Second Bank of the United States: Difference between revisions

Latest revision as of 21:04, 30 December 2025

Second Bank of the United States

Type	Historic building, museum
Address	420 Chestnut Street
Map	View on Google Maps
Neighborhood	Old City
Phone	(215) 965-2305
Website	Official site
Established	1824
Founder	United States Congress
Owner	National Park Service
Hours	Wed-Sun 11:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Products	Portrait gallery, historic site
Status	Museum

The Second Bank of the United States is a historic Greek Revival building located at 420 Chestnut Street in Old City, considered one of the finest examples of Greek Revival architecture in America. Built between 1818 and 1824 to house the nation's central bank, the building now serves as a portrait gallery operated by the National Park Service as part of Independence National Historical Park. The gallery displays 185 portraits of notable early Americans, including many Founding Fathers painted from life.^[1]

The building was designed by William Strickland and is modeled after the Parthenon in Athens, featuring massive Doric columns on both its north and south facades. As the headquarters of America's most powerful financial institution during the 1820s and 1830s, the Second Bank stood at the center of one of the most significant political controversies of the era—President Andrew Jackson's "Bank War" against the institution, which he viewed as a threat to democracy.^[2]

History

The First Bank of the United States

The First Bank of the United States (1791-1811) was established by Alexander Hamilton as part of his economic program. Located nearby at 3rd and Chestnut Streets, the First Bank's charter expired in 1811 amid controversy over federal power and state banking interests.

Establishment of the Second Bank

After financial chaos during the War of 1812, Congress chartered the Second Bank of the United States in 1816. The Bank was designed to:

Regulate the nation's money supply
Serve as fiscal agent for the federal government
Provide a stable national currency
Restrain the lending practices of state-chartered banks

Philadelphia was chosen as the Bank's headquarters, reflecting the city's status as America's financial center.

Nicholas Biddle

Nicholas Biddle (1786-1844) served as the Bank's president from 1823 to 1836 and transformed it into a sophisticated central bank. A Philadelphia aristocrat and scholar, Biddle managed the institution with considerable skill, maintaining the nation's financial stability.

However, Biddle's influence and the Bank's power attracted political opposition, particularly from President Andrew Jackson.

The Bank War

President Andrew Jackson viewed the Second Bank as unconstitutional, undemocratic, and a tool of wealthy Eastern elites. In 1832, he vetoed a bill to renew the Bank's charter, declaring:

"The bank is trying to kill me, but I will kill it."

Jackson removed federal deposits from the Bank in 1833, and its charter expired in 1836. The Bank continued briefly as a state-chartered institution but failed in 1841.

After the Bank

Following the Bank's failure, the building served various purposes:

U.S. Custom House (1844-1935)
Carl Schurz Memorial Foundation (1930s)
National Park Service museum (1974-present)

Architecture

Greek Revival Masterpiece

The Second Bank of the United States is considered William Strickland's masterpiece and one of the most important Greek Revival buildings in America.

Exterior

Style: Greek Revival, modeled on the Parthenon
Columns: Eight massive Doric columns on north and south facades
Material: Pennsylvania marble
Dimensions: 121 feet wide, 80 feet deep

The building's temple-front design was revolutionary for American architecture and established Greek Revival as the dominant style for public buildings throughout the antebellum period.

Interior

Banking Hall: Grand central space with marble columns
Vaults: Original iron vault doors remain
Restoration: Interior adapted for museum use while preserving original features

William Strickland (1788-1854)

Strickland was one of the most influential architects of early American history. A student of Benjamin Henry Latrobe, Strickland designed numerous important buildings including:

The Second Bank of the United States
The Philadelphia Merchants' Exchange
The Tennessee State Capitol
The First Presbyterian Church of Nashville

The Portrait Gallery

Collection

The Second Bank now houses the People of Independence portrait gallery, featuring 185 paintings of notable figures from the Revolutionary and early national periods.

Highlights

George Washington by Charles Willson Peale (painted from life)
Thomas Jefferson by Charles Willson Peale
Benjamin Franklin by Charles Willson Peale
Marquis de Lafayette by Thomas Sully
Portraits of nearly all signers of the Declaration of Independence

Artists

Many portraits were painted by Charles Willson Peale (1741-1827) and his family, who operated a portrait studio and museum in Philadelphia. Peale painted many Founders from life, making these portraits invaluable historical documents.

Significance

The collection provides an unparalleled opportunity to see authentic likenesses of the Founders—not idealized images created after their deaths, but portraits painted when these figures were alive and active.

Visiting the Second Bank

Hours

Wednesday-Sunday: 11:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Closed: Monday, Tuesday, and major holidays

Admission

Free admission

The gallery is part of Independence National Historical Park and open to the public at no charge.

