Williamsburgh Savings Bank 1
07/25/05
The magnificent Williamsburgh Savings Bank Building at Flatbush and Atlantic Avenues, the tallest building in Brooklyn, now holds mostly dentists but is slated for conversion into condos; the cathedral-like 63-foot-ceilinged banking hall on the ground floor, which is perhaps New York's greatest interior and certainly Brooklyn's, will be converted into a restaurant. (See it now, while you still can: the HSBC bank closes September 30th.) Its four-sided clock, 450 or so feet above the ground, was the world's largest until 1962.
Despite its name, the Williamsburgh (not Williamsburg) Savings Bank Building is in Fort Greene, Brooklyn, not Williamsburg. Its dome was intended to echo the earlier, much more terrestrial, domed bank building in Williamsburg near the bridge entrance and Peter Luger's. When built, this was the tallest structure between Manhattan and Paris.
These views are from the highest occupied floor in the building. More about the building here, here, here and, er, here. And, of course, Joe's amazing panorama.
The observation deck seen from above used to be open to the public but was closed in 1977. It still has explanatory signs describing the locations of Revolutionary War battles in Fort Greene.
10:49 PM | Comments (33) | TrackBack (3)
Comments
Haha! Kicked your clock's ass in 1962!
Anyways, glad to see we're back to New York pictures.
Posted by: skinnypeterm at July 26, 2005 12:55 AM
so does this mean you had some dental work done recently?
Posted by: tien at July 26, 2005 09:33 AM
I've been meaning to try getting up there for years. Did you have any trouble?
Posted by: David at July 26, 2005 09:44 AM
great city shots!
Posted by: mikhail at July 26, 2005 04:41 PM
Thank you. My wife and I lived in the shadow of that bank building for a year, and I always wanted to see what the veiw was like.
I also am thankful you are doing New York pictures again, since I moved away from there two years ago, I check in here frequently and sigh…
Posted by: Andrew Jenkins at July 26, 2005 11:03 PM
Next time invite someone else up who knows how to use a camera. Opportunity wasted.
Posted by: David H. Theo at August 1, 2005 09:10 AM
Great shots of the "Willie", which I got to peer at for 2 entire years in the 60's from the windows of Bishop Loughlin Memorial High School on Clinton Ave.
Posted by: Kevin Backmann at August 1, 2005 10:46 PM
Oh, man, I still miss that building.
I've been gone from Brooklyn for 2 years now. Please, please tell me you're joking about the building being converted into condos and a restaurant! Gaaahhhhhh! I can't take it anymore!
Posted by: Sofia Echegaray at August 2, 2005 01:10 PM
http://www.brooklynpapers.com/html/issues/_vol28/28_21/28_21nets1.html
Posted by: itstrue at August 4, 2005 03:32 PM
"Next time invite someone else up who knows how to use a camera. Opportunity wasted."
Well aren't WE fond of our ability to do a better job! A hearty congrats for the constructive criticism!
Posted by: Willhelm at August 5, 2005 10:15 AM
Well, itstrue, thanks for the link. For those who haven't clicked on it, it says in part,
"Here's a building that was built in the 1920s that is unparalleled in its landmark status and architectural design. It has the fourth largest four-faced clock in the world, it's got unobstructed views of Manhattan, we are strategically located at the front door of one of the largest business transit terminals [in the city]," he said."The amenities are all right there," Turner added. "It really just provides us with a great backbone for urban revitalization."
"We're taking this great asset and revitalizing it and providing the community with [216] unrivaled condos," said Turner.
What a bunch of bull. Fort Greene is hardly the ghetto -- it's a super-gentrified area where most of the "urban" (ie, black) people are gradually getting pushed out by insane rents. And those middle-class people, black and white, that remain? They're certainly not thinking to themselves, "You know what this area needs, and what will make housing really affordable? More Luxury Condos!"
Grrrrrr.
Posted by: Sofia Echegaray at August 6, 2005 01:39 PM
I think the tower was closed to the public closer to 1997 than 1977, but I was happy to see views that used to be available to anyone who wanted to go to the top and look.
May I ask how you managed to get permission to take these pictures?
