The narrow six-story structure was completed in 1907 and housed a bank for nearly fifty years. Afterwards the building would serve as county offices, with the Greene County courthouse right across the street.
The building is incredibly narrow, and nowhere is this more evident in the main lobby. But here we get our first glimpse at the building's amazing ironwork, and its two original birdcage-style Otis elevators.
I mean, wow! I can count on one hand the number of times I have seen intact elevators like these. Elevator equipment is often replaced multiple times over a building's life.
The front storefront, adjacent to the lobby was the main banking room. This is the most modified space in the building, with a drop ceiling obscuring the original ornate plaster. However, the original plaster is still there, and since I took these photos the drop ceiling has been removed and the plaster unveiled.
The upper floors are equally impressive. In addition to the iron birdcage elevators, there is a large open staircase with beautiful iron railings. The elevator, staircase, and hallways are on one side of the narrow floorplate and the offices on the other.
Everything still looks much like it has for the past hundred years. There are a few other buildings that this reminds me of, such as the Farwell and Harvard Square, but nothing nearly this intact.
I love the doors, which still have frosted glass, brass mail slots, and doorknobs.
Notice the frosted glass interior windows and transoms which allowed as much natural light throughout the interior as possible.
One wonderful decorative touch are the bank logos on every one of the elevator doors.
Another impressive feature is that virtually all of the flooring is marble. I am used to seeing floors in common areas like hallways being made of marble slabs, but not in the offices themselves.
The top floor had been partially gutted into a residence, but otherwise the office floors are much as they have been for over a century. All I can really say is that this is one of the more remarkable buildings I have come across. What the Hendley Building was for an intact 1850s building, this is for an intact 1900s building.
For more photos click here.
For more information on the building and to follow its renovation click here.
