Merchants' National Bank Building (1895), Baltimore

It was a 7-story, Renaissance Revival style building designed by the Baltimore-based architectural firm of Baldwin & Pennington, and constructed in 1893-1895.

Johns Hopkins, a Baltimore businessman, abolitionist, and philanthropist, had been president of the bank from 1853 until his death in 1873.

Optimistically, the Sun article also mentioned that the steel frame encased in brick masonry with granite facing on the outside made the structure "fire-proof throughout".

This property was then surplused and sold to Baltimore insurance company USF&G, which kept it till the 1970s.

Baltimore Federal Savings & Loan bought the property in 1977, and in 1982 erected a new 17 story Postmodern style building, spanning the entire block between Water and East Lombard, South and Commerce Streets.

Merchants Bank Building after being destroyed by the Great Baltimore Fire of 1904 and reduced to two stories. Picture circa 1950s.
Merchants Bank Building, Baltimore 2014, after a new postmodern skyscraper was built in the 1980s.
Tall red brick building with FNB—First National Bank sign was formerly the Merchants Natl. Bank Bldg. Behind is Commerce Place . In front is the USS Constellation and Harborplace Mall.