Page:Architectural Review and American Builders' Journal, Volume 1, 1869.djvu/440

 362 Sloan's Architectural Review and Builders' Journal. [Dec, DESCRIPTION'S. ELLIOTT AND DUNN'S NEW BANKING HOUSE. THE march of improvement is still steadily onward, and our street architecture here in Philadelphia, as in all our greatly growing cities, is full of new and pleasing features. As a substantial, as well as significant proof of the commercial progress we are making, we take pleasure in introducing to our readers, as yet by description, a New Banking House, which has just been commenced on South Third street, below Chestnut, for Messrs. Elliott and Dunn This attractive little building will be in the Franco- Italian style, moderateby orne. It will be eighteen feet wide, by fifty feet deep, and two stories in height. The front will be executed in marble, selected from the Manchester quarries. The body of the building will be of brick. The'' first, or principal story, will have a cornice, appropriate to the style, sup- ported on ornamental brackets, con- nected at their springing by a well-de- fined string-course, immediately over this cornice, will rest the window plinths of the second story. And the whole frontispiece will be crowned by a highly ornate chief cornice, of elegant propor- tions, tastefully adorned with boldly carved rosettes. The centre of this cor- nice will have a graceful segment-broken pediment, with finial in perfect keeping with it, as a finish to the whole, having its tympanum ornamented with a cir- cular centre, and two side angular panels neathy sunk-moulded. The principal story, devoted wholly to the bank, will be of easy access, being but one step above the side-walk. Its front will be divided into three open- ings, namely: a window and two doors, the former ten feet six inches high, and the two latter, thirteen feet six inches ; all three to be each five feet wide, capped with elliptic heads, and having a broad, rosetted band-moulding continued round the whole of each opening. The span- drels to have a well-defined shield orna- ment raised on each. The second story will have three orna- mental blocked antaj, with long sunk panels between the blocks, dividing the front into two sections, each having a window three feet six inches wide by ten feet high, semi-circular headed and completely surrounded with a blocked band-finish, with a highly wrought, boldly-raised keystone and supports sunk-paneled (as are all ,he blocks) and presenting a richness of effect with ap- propriate strength. The spandrels in this story will have large rose ornaments raised on them. The under part of the facise forming the caps of the two sec- tions will be indented and carved ap- propriately, having drops at regular intervals. Two highly enriched consoles will finish the cornice on each end of the front, the caps or blocks of which will have carved wreaths on them. The doors and window sashes will be of polished walnut. The glass, best French plate, in single sheets. The first story fourteen feet four inches high, to be occupied as the fiscal department of the bank, will be in one room with a private stair leading to the vaults in cellar, and a stairway rising to the apartments in the second story. This first story or bank-office will be lighted in the rear by a sky-light. The second stor}>- will be twelve feet six inches high, divided up into two