Thanks!
Posted by: Steve Ft. Greene at August 18, 2005 08:44 PM
From a former Brooklynite: Bravo! Outstanding photos.
Posted by: Lex at August 26, 2005 09:37 PM
I grew up in Williamsburgh in an apartment my family rented for 38 years. I left in 1970 and moved to a small town in northern CA where you can just die for a decent bagel, but that's another story.
We always spelled the name of the neighborhood with an "h" at the end. This spelling is written in stone, at least at the Williamsburgh Savings Bank as well as at the Williamburgh Publc Library. You can find it on a street sign at "Williamsburgh St. West".
So, who decided to change the spelling of my old neighborhood anyway? Was this part of the yuppie invasion? They say you can't have it both ways, but I see that you do.
Great site.
Monty Levenson
Willits, CA
Posted by: Monty Levenson at August 29, 2005 12:31 PM
I AM STATN TAHT WAS MY LAUNDORMAT OVER THERE PLEASE RESPOECT PLEASE.
THEZEW SHOTS ARE BORRRNO.
AM SOTRY VERY VEY DRUNKL :( :9
Posted by: que at September 27, 2005 01:18 PM
You've got great angle! WOW..
Posted by: Angela at February 10, 2006 12:34 PM
I was the Chief Engineer of the building from 1970 to 1990 at which time I retired.It was the most rewarding and enjoyable job in my life.At one point I stood on the rim of the building's smoke stack which is located in the center of the dome.It afforded an unobstucted view of the entire city for 365 degrees.
There are no pictures that I've ever seen that I haven't seen in person or from any view or angle. However,looking at these pictures certainly refreshes my memory with great pleasure.I posses a picture taken from a plane in 1931 with the building as the center piece.I found this page looking for images of the building out of sentimentality.Thank you for you time and effort.It has been appreciated by myself if noone else.Critisism is very easy to dole out. Usually by nobodies or insignificants.We all strive for improvement. Good luck.
Posted by: Harry Hanselman at April 28, 2006 11:11 PM
My dad was in the maintenance department at the Williamsburgh Savings Bank. When I was a kid I actually got to stick my head out of the louvers in the dome and saw how the lights in the clock could be changed from the inside of the tower. At Christmas the lights in specific offices would be left on to make the building look like a big present. I would go "downtown" with my dad to make sure none of the office lights were inadvertently turned off and to replace any burned out lights.
Posted by: Art Jorgensen at July 18, 2006 08:35 AM
I am hoping to get to see the interior of this building before it is closed to the public. My interest in "Willie" was peaked when I found an old ceramic bank modelled after this structure. (It's obviously an antique just like the ceramic Seaman's Saving Bank type of that era and was probably commonly given to those customers who opened new savings accounts at the bank.) It's a shame that this building is not being designated as a historic landmark... I think it should be! Oh well.
Posted by: Mark Prigoff at August 14, 2006 03:28 PM
worked for wsb for 10 years, had great memories of the building.
Posted by: carl at August 16, 2006 01:52 PM
What wonderful pictures. I remember the bank so very well. I went to St. John's university and many times I would either walk or take the trolley from St. John's to work out at the Central YMCA on Hansen Place next to the bank.I lived in the Park Slope section of Brooklyn right off Prospect Park and from my roof I could easily see the bank and its wonderful four sided clocks.It certainly is a landmark with it's wonderful marble rotunda which served as a banking institution. Once again, great job.
Posted by: Buddy Joyce at March 15, 2007 08:06 PM
Finally got a chance to see the building again, up close, but was disappointed when I entered the lobby. The guard on duty would not allow me to take any photos inside the building and the bank portion was locked and closed to the public. He also mentioned that the bank section is to be converted into a library of sorts. I suppose I will have to wait and see what developes, but I did manage to take some shots of the exterior. Even just the detail of the window grills is quite esquisite. I still contend that the city of Brooklyn (and/or) New York City should have designated this building as either a New York or even National Historic Landmark... perhaps even as a architectural museum, on par with Radio City Music Hall, Nikola Tesla's laboratory in Shoreham, NY, (Long Island), and many others which have such a distinctive architectural quality, historical and educational value, and classic design of its original era of construction!
