large metropolitan |
city, whose population would be counted |
BY tho hundreds Of thousands, and even |
then the Central Bank building will be |
ono that will stand the tcst OF half GEN. |
tury ond still bo among the hAndsomest.
This beautiful building 10 not to be valued |
for its present influence alone, but for |
the stimulus It must xive to a higher
grade OF architecture that will show Itself
In many stately mausions crowniug the
hillsides aud hilliops Of the beautiful city
Of Wilmington.
When the Central National Bank and
the Security Trust and SAFE Deposit
Company occupied the new brown stone
e,liilce few rods above Filth and Market
strse's, and nearly opposite the City
Hall, II WAS thought that 1t had . home
for many years to come, but prosperity,
| wenlth and business came all together,
and ths Central Bank wss forced out to
fnd = new location. Thls 1t has found
on the corner, where spoccssively were
| carried OIL grocery stpre, q printiug
rear, on Shipiey street, stood plumbing
| shop. These have all disappeared, to
give place TO modern AM advanced en-
| terpriss. 6tsndipg In stately grandeur
| this lew building 10 the observed OF all
| observers. Every passer by throws back
tho Lead aud elevates the eyes to tai ke in
! Its colossal proportions.
| When the officers Of the Central bank
were ready TO build they appointed q
building committe, consisting Of Henry
II. Dure, himself an experienced, but re-
Tired contractor and builder, Samuel G..
simmons aud A. A. Osprlle, as build
Ing committee.
Though each member Of the committee
felt the greatest interest 10 the new build
ing and for which they deserve due credit
to MIR. Dure, fell tho greater duty to per-
torn on account OF his. .spisctical know.
ledge Of building, and now there IL NO.
body that looks with greater pride upon
the nav bank tbaa Hsnry +. Dure.
To Baker u ballet, architects Of Phiia-
deiphia, was entrusted the building OF
the bank first oa paper, and when the
plane were accepted, the task OF trans-
icrring the picture h,sc reality In the
shape 0f the handsome building on the
corner WAS given to Mr.. John b. John
son as general contractor. Under him
as sub.contractors were employed b. F.
Perkins for the brick work; Copeland d
Co., philadelphia, red sand stone work;
A. L. johnson, plastering; mill work aud
cherry work, Summons 8 Bro; paints
and glass work, Il. y. Kane; heattrs,
Isaiah II. Eatou; tiling, Sharpless d
Watt, Phiiadelpnia; gas fixtures, MIR.
shaw, OF Philadelphia; saie, Farrell 81
Co.; slate roofing, George L Spear.
The bank 10 entered BY two pair of
double doors, one from Market aud ono
Iron FInn srrvet Immediately ineide
Is large vestibule, and to che right q
beauti ul slcovs, nnder which Me ae.ks
aud convenience, FOR thu nuu.ss.Cc,ls pa
irons OF tie bank. The whole interior Is
i. LeTieet harmony with the architecture
of The ext.fio; The woed work 10 all
dark mahogany, and the spaces enclosing
the different depar tments oftae ba nh are
artistically finished, all with doors, desks,
drawers, and everything to make lsoor
easy and to add beauty and chsssfulness
to the surroundings. Tho cashier's room
10 TO the 'front.' and the prestdents room
to the roar, near the safe. Between the
Two arc several other rosms Ior the
clerks according to their duty.
TIE desks aud tue wood work erclos-
Ing the working space Of the officers are
Of mahogany. The base u the enclosure
IL OF tile or slate, and tie wood below
lhs desk level 10 In small panels Above
the desk level 1t 10 columns OF mahogany
and plate glass. The vi o1 work Of this
gallery IL of poplar stained mahogany
color, over the centre is q carved Eanl
& wing the name OF tie bank In sunken
letters; at each corner carved panel
gives the date OF organizing the bank aud
erection OF the new building. Inside IL
fire. place aud mantl In yellow tinted
sand stone. The walls arc tiled In buff
color to the height o. the gallery noer,
and above that are rough-oast and while.
II 1t is fine, large room, enclosed to
about four ieet in height in pauelsd wood
and oprn from that to the ceiling. This
room also ha. q fireplace and mantel OF
80 low sand stone, which is of pretty de-
SIN.
The cellar contains . hre proof vault
for keeping the books ana documents OF
the bank, besides heaters and coal bins.
The floor 10 csmented and every place
from which light enters, Is male burglar
proof handsome and spacious siar-
way leads from the msin room up 10 the
directors room elevated at the rear OF the
bank. Tie = cathedral glAss windows
wore finished with modern hanxings ea.i.
ly thrown aside to give Wow OF the nain
banking rom below.
. Tho window curtain haugings are q
real curiosity. They move on upright
wires either up or down a large solid
mahogany liable by 10 feet occupies .he
centre o. tho room, while around ase
arranged fourteen large mahogany chairs
with leather cushions calculated to hold
fourteen heavy men In wealth as well as
avoirdupo.s.
The whole building extends 22 feet 0
inches on Market street to III ieet back
to shiplcy stre.t. The rear is used for
other than banking purpo,es Tho
lower story 10 occupied by L. Mortimer
Bye real estate agent aud the Perpetual
and wilmington Loan Associations.
A Wide staircase OF North Carolina
pine ana ash, entering from Fifth street,
leads 70 the second floor, occupied by ths
Bay state Gas Company. Tho third
story ID unoccupiei, as ts Tho large, beau
thui iodge room that extends over the
BANK proper to Market street, There Is
not handsomer lodge iooin in the city.
Inc Farrell safe In the banking room
wonderful piece Of ingenuity. The
sa'e ma. TO be opened By time clock
, put IN the massive doors.
|. nno clock is set for . cel tain hour, and
| II the clerk Ia nnt an h..I 10 turn n