A plaque on this building reads:
"BANK OF NEW YORK &
TRUST COMPANY BUILDING
THIS DIGNIFIED NEO-GEORGIAN SKYSCRAPER WAS CONSTRUCTED IN 1927-29 TO
THE DESIGNS OF PROMINENT ARCHITECT BENJAMIN WISTER MORRIS FOR THE
BANK OF NEW YORK & TRUST COMPANY. MUCH EARLIER IN 1796 THE NEW YORK
BANK & TRUST COMPANY WAS THE FIRST BANK TO ERECT A BUILDING ON WALL STREET, THEREBY SETTING A PRECEDENT FOR THE AREA'S FUTURE
DEVELOPMENT. THIS BUILDING IS THE BANK'S THIRD CONSTRUCTED ON THE 48
WALL STREET SITE. THE ELEGANTLY DETAILED LIMESTONE STRUCTURE WAS
CONSTRUCTED WHEN THE BANKING INDUSTRY LED IN THE REDEVELOPMENT OF
DOWNTOWN MANHATTAN WITH IMPRESSIVE SKYSCRAPERS. THE SETBACK
TOWER CULMINATES IN A FEDERAL STYLE CUPOLA CROWNED BY AN
AMERICAN EAGLE AND CONTRIBUTES A STRIKING ELEMENT TO THE SKYLINE
OF LOWER MANHATTAN. IN 2001 SWIG BURRIS EQUITIES AND McDONALD AND
CIE COMPLETED A REMODELING OF THE BUILDING'S INFRASTRUCTURE
BRINGING MODERN TECHNOLOGY, AMENITIES AND SERVICES TO 48 WALL STREET.
NEW YORK LANDMARKS PRESERVATION FOUNDATION
2002"
Emporis (
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"•The rusticated base of the building with its high, arched windows makes for a dignified street presence.
•The overall style of the skyscraper is almost stripped classical.
•Designated landmark status on October 13, 1998.
•The building is a notable presence on Wall Street, while its setback tower, culminating in a Federal-style cupola crowned by an American eagle, contributes a striking and highly recognizable element to the skyline of Lower Manhattan.
•The impressive three-story rusticated base, which housed the main banking floors, incorporates a raised basement, pedimented doorways, and large arched second-story windows.
•In 1796, the Bank of New York became the first bank to erect a building on Wall Street, setting a precedent for the future development of the street as New York's financial center.
•The present building, the bank's third on the site, was erected when the banking industry was taking a leadership role in the redevelopment of downtown with large new skyscrapers.
•An elegant steel-framed, limestone-clad structure, with a series of graceful setbacks, the building is decorated with large scale neo-Georgian details that reinforce the building's picturesque qualities."
See an Emporis image of the building's top at (
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