Facade of the Second Branch Bank of the United States

Architect Martin Euclid Thompson American

1822–24

On view at The Met Fifth Avenue in Gallery 700

Thompson was a leading exponent of Greek Revival-style architecture in New York during the first half of the nineteenth century. Here, however, in his earliest known design, the Greek influence in minimal. The two-story, seven-bay facade of the Branch Bank of the United States, its projecting center section capped by a pediment, directly followed in the mid-eighteenth-century English Palladian tradition. Only the Ionic capitals and some of the cornice moldings are of Greek inspiration. The building was located on the north side of Wall Street, between Nassau and William streets, and in the 1850s, it was converted into the United States Assay Office. It was demolished in 1915, but the facade was saved and reconstructed as the front of the Museum's American Wing in 1924.

Artwork Details

Overview

Title: Facade of the Second Branch Bank of the United States
Architect: Martin Euclid Thompson (American, 1786–1877 Glen Cove, New York)
Date: 1822–24
Geography: Made in New York, New York, United States
Culture: American
Medium: Marble
Credit Line: Gift of Robert W. de Forest, 1924
Object Number: AW.BankFacade
Curatorial Department: The American Wing

More Artwork

A slider containing 5 items.
Press the down key to skip to the last item.

Proposed Design for City Hall, New York

Martin Euclid Thompson

F. Nesbitt

19th century

Table, Walnut, marble, American — Table
American
ca. 1860

Clock, Tiffany & Co., Marble, bronze, American — Clock
Tiffany & Co.
ca. 1885

Vanderbilt Mantelpiece, Augustus Saint-Gaudens American, Marble, mosaic, oak, and cast iron, American — Vanderbilt Mantelpiece
Augustus Saint-Gaudens
ca. 1881–83

Pier Table, Duncan Phyfe American, born Scotland, Mahogany, marble, glass, American — Pier Table
Multiple artists/makers
1835–40

Research Resources

The Met provides unparalleled resources for research and welcomes an international community of students and scholars. The Met's Open Access API is where creators and researchers can connect to the The Met collection. Open Access data and public domain images are available for unrestricted commercial and noncommercial use without permission or fee.

To request images under copyright and other restrictions, please use this Image Request form.

Feedback

We continue to research and examine historical and cultural context for objects in The Met collection. If you have comments or questions about this object record, please complete and submit this form. The Museum looks forward to receiving your comments.