An Unusual Flatiron Building Bank
Published in the April 2023 Penny Bank Post | Written by Ken and Jan Dersey
The Flatiron Building, originally known as the Fuller Building, is a triangular 22-story, 285-foot tall steel-framed landmark building at 175 5th Avenue in New York City. It was designed by Daniel Burnham and Frederick Dinkelberg and was completed in 1902. Daniel Burnham was the Director of Works for the 1892-93 World’s Columbian Exposition. He also designed Union Station in Washington D.C., London’s Selfridges Department Store and San Francisco Merchants Exchange, among many others.
The building sits on a triangular block formed by 5th Avenue, Broadway, and East 22nd Street, with just a bit of the building grazing East 23rd Street. The building’s facade is divided vertically into three sections, with the base clad in limestone and the upper stories covered with glazed terracotta.
The Flatiron Building is called “one of the world’s most iconic skyscrapers and a quintessential symbol of New York City.” The building was designated a New York City landmark in 1966, was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1979 and was designated a National Historic Landmark in 1989.
The Flatiron bank was made by the Kenton Toy Company in 1904-1926 and came in four sizes. Our bank in the photos is the second largest size. . .