Posted by: Mark Prigoff at March 28, 2007 07:16 AM
Mark:
(1) The banking hall is to become a Borders bookstore.
(2) The building was designated a NY historic landmark in 1977: the exterior as well as the banking hall.
Posted by: Mike at March 28, 2007 09:55 AM
I grew up a couple of miles down from the building on Fourth Avenue. I could see one of the clock faces from the front of my house. Over fifty years later, I can still remember the day when I was first able to "tell time" from that clock, and I always knew when it was time to go home, as the Clock was almost always in view.
Posted by: Paul D at June 5, 2007 04:50 PM
My grandfather, Robert Helmer, was the architect of the Williamsburgh Savings Bank. It was my great privilege to receive a personal tour of the bank back in 1983 from one of the Vice Presidents who was obviously as proud of the building as I am of my grandfather who passed away in August of 1975. My mother offered to take care of her father (and mother Belle) in their final years of life and they moved down to live with her in St. Louis. He outlived his wife even though he was 13 years older. He was nearly 94 when he died. He was born in 1881. He designed many other beautiful banks including the Dime Savings Bank in Brooklyn which actually was his favorite. His firm, Halsey, McCormack and Helmer was still in business in the World Trade Center when the 911 terrorist attacks happened.
Posted by: Matt G at July 19, 2007 03:50 PM
I worked for the Williamsburgh Savings Bank for over 20 years and most of that time was spent in this magnificient building. I even taught a few classes on the 26th floor and at the break we went out on the observatory deck on each side to enjoy the view. I also worked on "D" mezzanine in the back which had a lookout opening which was near the top of the mosaic wall and looked down upon the bank floor. I also worked on the banking floor and for over a year I had the corner office, replete with a wall safe which was hidden behind a wooden panel. What a wonderful experience. It was a mutual savings bank and it did not hire from without except at the entry level of teller or clerk. Everyone in management had started that way. I loved the work hard and get ahead strategy. I loved working for the Williamsburgh and have a couple of the ceramic Tower of Strength banks that were made to commemorate the bank's 100th anniversary in 1951 and one of the 100th anniversary books.
Posted by: Bill G at September 28, 2007 10:27 PM
I was lucky enough to live in the shadows of this beautiful building while attending Pratt Institute on Dekalb Ave. I always felt a warm feeling of nostalgia looking out of my window at
"her".
Posted by: Elaine Camp at March 17, 2008 05:02 PM
Hiiiiii I like all your pic's
Posted by: kh Alabdalah at April 3, 2008 04:19 PM
Thank you for the pictures, and thanks everyone for your personal memories of this beautiful building. This is a wonderful page.
Posted by: Lisa at May 1, 2008 06:47 PM
When we were kids growing up in South Brooklyn in the 50s, that clock was our protector, our neighborhood sentinel. The title of my book reflects the feelings of everybody who lived near it: As Long As You Can See the Clock, You're Okay. Please read some excerpts: http://www.outskirtspress.com/seetheclock.
Posted by: Grace Protano at July 4, 2009 01:51 PM
When we were kids growing up in South Brooklyn in the 50s, that clock was our protector, our neighborhood sentinel. The title of my book reflects the feelings of everybody who lived near it: As Long As You Can See the Clock, You're Okay. Please read some excerpts: http://www.outskirtspress.com/seetheclock.
Posted by: Grace Protano at July 4, 2009 01:51 PM
Growing up in the 1950's we referred to WB as "The Clock Building"
and it was our personal clock. Whenever we needed to know the time. We looked out at the WB from the back window of our home.
Posted by: Joey at February 10, 2011 05:25 AM
Thanks for sharing these photos. The "Willie" is a beautiful structure. If it hadn't been landmarked, it would have been demolished by now. I regret that I never went up to the observation deck when it was open; I am basically scared of heights yet I managed to visit the Empire State's as well as the Top of the World many times until 9-11. I always wanted to visit the Chrysler's spire but it is always closed. I saw the "Willie's" view several times when I visited there for my many root canals. I hope they still illuminate the 4 clocks at night.