What to See

Portrait Gallery: Explore the collection of Founding Fathers and early American leaders
Banking Hall: Experience the grand interior space
Architecture: Study the Greek Revival details
Temporary Exhibits: Rotating displays on American history

Getting There

SEPTA Market-Frankford Line: 5th Street Station (1 block)
SEPTA Bus: Routes 5, 17, 21, 42
Walking: Adjacent to Independence Hall and Carpenters' Hall

Nearby Attractions

Independence Hall (adjacent)
Carpenters' Hall (adjacent)
Library Hall (across the street)
Philosophical Hall (across the street)

References

↑ "Second Bank of the United States Portrait Gallery". National Park Service. Retrieved December 30, 2025
↑ "Second Bank of the United States". Encyclopedia of Greater Philadelphia. Retrieved December 30, 2025

External Links

[nps-1] "Second Bank of the United States Portrait Gallery". National Park Service. Retrieved December 30, 2025

[encyclopedia-2] "Second Bank of the United States". Encyclopedia of Greater Philadelphia. Retrieved December 30, 2025

[1]

[2]

@@ Line 1: / Line 1: @@
-'''Second Bank of the United States''' is a masterpiece of Greek Revival architecture that served as the nation's central bank from 1816 to 1836 and stands today as one of the most important examples of classical architecture in America. Designed by William Strickland and completed in 1824, the building on Chestnut Street in Independence National Historical Park presents marble facades modeled on the Parthenon, its Doric columns announcing the young republic's cultural ambitions through architectural form. The bank's history encompasses the era's most consequential financial and political debates, while its architecture demonstrates how Philadelphia led the nation in adapting classical precedents to American purposes.<ref name="gallery">{{cite book |last=Gallery |first=John Andrew |title=Philadelphia Architecture: A Guide to the City |year=2016 |publisher=Paul Dry Books |location=Philadelphia}}</ref>
+{{Infobox LocalBusiness
+| name = Second Bank of the United States
+| image =
+| image_caption = Greek Revival facade of the Second Bank
+| type = Historic building, museum
+| address = 420 Chestnut Street
+| neighborhood = Old City
+| coordinates = 39.9480,-75.1480
+| phone = (215) 965-2305
+| website = https://www.nps.gov/inde/learn/historyculture/places-secondbank.htm
+| established = 1824
+| founder = United States Congress
+| owner = National Park Service
+| employees =
+| hours = Wed-Sun 11:00 AM - 5:00 PM
+| products = Portrait gallery, historic site
+| status = Museum
+}}
+'''The Second Bank of the United States''' is a historic Greek Revival building located at 420 Chestnut Street in [[Old City, Philadelphia|Old City]], considered one of the finest examples of Greek Revival architecture in America. Built between 1818 and 1824 to house the nation's central bank, the building now serves as a portrait gallery operated by the National Park Service as part of Independence National Historical Park. The gallery displays 185 portraits of notable early Americans, including many Founding Fathers painted from life.<ref name="nps">{{cite web |url=https://www.nps.gov/inde/learn/historyculture/places-secondbank.htm |title=Second Bank of the United States Portrait Gallery |publisher=National Park Service |access-date=December 30, 2025}}</ref>
+The building was designed by '''William Strickland''' and is modeled after the Parthenon in Athens, featuring massive Doric columns on both its north and south facades. As the headquarters of America's most powerful financial institution during the 1820s and 1830s, the Second Bank stood at the center of one of the most significant political controversies of the era—President Andrew Jackson's "Bank War" against the institution, which he viewed as a threat to democracy.<ref name="encyclopedia">{{cite web |url=https://philadelphiaencyclopedia.org/essays/second-bank-of-the-united-states/ |title=Second Bank of the United States |publisher=Encyclopedia of Greater Philadelphia |access-date=December 30, 2025}}</ref>
+== History ==
+=== The First Bank of the United States ===
+The '''First Bank of the United States''' (1791-1811) was established by Alexander Hamilton as part of his economic program. Located nearby at 3rd and Chestnut Streets, the First Bank's charter expired in 1811 amid controversy over federal power and state banking interests.
+=== Establishment of the Second Bank ===
+After financial chaos during the War of 1812, Congress chartered the '''Second Bank of the United States''' in 1816. The Bank was designed to:
+* Regulate the nation's money supply
+* Serve as fiscal agent for the federal government
+* Provide a stable national currency
+* Restrain the lending practices of state-chartered banks
+Philadelphia was chosen as the Bank's headquarters, reflecting the city's status as America's financial center.
+=== Nicholas Biddle ===
-== Design ==
+'''Nicholas Biddle''' (1786-1844) served as the Bank's president from 1823 to 1836 and transformed it into a sophisticated central bank. A Philadelphia aristocrat and scholar, Biddle managed the institution with considerable skill, maintaining the nation's financial stability.
