American Security and Trust Company Building, Neoclassical bank building near Lafayette Square, Washington, D.C.
The American Security and Trust Company Building is a neoclassical office structure along Pennsylvania Avenue in Washington that features a granite exterior. Six Ionic columns frame the entrance, while deep horizontal joints at the corners create a striped pattern across the facade.
Completed in 1905 by architects York and Sawyer, the structure served as headquarters for American Security Bank, the second trust company founded in Washington. The institution played a role in shaping the city's financial sector during that period.
The building expresses how financial institutions of that era conveyed trustworthiness and permanence through classical design. Walking past it today, you can see how the formal architecture was meant to reassure customers about the safety of their money.
The building sits in a prominent location along Pennsylvania Avenue and is easy to view from the street. The area contains many other historic sites, making it convenient to combine a visit with nearby attractions.
The interior features multiple types of marble throughout, adding richness to the spaces inside. An adjoining structure originally housed bank vaults in its basement, reflecting the importance of secure storage during that era of banking.
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