Designated February 17, 2012
The striking neo-Classical style Williamsburg Branch, Public National Bank of New York was the first of several Public National branch bank buildings designed by architect Eugene Schoen. In 1921, Schoen received the lucrative patronage of the Public National Bank of New York (Public National Bank & Trust Co. of New York after 1927), which had been chartered in 1908 with its headquarters on the Lower East Side.
Designed in the form of a one-story temple and clad in cast stone (now painted), the Williamsburg Branch features rusticated columns and corner piers on both principal facades that frame rectangular and round-arched fenestration, with panels and entrance surrounds displaying a combination of classical and Secessionist ornament. A rare example in New York City of early-20th-century Viennese influence, the corner structure achieves a monumentality through the use of bold classical forms, abstraction, and predominant rustication.
*Excerpt from the Landmarks Preservation Commission designation report