Williamsburgh Savings Bank Tower, Brooklyn’s Landmark Clock Tower

For decades dentists filled this skyscraper, and a New York newspaper called it “the Mecca of Dentistry.” Inside waits a banking hall that its architect wanted to read as a cathedral of thrift.

The history of the Williamsburgh Savings Bank Tower

The Williamsburgh Savings Bank was chartered in 1851 and began life in the basement of a church in Williamsburg, Brooklyn, with 158 depositors in its first annual report. A new headquarters at 175 Broadway followed in 1875. By 1928 the bank had 139,000 depositors, making it the fourth-largest savings bank in the United States by deposits, and the old building no longer met its needs.

In 1926 the bank decided to build near Downtown Brooklyn’s transit hub rather than in Williamsburg. It quietly acquired lots on Hanson Place and Ashland Place in 29 transactions; when the plan became public, ten other banks objected, but the state’s superintendent of banks gave permission. The architects were Halsey, McCormack & Helmer, and the building went up in a few years: the cornerstone was laid on April 9, 1928, the frame was topped out by the end of July, and the clock began running in December. The bank opened its doors on April 1, 1929.

At about 512 feet (156 m), the tower was the tallest building in Brooklyn when it opened, and it was the tallest anywhere on Long Island. Sources differ on the number of stories (about 41 or 42), and a taller transmitter on a nearby school roof is mentioned as passing it in 1938, but the tower remained a standard of Brooklyn’s skyline for generations. The bank used the lowest floors and rented the rest as offices. During World War II only the first four floors stayed lit during blackout orders, and in later years the upper floors were sometimes lit to form a cross on Good Friday.

By the late 20th century dentists filled much of the building, and the dental office on the 29th floor was said to be the highest accessible point in Brooklyn. The New York City Landmarks Preservation Commission designated the exterior a city landmark in 1977 and the interior in 1996. In 1988 a renovation replaced 906 exterior windows without approval, then the largest violation of the landmarks law, and the owners had to add muntins to match the originals.

After a series of bank mergers, HSBC placed the tower for sale in 2004 and a sale closed in 2005. From 2005 to 2007 the upper floors became luxury condominiums, with the first residents moving in during 2008, and the banking hall became an events space. The clock, which had stopped keeping accurate time, was repaired and relit in 2007 and again in 2013. Plans announced for the banking hall continue to change, so its future use is worth checking.

Little-known facts about the Williamsburgh Savings Bank Tower

• The tower stands in Fort Greene, not Williamsburg: the bank simply carried the name of its original neighborhood to its new home.
• According to the Spanish Wikipedia, the clock faces are five meters across and were the largest in the world when installed.
• The banking room is about 63 feet (19 m) high and laid out like a church, with a nave, aisles and a chancel; the architect Robert Helmer wanted the building seen as a cathedral dedicated to thrift and prosperity.
• Carved details outside speak of saving: beehives, squirrels storing nuts, the head of Mercury, wise owls and seated lions guarding the bank’s strongbox.
• The dome on top was not in the architects’ original design; Helmer said the bank demanded it over their protests.
• A New York newspaper nicknamed the building “the Mecca of Dentistry” when it was crowded with dental offices.

Tours near Williamsburgh Savings Bank Tower

Experiences in the area that you can book online with Viator:

Central Park Photography Tour with Local Photographer

★ 5 (91 reviews) · 2.5 h

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Manhattan Architecture Photography Tour

★ 5 (27 reviews) · 3 h

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NYC Central Park Night Time Photography Tour

★ 5 (14 reviews) · 2 h

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Iconic New York City Photography Tour

★ 4.9 (67 reviews) · 4 h

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Visiting the Williamsburgh Savings Bank Tower

• The exterior is the main attraction and can be admired from the street. Good viewpoints include Hanson Place, Ashland Place and the nearby intersection of Flatbush, Atlantic and Fourth Avenues.
• The main entrance is through a large arch on Hanson Place. Above the sixth story the facade is brick with terracotta decoration and tapers in setbacks to the clock tower and dome.
• The upper floors are residential apartments and are not open to visitors. The banking hall has been used as an events space and has had retail plans, so access varies; check the current rules before you go.
• The tower is near the Atlantic Terminal mall, the Long Island Rail Road’s Atlantic Terminal station, the Barclays Center and the Brooklyn Academy of Music, so it combines easily with other stops.

Opening hours, access and conditions can change. Check before you go.

Map: where Williamsburgh Savings Bank Tower is

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