-William Strickland's design for the Second Bank drew directly from ancient Greek sources, making it one of the first American buildings to employ archaeological accuracy in classical reference. The north and south facades present octastyle Doric porticoes—eight columns across—modeled on the Parthenon's proportions, though executed in Pennsylvania marble rather than Pentelic stone. The choice of Greek rather than Roman precedent carried political meaning, associating the new American republic with Athenian democracy rather than Roman empire. The building's success established Greek Revival as the preferred style for American public buildings and launched Strickland's career as Philadelphia's leading architect.<ref name="brownlee">{{cite book |last=Brownlee |first=David B. |title=Building the City Beautiful: The Benjamin Franklin Parkway and the Philadelphia Museum of Art |year=1989 |publisher=Philadelphia Museum of Art |location=Philadelphia}}</ref>
+However, Biddle's influence and the Bank's power attracted political opposition, particularly from President Andrew Jackson.
-The interior originally contained banking halls whose barrel-vaulted ceilings and classical detailing matched the exterior's dignity. Teller windows, offices, and vaults occupied a plan organized around central halls that provided natural light through skylights. The building's fireproof construction—masonry vaults and iron beams—demonstrated concern for protecting the nation's financial records. Though the interior has been modified for museum use, the exterior remains essentially unchanged, preserving Strickland's vision of classical perfection adapted to American banking purposes.<ref name="gallery"/>
+=== The Bank War ===
-== Bank War ==
+President '''Andrew Jackson''' viewed the Second Bank as unconstitutional, undemocratic, and a tool of wealthy Eastern elites. In 1832, he vetoed a bill to renew the Bank's charter, declaring:
-The Second Bank of the United States became the focus of the most significant political conflict of Andrew Jackson's presidency. Nicholas Biddle, the bank's president from 1823, made the institution a powerful force in American finance, regulating state banks and managing the nation's money supply. Jackson opposed the bank as unconstitutional and as an institution that concentrated too much power in too few hands. The "Bank War" that ensued—with Jackson vetoing the bank's recharter and withdrawing federal deposits—defined the era's political alignments and established precedents for executive power that shape American government to this day.<ref name="brownlee"/>
+''"The bank is trying to kill me, but I will kill it."''
-When the bank's federal charter expired in 1836, it continued briefly as a Pennsylvania-chartered institution before failing in the Panic of 1839. The building passed through various uses, including service as a customhouse from 1845 to 1935. This period preserved the structure when many contemporary buildings faced demolition. The building's transition from bank to customhouse to museum demonstrates how significant architecture can survive changing circumstances when adapted to new purposes.<ref name="gallery"/>
+Jackson removed federal deposits from the Bank in 1833, and its charter expired in 1836. The Bank continued briefly as a state-chartered institution but failed in 1841.
-== Current Use ==
+=== After the Bank ===
-The Second Bank building now houses the Portrait Gallery of the Second Bank of the United States, part of Independence National Historical Park. The gallery displays portraits of prominent Americans from the Revolutionary and Federal periods, including works by Charles Willson Peale, Gilbert Stuart, and other important early American artists. The collection, originally assembled by Peale for his museum, provides appropriate content for a building whose own history encompasses the founding generation. Visitors encounter both significant architecture and significant art in a setting that illuminates early American history.<ref name="brownlee"/>
+Following the Bank's failure, the building served various purposes:
+* '''U.S. Custom House''' (1844-1935)
+* '''Carl Schurz Memorial Foundation''' (1930s)
+* '''National Park Service''' museum (1974-present)
-The building's location within Independence National Historical Park places it in context with other buildings from the nation's founding period. Independence Hall, Congress Hall, and other structures create an ensemble that represents American governmental and cultural origins. The Second Bank's Greek Revival architecture contrasts with the Georgian Colonial style of earlier buildings, demonstrating the stylistic shift that occurred as the republic matured. The building thus tells multiple stories: architectural innovation, financial history, and political conflict, all within one classical structure.<ref name="gallery"/>
+== Architecture ==
+=== Greek Revival Masterpiece ===
