Riggs National Bank, Washington Loan and Trust Company Branch, historic building in Washington, D.C
The Riggs National Bank, Washington Loan and Trust Company Branch is a nine-story gray granite building at a street corner in downtown Washington. It displays Romanesque Revival features including rounded arches, thick stone walls, textured surfaces, and cast-iron columns that create a rhythmic facade across its multiple sections.
Built in 1891 for the Washington Loan and Trust Company, this building became Riggs National Bank after a restructuring in 1896. It financed crucial American moments including the purchase of Alaska in 1868, Samuel Morse's telegraph invention, and Robert Peary's North Pole expedition, while shaping financial policy that led to the Federal Reserve's creation in 1913.
The building served presidents and prominent figures in American history, from Lincoln to Eisenhower, making it a financial center tied to the nation's leadership. Its role as a gathering place for the country's most influential people shaped how people saw banking and financial trust in the capital.
The building is located at the corner of 9th and F Streets near the Smithsonian Institution and other downtown historic sites. Today it operates as a luxury hotel and event space, where visitors can explore the renovated grand banking hall with high ceilings and columns through the cafe or public areas.
The building underwent major renovation in 2018 and reopened in 2019 as the Riggs Washington DC Hotel while preserving its historic character. It is part of the Historic Hotels of America program, which recognizes accommodations that carefully maintain their historical integrity.
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