55 Wall Street
Coordinates: 40°42′22″N 74°00′33″W / 40.706039°N 74.009174°W / 40.706039; -74.009174
| National City Bank Building | |
| U.S. National Register of Historic Places | |
| U.S. National Historic Landmark | |
| NYC Landmark | |
| (2012) | |
| Location: | 55 Wall Street Manhattan, New York City |
|---|---|
| Built: | 1836-1841, additions 1907-1910 |
| Architect: | Isaiah Rogers (original), McKim, Mead & White (additions) |
| Architectural style: | Greek Revival (original), Roman (additions) |
| NRHP Reference#: | 78001875 |
| Significant dates | |
| Added to NRHP: | June 2, 1978 |
| Designated NHL: | June 2, 1978 |
| Designated NYCL: | December 21, 1965 |
The National City Bank Building at 55 Wall Street between William and Hanover Streets in the Financial District of downtown Manhattan, New York City, was built in 1836-41 as the Merchants' Exchange, replacing the previous exchange, which had burned down in the Great Fire of New York in 1835. The new building was designed by Isaiah Rogers in the Greek Revival style. The United States Custom House moved into the building in 1862 – with the conversion of the building overseen by William A. Potter – and occupied it until 1907, when it moved to the Alexander Hamilton U.S. Custom House at 1 Bowling Green.
After the Custom House left, James Stillman, president of National City Bank, arranged for his company to buy the building from the government to be their headquarters. Charles Follen McKim of McKim, Mead & White was engaged to enlarge the building, including removing the dome, adding four floors and a second colonnade and gutting the interior, the main floor of which McKim redesigned with William S. Richardson (1907-1910). The old main banking hall has been used as a ballroom and event space since 1998, and the remainder of the building is now condominium apartments.
Read more about 55 Wall Street: Architecture, In Popular Culture
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—William Blake (1757–1827)