+The Second Bank of the United States is considered '''William Strickland's''' masterpiece and one of the most important Greek Revival buildings in America.
+==== Exterior ====
+* '''Style:''' Greek Revival, modeled on the Parthenon
+* '''Columns:''' Eight massive Doric columns on north and south facades
+* '''Material:''' Pennsylvania marble
+* '''Dimensions:''' 121 feet wide, 80 feet deep
+The building's temple-front design was revolutionary for American architecture and established Greek Revival as the dominant style for public buildings throughout the antebellum period.
+==== Interior ====
+* '''Banking Hall:''' Grand central space with marble columns
+* '''Vaults:''' Original iron vault doors remain
+* '''Restoration:''' Interior adapted for museum use while preserving original features
+=== William Strickland (1788-1854) ===
+Strickland was one of the most influential architects of early American history. A student of Benjamin Henry Latrobe, Strickland designed numerous important buildings including:
+* The Second Bank of the United States
+* The Philadelphia Merchants' Exchange
+* The Tennessee State Capitol
+* The First Presbyterian Church of Nashville
+== The Portrait Gallery ==
+=== Collection ===
+The Second Bank now houses the '''People of Independence''' portrait gallery, featuring 185 paintings of notable figures from the Revolutionary and early national periods.
+==== Highlights ====
+* '''George Washington''' by Charles Willson Peale (painted from life)
+* '''Thomas Jefferson''' by Charles Willson Peale
+* '''Benjamin Franklin''' by Charles Willson Peale
+* '''Marquis de Lafayette''' by Thomas Sully
+* '''Portraits of nearly all signers of the Declaration of Independence'''
+==== Artists ====
+Many portraits were painted by '''Charles Willson Peale''' (1741-1827) and his family, who operated a portrait studio and museum in Philadelphia. Peale painted many Founders from life, making these portraits invaluable historical documents.
+=== Significance ===
+The collection provides an unparalleled opportunity to see authentic likenesses of the Founders—not idealized images created after their deaths, but portraits painted when these figures were alive and active.
+== Visiting the Second Bank ==
+=== Hours ===
+* '''Wednesday-Sunday:''' 11:00 AM - 5:00 PM
+* '''Closed:''' Monday, Tuesday, and major holidays
+=== Admission ===
+'''Free admission'''
+The gallery is part of Independence National Historical Park and open to the public at no charge.
+=== What to See ===
+* '''Portrait Gallery:''' Explore the collection of Founding Fathers and early American leaders
+* '''Banking Hall:''' Experience the grand interior space
+* '''Architecture:''' Study the Greek Revival details
+* '''Temporary Exhibits:''' Rotating displays on American history
+=== Getting There ===
+* '''SEPTA Market-Frankford Line:''' 5th Street Station (1 block)
+* '''SEPTA Bus:''' Routes 5, 17, 21, 42
+* '''Walking:''' Adjacent to [[Independence Hall]] and [[Carpenters' Hall]]
+=== Nearby Attractions ===
+* [[Independence Hall]] (adjacent)
+* [[Carpenters' Hall]] (adjacent)
+* [[Library Hall]] (across the street)
+* [[Philosophical Hall]] (across the street)
 == See Also ==
-* [[Greek Revival Architecture]]
-* [[William Strickland]]
+* [[Independence Hall]]
-* [[Independence National Historical Park]]
+* [[First Bank of the United States]]
-* [[Philadelphia Merchants Exchange]]
+* [[Old City, Philadelphia]]
+* [[Architecture in Philadelphia]]
+* [[Banking in Philadelphia]]
 == References ==
 <references />
+== External Links ==
+* [https://www.nps.gov/inde/learn/historyculture/places-secondbank.htm National Park Service - Second Bank]
+* [https://www.visitphilly.com/things-to-do/attractions/second-bank-of-the-united-states/ Visit Philadelphia Guide]
 {{#seo:
-|title=Second Bank of the United States - Greek Revival Masterpiece
+|title=Second Bank of the United States - Greek Revival Landmark and Portrait Gallery
-|description=The Second Bank of the United States is a Greek Revival masterpiece designed by William Strickland, site of Andrew Jackson's Bank War, now a portrait gallery in Independence National Historical Park.
+|description=Visit the Second Bank of the United States, a Greek Revival masterpiece housing portraits of the Founding Fathers. Free admission to this National Park Service gallery near Independence Hall.
-|keywords=Second Bank United States, Greek Revival architecture, William Strickland, Andrew Jackson, Bank War, Nicholas Biddle, Independence National Historical Park, Parthenon Philadelphia
+|keywords=Second Bank United States, Greek Revival architecture, Philadelphia portrait gallery, Founding Fathers portraits, William Strickland architect, Andrew Jackson Bank War, Nicholas Biddle, free museums Philadelphia
 |type=Article
 }}
+[[Category:Landmarks]]
+[[Category:Historic Buildings]]
+[[Category:Old City]]
+[[Category:Museums]]
 [[Category:Architecture]]
-[[Category:Landmark Buildings]]
-[[Category:Greek Revival]]
-[[Category:Old City]]
-[[Category:Independence National Historical Park]]