Designated March 8, 2016
Designed by Holmes & Winslow, New York City architects who specialized in bank design, the East New York Savings Bank Building would be the bank’s second and most architecturally-ambitious branch. Though aspects of the tan sandstone building are classical, such as the use of symmetry and a prominent bracketed cornice, it seems probable the architects were influenced by the recently-completed Bowery Savings Bank on East 42nd Street in Manhattan, a neo-Romanesque style structure with a similar recessed archway.
This dramatic architectural feature served as the bank’s main entrance, giving the branch an impenetrable, fortress-like quality. Rene P. Chambellan, who created architectural sculptures for many New York City landmarks, including the Chanin and Daily News Buildings, as well as fountains at Rockefeller Center, created the remarkable bronze doors that face Eastern Parkway, as well as the “Commerce” and “Industry” reliefs and medallions.
*Excerpt from the Landmarks Preservation Commission designation report