The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1914-02-09
CITY SAVINGS BANK BULL DING OPEN TO PUBLIC Bridgeport Architecture Gains
 Splendid Fire Proof
 Structure. IMPOSING DESIGN BY
 WARREN R. BRIGGS Trustees Pursued Policy That Works Should Be Done By Bridgeport Firms.


 ing additions to the architecture of Bridgeport will open for public inspec- ton Wednesday, between and 2 p.
 The building is done in Stony Creek granite of massive blocks and tower ing columns, all carefully cut, match ed and numbered before being sent to the job.f The foundations under the building were made especially strong. The actuaI work of furnishing and set i ting the stone was done by the Jack son Stone Company. of this city.
 The roof is one with which the arch itect and builders are especially pleas ed. It rests upon a strong foundation of steel arches, and is done in solid concrete overlaid with small and close ly fitting tiles of slate set in asphalt. The building has three floors de- voted to offices, containing eleven of fees on each floor. These offices rep resent the height of modern convent ence and practicable availability. al- though making no attempt at luxur- iousness. The floors are of cement, lined off in tile size and painted. The doors are of steel, done in Cfrcassian walnut pattern. The offices are equipped with gas, electric light. wa
 ter, telephone connections. are well lighted and cheerful The window frames are all of steel and even the
 picture moulding set in the wall is of
 metal. The railways are laid in ter razza- and are wide and we'll lighted.
 The elevator is of plunger type. cap
 able of carrying twenty persons. and rapid in 1ocomotiop. Mall chutes pro- vide facilities for handling letters with convenience and despatch.
 The outside doors are of bronze.
 The vest1bule entrance leading to the 1 offices is of marble, with metal doors
 done in mahogany finish, with marble wainscoting. The stairways are of
 marble, with ornamental iron baluster l and heavy brass rail.
 The banking room proper is a source of pride to the bank officials. | the architect and the builders. A pro iecting entrance doorway, surmounted by heavy granite, is buttressed by two large bronze lamps, specially designed by the architect and made by the Tiff fany Studios of New Pork. At the en- trance is a double bronze grille door, plate glass being set back of the grille. This, and all of the other bronze work, l was from the Tiffany Studios, and | especially designed.
 1 Passing through the vestibule, which
 is wainscoted with TaverneIle marble 1 from the French quarries, one passes l through set of double swinging doors 1 of bronze and glass, and enters the main banking room, which is 43 feet | by 49 feet. This is a room Of rare | beauty combined with great practical | usefulness. The floors are done in 1 large tiles of Tennessee marble the lobby around the banking counter, or 1 screen, consists of about 1. 200 square feet, and the walls are wainscoted to l a height of 3h feet with Tavernelle l marble, and above this is imitation Caen stone. Large pilasters of Taver- l ne1le marble. deeply fluted and sur mounted by beautiful Corinthian capi- I foI nf7 f1 1f91Q 5aniT placed symnetrically.
 l The ceiling is done in large heavy panels of ornamental plaster, deli cateIy tinted to harmonize with the Caen stone and Taverneile marble. In the center of the ceiling is a. large light shaft extending down from the l roof and spreading an even and cop l ious light over the entire working | space of the bank. At the foot of this light shaft are panels of softly colored | corrugated glass. and in the outside frame thereof and in the ceiling sur rounding is set of electric light bulbs,
 which, when lit, softly Illuminate the
 ceiling and produce most harmon | ious and pleasing effect.
 One great beauty of the banking
 room is found in the lighting fixtures
 which are "A inch bowls of pure
 alobaster, to which are attached heavy
 bronze handles and hung with long
 bronze chains
 l The banking counter, or screen, ie one of the most artistic factors in the general appearance of the room. It is done with a solid base of Tavernelle
 marble with an upper moulding up- held by Huted Ionic columns. It has eleven wide window openings, and the , spaces between the columns are filled with heavy plate glass and flanked by specially designed bronze gri1les from
 the Tiffany Studios.
 10 ffxo Fa1vn nIxir1 is at the rear of the screen. The doors
 are of metal in mahogany finish. The | floor is of Dreadnought tiIing, a com
 bination of cork and rubber. done il small tiles, which has proved very eff fective-
 E burglar and dre-proof vaults are a, the rear of the working space. oppo site the main entrance They are O. l the heaviest type, most modern equip ment and pleasing design. These con : tain safes and safe deposit boxes am } pie for all of the banks securities fo1
 many years to come. Directly under 1 meath these vaults are two large fire | proof vaults, used for storage, books : etc., which latter vaults are those ori ginally employed by the City Saving i Bank and the Bridgeport Nationa 1 Bank in their former business home On the southeast corner of the bank ing floor is the treasurer's room, don,
 in the same general plan of Taver
 ne1le marble, wainscoting, nahogan. 1 metal doors, and lighting fixtures g. | the main banking room Leading int , this is an ante-room or atriun, wh CT, I the many people who seek the treas urer on business may he seated whi1, 1 awaiting an opportunity to interview 1 him.
 The furniture and hangings wer,
 from the well known local firm of N | Buckingham & Go.
 w. S. Plumb, the treasurer. has ar ranged for the installation of a com
 p1ete dictagraph system whereby h,