Emigrant Industrial Savings Bank Building
The Emigrant Industrial Savings Bank Building is a historic building at 51 Chambers Street between Broadway and Centre Street in the Civic Center neighborhood of Manhattan, New York City. It was built in 1909–1912 and was designed by Raymond F. Almirall in the Beaux-Arts style. At the time the 17-story structure was the largest bank building in the United States, and was the first skyscraper to use the "H" layout, which provided light and air to more parts of the building.
The bank itself had been organized in 1850 by Roman Catholic Archbishop John Hughes and the Irish Emigrant Society, with the purpose of protecting the savings of Irish immigrants newly arrived in the city. The current building is the third built by the bank on the same site.The building is now owned by the City of New York. Immediately to the west is 280 Broadway, one of the nation's first department stores, which is now also owned by the City of New York.
It was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1982, and both the exterior and the first floor interior were designated New York City landmarks in 1985.
