Exploring 48 Wall Street Downtown Benjamin Wistar Morris, Architect, 1927-29

48 Wall Street The Bank of New York—oldest bank in the city, founded in 1784 by Alexander Hamilton—commissioned a new headquarters (their third on this site) in 1927. The Bank instruct- ed architect Benjamin Wistar Morris to incorporate something of the institution's Colonial history in the design. That history is evident inside the main banking hall, where eight murals by J. Monroe Hewlett illustrate the story of American commerce and the life of the Bank. Outside, the building’s major Colonial reference is meant to be seen from a distance: a tower reminiscent of an 18th-century Mural photos courtesy of The Bank of New York Top: Two of the murals in the main church, but thirty stories up in the banking hall; Foreign Trade shows a air—definitely the only Colonial ship’s captain, manifest in hand, Photo courtesy of The Bank of New York disembarking, while his ship is tower in the Downtown skyline. secured at the East River docks. Above: 48 Wall Street, image of tower from above National Credit 1861 symbolically represents the financial backing The Museum of American Finance Bank of New York lent the federal government during the Civil War—the What more appropriate home for classical building in the background the Museum of American Finance was the old Custom House at 26 Wall Street, today’s Federal Hall. than the grand, 30-foot-high banking hall of the former Bank of New York building? The museum— an affiliate of the Smithsonian Institution—is the only one of its kind in America. Effectively serving as the New York Stock Exchange's de facto visitors' center, the museum displays permanent interactive Left: Twin curving staircases with exhibits on finance, money, entre- decorative wrought-iron railings preneurship and banking. These lead from the building’s entrance foyer up to the grand former feature rare examples of Colonial banking hall, which now serves as an elegant backdrop for the currency; stock and bond certificates Museum of American Finance. Photograph by Alan Schindler dating from the 18th century to Left bottom: The earliest known photograph of Wall Street, taken the present; high denomination c. 1860 from the deck of a ship at the South Street docks on the East currency including $1,000, $5,000, River, shows the famous vista closed and $10,000 bills; and hundreds of by Trinity Church at Broadway. In the pre-skyscraper era, Trinity Church images of the financial district. towered above The Street’s commercial buildings—while today The museum includes a room it is dwarfed by its neighbors. dedicated to Hamilton, founder of the bank and the country's first Treasury Secretary.

Collection of the Museum of American Finance

The mission of the Alliance for Looking for more information about Also in the Neighborhood Fraunces Tavern Museum Downtown New York is to be the Downtown? Stop by the visitor infor- 54 Pearl Street principal organization that provides mation kiosks at City Hall Park, the Museum of Jewish Heritage—A Lower Manhattan’s historic financial Staten Island Ferry Terminal, the Living Memorial to the Holocaust district with a premier physical and PATH station, and 1 World Financial 18 First Place, Battery Park City economic environment, advocates for Center, and be sure to stop at our New York City Police Museum businesses and property owners and Heritage Site Markers located 100 Old Slip promotes the area as a world-class throughout the neighborhood. New York Unearthed destination for companies, workers, Also, don’t miss our FREE Wall Street 17 State Street residents and visitors. Walking Tour! This 90-minute guided Skyscraper Museum The Downtown Alliance manages the walking tour weaves together the 39 Battery Place Downtown-Lower Manhattan history, events, architecture and Smithsonian National Museum of Business Improvement District (BID), people of Downtown. The tour meets the American Indian serving an area roughly from City every Thursday and Saturday at More Downtown Museums: 1 Bowling Green Hall to the Battery, from the East noon at the front steps of the River to West Street. Smithsonian National Museum of the South Street Seaport Museum American Indian, 1 Bowling Green. 12 Fulton Street Alliance for Downtown New York, Inc. 120 Broadway, Suite 3340 For more information, please call Federal Hall National Memorial Sports Museum of America 212.606.4064. 26 Broadway New York, NY 10271 26 Wall Street Tel 212.566.6700 Fax 212.566.6707 www.DowntownNY.com Text by Anthony Robins Design by Pentagram