The Chattanooga news. [volume] (Chattanooga, Tenn.) 1891-1939, 1920-03-26
IMPROVEMENTS
COST Sl5O,OOO
First National Plans to Have
Largest Banking Room in
Entire State.
BIG NEW DEPOSIT VAULT
Entire Montague Building Ac-
quired by Local Finan-
cial Institution.

The First National bank has pur.
chased from the Montague estate the
Montague building at the corner OF
Chestnut and Eighth streets, imme-
dlately in the rear of the First Ma
ticnaI Bank building, and work Of
remodeling the new property for use
by tho bank is now in progress. The
purchase and remodeling will cost in
the neiahborhood OF st5o,0Oo, it is
learned.
The First National now owns all
property from the rear OF its building
to Chestnut street. 1t had recently
purchased the sixty feet of the Mon
tague building Immediately adjacent
to its building, The new transact
tion covers the balance of the prop
erty. The last purchase win not take
effect until July /.
The entire ground floor of the re-
modelled First National building,
running from Broad to Chestnut
street, will he occupied as banking
quarters by the First National, with
the exception of the west nifty four
feet at the rear, which will house
the Morris Plan bank, and the offices
of ID. =. Montague, n. Thaycr Mon
taguc, Theodore Montague and the
Montague estate.
The present second floor of the
Montague building will bo torn out
to allow the high first floor of the
bank TO extend through to Chestnut
street The present third floor OF the
Montague property win he put on
level with the second floor of the
bank building, and continuous cor
ridor will run ON the second floor
from Broad TO Chestnut streets.
Largest in State.
Omcials of the First National be-
lieve that they will have the largest
banking room in the state when the
new improvements are completed, A
floor space OF over $4,000 feet will be
devoted exclusively TO banking.
AS soon as the new building is COM
pletod the entire floor will be re-
arranged, the lobby widened and ex-
tended through to Chestnut. 1t will
have width of about twenty feet
The fixtures and furniture will be re-
arranged.
New Safety Deposit Vault.
A new safety deposit vault, tho
largest IN the city, with $500 sepa-
rate compartments, has already been
installed Just in rear of the present
building and will soon be opened for
business. This vault is understood TO
represent an additional investment of
$4,000.
A handsome naeazaninc floor win be
erected at tho rear OF tip remodeicd
building. a well ss ppointed dlrectors'
toom Is TO be in@allad Oh THE first'
floor in the new part OF the building. A
handsome new front on Chestnut street
will be erected, and tho architecture OF
the new portion brought into thorough
conformity with that of lhe present
First National building Work is NJ
present in progress tearing out the
walls which separate tho two properties.
putting in steel columns and in other
lines.
Daylight Lighting In Bank.
4 distinctive feature Of the rcmodeled
building viii he the extension of the
daylight lighting" TO tho new portion
Of the banking room as well ms the old
To obtuin perfect natural lighting and
and make II unnecessary TO depend on
artificial illunination in any portion OF
the banking floor. large skNllghts OF the
type now Installed In the Broad street
building will be feature Of the rear
addition. TO effect this but forty feet
of the third story OF the present Mon
taguo property win be utilized ns Of
fees, the extreme west twenty feet be-
ing removed. to allow sunlight to go
through skylights to the banking floor
below.
The large Increase in the First Ma
tiona's business has made It necessary
10 increase the area devoted to banking
twice in the past year. according to Of
ficcrs Of the institution.
The purchase OF the Montague prop
erty and its conversion to banking quar-
ters has been made necessary by tho
large increase in the business of the
First National. which hos just COM
pletod an addition on tho south Of It's
original structure II was necessary
also 70 install new safety deposit facil-
ties 10 accommodate dcmnnds In this
direction The combined outlay Of safety
vault new building and romodcling cx-
penscs will run mp to nearly $500 600,
IT. Is estimated.
The officers of the First National arc:
Capt G. A. Lyerly. president; =. g.
Nottingham, vice president. and j. +.
IIpskiuu on Ahipr