Second Bank of the United States

Address: 420 Chestnut St, Philadelphia, PA 19106

Neighborhood: Independence Mall

Website: https://www.nps.gov/inde/learn/historyculture/places-secondbank.htm

Contact: (215) 965-2305

Description: Completed in 1824, this huge temple of finance, modeled on the Parthenon, is one of the finest examples of Greek Revival architecture in the country. Seminal in its influence, it was designed by William Strickland. Congress chartered the Second Bank of the United States in 1817, and under Nicholas Biddle’s leadership it became, for a while, an effective regulator of the national economy. Following the determined leadership of President Andrew Jackson, Congress allowed the bank’s charter to expire in 1836. The building is now a unit of Independence National Historical Park and is open to the public.

Resources for Researchers

• History
  • https://www.federalreservehistory.org/essays/second_bank_of_the_us
• Images of the building and exhibits
  • https://museum.nps.gov/ParkPList.aspx
• Portraits
  • https://www.nps.gov/inde/learn/photosmultimedia/second-bank-of-the-united-states.htm

Information for Visitors

• Admission
• Free
• Hours vary
• https://www.nps.gov/inde/learn/historyculture/places-secondbank.htm

Subthemes

• First in the nation – Philadelphia’s “firsts”
• Architecture and design – iconic, famous, or representative
• Faith and ideals – religion, philosophy, political ideology
• Business of life – stories of daily life, business, industry, commerce

Link to NHL Nomination Form

• Nomination number: 87001293
• https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1GJ9c61F4O0jd4NgscDKeN6bpjb8WT_jU