Old Federal Reserve Bank, National Register of Historic Places bank building in Market East, Philadelphia, United States.
The Old Federal Reserve Bank is a neoclassical bank building in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, measuring 170 feet (52 meters) wide and 113 feet (34 meters) deep. The facade displays eleven bays and features Vermont marble exterior with a steel-frame construction.
Construction took place from 1931 to 1935, incorporating an earlier Penn Mutual Life Insurance Building from 1889. The structure received expansions in 1918 and 1925 before undergoing further modifications in the 1950s.
Sculptures of the goddess Athena adorn the facade, symbolizing the link between banking and wisdom through classical design. These allegorical figures reflect how financial institutions in the early 1900s wanted to present themselves to the public.
Today the building functions as part of Thomas Jefferson University Hospital's Center City campus, housing administrative offices and medical facilities. Visitors should note that it operates as an active hospital facility, so access and viewing may be affected by daily medical operations.
A recessed seventh floor was added between 1952 and 1953 by the successor firm to architect Paul Philippe Cret. This subtle change expanded the building's capacity while preserving the original neoclassical exterior appearance.
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