Pennsylvania National Bank Building

	Pennsylvania National Bank Building
	U.S. Historic district; Contributing property
	Pittsburgh Historic Designation
	The building in 2015
	Location of Pennsylvania National Bank Building in Pittsburgh
Location	3400 Butler St.; Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
Coordinates	40°27′48″N 79°58′00″W / 40.46325°N 79.96666°W
Built	1903
Architect	Beezer Brothers
Architectural style	Beaux-Arts
Part of	Lawrenceville Historic District (ID100004020)
Designated CP	July 8, 2019

The Pennsylvania National Bank Building is a historic building in the Lawrenceville neighborhood of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. It is located on a prominent site facing Doughboy Square, the acute intersection of Butler Street and Penn Avenue^[1] which is often considered the "entrance to Lawrenceville".^[2]^[3]^[4]

History[edit]

The building was constructed in 1902–03 as the new headquarters of the Pennsylvania National Bank, which had operated out of an earlier three-story building on the same site since 1893.^[5] The building was listed as a contributing property in the Lawrenceville Historic District in 2019 and a Pittsburgh historic landmark in 2020.^[2]

The Pennsylvania National Bank Building is a one-story, Beaux-Arts-style building^[6] constructed from buff-colored brick with terra cotta ornaments.^[7]^[8] It was designed by the Beezer Brothers,^[9] who also designed the nearby St. John the Baptist Church which was completed the same year. The bank's footprint is trapezoidal, with the non-parallel sides defined by the streets on either side.

The narrow front of the building has a single entrance bay and an arched parapet decorated with a keystone emblem. The two side elevations are both five bays wide with a combination of arched and pedimented windows; however, the Butler Street side also has an exposed basement due to the sloping topography of the site.^[2] The rear of the building has two additions, the latter of which was added in 2019 by the current tenant, Desmone Architects.^[10]^[11]^[12]

References[edit]

^ Gannon, Joyce. "Sprucing Up the Neighborhood." Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania: Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, July 31, 1993, p. 17 (subscription required).
^ ^a ^b ^c Cenci, Alec. "City of Pittsburgh Historic Landmark Nomination: Former Pennsylvania National Bank Building" (PDF). Preservation Pittsburgh. Retrieved August 28, 2019.
^ "Will Not Build Until Next Year: Pennsylvania National Bank Postpones Erection of New Building." Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania: Pittsburgh Daily Post, March 28, 1901, p. 10 (subscription required).
^ Notice of Bank Opening Event (column two). Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania: The Pittsburgh Press, May 27, 1903, p. 16 (subscription required).
^ "Will Not Build Until Next Year: Pennsylvania National Bank Postpones Erection of New Building," Pittsburgh Daily Post, March 28, 1901.
^ "Former Pennsylvania National Bank Building." Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania: Preservation Pittsburgh, August 13, 2019.
^ Kidney, Walter C. (1997). Pittsburgh's Landmark Architecture: The Historic Buildings of Pittsburgh and Allegheny County. Pittsburgh: Pittsburgh History & Landmarks Foundation. p. 333. ISBN 0-916670-18-X.
^ "Building Boom Strikes City: Permits Issued for Many Large and Costly Structures." Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania: The Pittsburgh Press, May 31, 1902, p. 2 (subscription required).
^ "Former Pennsylvania National Bank Building Nominated for City Historic Landmark Status." Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania: Preservation Pittsburgh, October 26, 2019.
^ Jones, Diana Nelson. "Reinventing Lawrenceville took time and effort." Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania: Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, September 26, p. A8 of pp. A1, A8 (subscription required).
^ Schooley, Tim. "Personalities of Pittsburgh: Desmone Architects revitalizing the ol' neighborhood." Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania: Pittsburgh Business Times, February 27, 2015 (subscription required).
^ Gannon, Joyce. "Sprucing Up the Neighborhood," Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, July 31, 1993.

[1] Gannon, Joyce. "Sprucing Up the Neighborhood." Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania: Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, July 31, 1993, p. 17 (subscription required).

[ppnom-2] Cenci, Alec. "City of Pittsburgh Historic Landmark Nomination: Former Pennsylvania National Bank Building" (PDF). Preservation Pittsburgh. Retrieved August 28, 2019.

[3] "Will Not Build Until Next Year: Pennsylvania National Bank Postpones Erection of New Building." Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania: Pittsburgh Daily Post, March 28, 1901, p. 10 (subscription required).

[4] Notice of Bank Opening Event (column two). Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania: The Pittsburgh Press, May 27, 1903, p. 16 (subscription required).

[5] "Will Not Build Until Next Year: Pennsylvania National Bank Postpones Erection of New Building," Pittsburgh Daily Post, March 28, 1901.

[6] "Former Pennsylvania National Bank Building." Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania: Preservation Pittsburgh, August 13, 2019.

[7] Kidney, Walter C. (1997). Pittsburgh's Landmark Architecture: The Historic Buildings of Pittsburgh and Allegheny County. Pittsburgh: Pittsburgh History & Landmarks Foundation. p. 333. ISBN 0-916670-18-X.

[8] "Building Boom Strikes City: Permits Issued for Many Large and Costly Structures." Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania: The Pittsburgh Press, May 31, 1902, p. 2 (subscription required).

[9] "Former Pennsylvania National Bank Building Nominated for City Historic Landmark Status." Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania: Preservation Pittsburgh, October 26, 2019.

[10] Jones, Diana Nelson. "Reinventing Lawrenceville took time and effort." Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania: Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, September 26, p. A8 of pp. A1, A8 (subscription required).

[11] Schooley, Tim. "Personalities of Pittsburgh: Desmone Architects revitalizing the ol' neighborhood." Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania: Pittsburgh Business Times, February 27, 2015 (subscription required).

[12] Gannon, Joyce. "Sprucing Up the Neighborhood," Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, July 31, 1993.

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