The Farmers and Mechanics Bank is a historic building in the Georgetown neighborhood of

Washington, D.C. ) , image_skyline = , image_caption = Clockwise from top left: the Washington Monument and Lincoln Memorial on the National Mall, United States Capitol, Logan Circle, Jefferson Memorial, White House, Adams Morgan, ...

Constructed between 1921 and 1922, the bank was first the headquarters of the Farmers and Mechanics National Bank. Soon thereafter, it became known as the Farmers and Mechanics Branch of

Riggs National Bank Riggs National Bank is a historic former headquarters of Riggs Bank, located at 1503–1505 Pennsylvania Avenue, Northwest, Washington, D.C., in the downtown Washington, D.C. neighborhood. It was designed by architects York and Sawyer in 1899, c ...

. In 2005, the building became a branch of PNC bank.

History

In 1814, the Farmers and Mechanics National Bank was established by George Corbin Washington and Romulus Riggs at the intersection of M Street and 31st Street. The bank decided to move its headquarters to the intersection of M Street and

Wisconsin Avenue Wisconsin Avenue is a major thoroughfare in Washington, D.C., and its Maryland suburbs. The southern terminus begins in Georgetown just north of the Potomac River, at an intersection with K Street under the elevated Whitehurst Freeway. The s ...

, and constructed the present building between 1921 and 1922, across the street from the Potomac Savings Bank. The building occupied the spot of the former O'Donnell's Drug Store. In 1928, the Farmers and Mechanics National Bank was acquired by

Riggs Bank Riggs Bank was a bank headquartered in Washington, D.C. For most of its history, it was the largest bank headquartered in that city. On May 13, 2005, after the exposure of several money laundering scandals, the bank was acquired by PNC Financia ...

and the Georgetown location was thenceforth known as the Farmers and Mechanics Branch of Riggs National Bank, which name was inscribed atop the building. The dome and

cupola In architecture, a cupola () is a relatively small, most often dome-like, tall structure on top of a building. Often used to provide a lookout or to admit light and air, it usually crowns a larger roof or dome. The word derives, via Italian, fro ...

atop the rounded corner portico were gilded with gold leaf in 1961 and remains so today. With the designation of the Georgetown Historic District as a

National Historic Landmark District National may refer to: Common uses * Nation or country ** Nationality – a ''national'' is a person who is subject to a nation, regardless of whether the person has full rights as a citizen Places in the United States * National, Maryland, c ...

on May 28, 1967, the Farmers and Mechanics Bank in Georgetown became a contributing property. In 1985, Riggs Bank decided to restore many of its historic bank buildings, including the Georgetown location, returning the interior, which had been extensively remodeled over the years, to more closely model its original design. The neoclassical façade was also refurbished. When Riggs Bank was acquired by PNC in 2005, ownership of the Georgetown bank was transferred and it began operating as a branch of PNC.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Farmers and Mechanics Bank, Georgetown Georgetown (Washington, D.C.) Bank buildings on the National Register of Historic Places in Washington, D.C. Historic district contributing properties in Washington, D.C. 1922 establishments in Washington, D.C. Neoclassical architecture in Washington, D.C. Bank company headquarters in the United States