Editing PSFS Building (section)

=== Name and Acronym ===

'''PSFS''' stands for '''Philadelphia Saving Fund Society''', the financial institution that built and occupied the building. Founded in 1816, the Philadelphia Saving Fund Society was the first savings bank in the United States, pioneering the concept of savings accounts for working-class Americans.

At the time the building was constructed, using abbreviations for company names was uncommon. Architects Howe and Lescaze argued that the full name "Philadelphia Saving Fund Society" would be illegible from street level, and convinced the building committee to accept the modern abbreviation. The PSFS sign became the first corporate acronym integrated into a building's architectural design.