Williamsburg Art & Historical Center
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Kings County Savings Bank Building
(Williamsburg Art & Historical Center) |
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(2005)
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| Location | 135 Broadway Brooklyn, New York City |
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| Coordinates | Coordinates: 40°42′37″N 73°57′51″W / 40.71028°N 73.96417°W |
| Built | 1860-68 |
| Architect | Gamaliel King & William H. Wilcox |
| Architectural style | French Second Empire |
| NRHP Reference # | 80002632 |
| Significant dates | |
| Added to NRHP | April 16, 1980 |
| Designated NYCL | March 15, 1966 |
Kings County Savings Bank is a New York City Landmarks Preservation Commission-designated building in the Williamsburg, Brooklyn section of New York City. It is an example of French Second Empire-style architecture. Construction of the building began in 1860, to designs of William H. Wilcox of Brooklyn, in partnership with prominent New York architect Gamaliel King, working as King & Wilcox. The structure was continuously occupied by banks until the 1990s. The Williamsburg Art & Historical Center has operated the building since 1996.
The building was designated a New York City landmark in 1966, and was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1980.
The Kings County Savings Bank building was built between 1860 and 1867. It is 43.5 by 81 feet (13.3 by 24.7 m) on the outside dimension and is constructed of Dorchester sandstone. It has three main floors, each a single large room. On the first and second floors, the main rooms contain six tall Corinthian columns, formed of cast iron, while the third floor is entirely open. The first floor retains its massive gas chandeliers and ornately carved woodwork.
Although the designer of the bank, King's partner William H. Wilcox, is relatively unknown, the building is a superb example of the French Second Empire style. For example, the building displays the characteristic Mansard roof, which conceals the fourth story attic.
The Kings County Savings Institution was chartered on April 10, 1860. It carried out business in a building called Washington Hall until it purchased the lot on the corner of Bedford Avenue and Broadway and erected a permanent home.
The Kings County Savings Bank has long been considered a landmark of Williamsburg. By 1900, during the construction of the Williamsburg Bridge, the neighborhood had changed, and the Bank building was already seen as an icon of "old Williamsburg." It remains one of the most important historical landmarks in Williamsburg, and was recognized by the New York City Landmarks Preservation Commission in 1966, the seventh building to be so designated. It was placed on the National Register of Historic Places, 1980
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