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Liberty National: 1920

March 1920. Liberty National Bank at the intersection of I and 15th N.W. in Washington. View full size. National Photo Company Collection glass negative.

March 1920. Liberty National Bank at the intersection of I and 15th N.W. in Washington. View full size. National Photo Company Collection glass negative.

 

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Yes, the building is still there. In later years, several more floors were added. The building was recently completely renovated. Below is the identical view taken in April of 2010.

The Banks Are Made OF Marble

Pete Seeger (not one of my favorite people) once sang:

The Banks are made of marble
With a guard at every door
And the vaults are stuffed with silver
That the workers sweated for.

This is one of those banks. In March 1933, FDR closed the banks for three days, and gave them the opportunity to restructure and face the future. Part of the deal was the FDIC, the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation, which insured depositors for loss of their savings. What goes around comes around and we have similar problems today. This time they made loans (mortgages) that never should have been made. They are no longer building these temple like structures. The new con is Starbucks or Mickey D type storefronts. They still have to be watched and regulated.

Liberty National

I used to work a block from there, on the other side of McPherson Square. I'm trying to visualize the intersection to remember if that building is still there, but alas! Memory fails. (Aha -- I see, upon refreshing, that someone knows more than I. Which corner is it located on?)

I love the woman and her blurry coat. And the cars, which look like they could have been used in filming Some Like It Hot.

Still standing

Across from the McPherson Square Metro.

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