(CS1.3) Second Bank of the United States: Preserving the Built History of Central Banking for Future Generations

The Second Bank of the United States was designed in 1818 by William Strickland and served as the federal government’s second attempt to establish a national banking institution. The Second Bank is one of the earliest examples of Greek Revival architecture in America and helped set a precedent of this form and style of monumental design for governmental and financial buildings. This presentation will discuss the history and restoration of the Second Bank, a contributing building to Independence National Historical Park in Philadelphia, PA.

Beginning in 2019, the design team was hired to create plans for an exterior envelope restoration project, evaluating three components of Second Bank’s historical building envelope: exterior marble, wood windows, and copper roof. This presentation will provide an overview of the project from survey through construction and the effort made by the design team in working toward the goals of minimizing impact to the existing structure, retaining historic fabric, utilizing reversible treatments wherever possible, and preserving the historic appearance of the building.

The presentation will delve into the comprehensive masonry repairs performed across the exterior marble walls, columns, chimneys, and cornices. Masonry restoration efforts involved intricate repairs using profiled and flat marble dutchman, micro-pin repairs utilizing bone screws at the massive columns, grout injection repairs, composite patching repairs, repointing, and the application of structural blind pins. One of the significant challenges faced during the project was the procurement and carving of salvaged marble as the original quarry, from which this unique marble originated is no longer in operation, adding complexity to the restoration.

Although not original to the building’s construction, the existing wood windows at the Second Bank had become a historic and character-defining feature of the facade. In need of repair, this presentation will look at the full evaluation of all frames, sashes, and hardware to enable the design team to establish treatment options. With the goals of increasing energy performance, meeting updated structural requirements for wind loading, and matching the existing muntin profiles, all of the wood sashes were replaced and the frames repaired in situ.

Assumed to be contributing to water infiltration issues, the existing copper roof required evaluation. The design team identified fundamental design flaws at the six chimneys that allowed water to leak into building during snow events. A custom, oversized copper standing seam and flat seam roof was installed with seam spacing to match the existing, along with a pole gutter system. Additionally, the presentation will provide a look a concerning and unforeseen condition discovered during the project: a sagging large timber ridge beam that had previously been supported by masonry walls in the attic and the ultimate replacement of the ridge beam.