1045 Flatbush Ave
1927
Halsey McCormack & Helmer

The first office for the Flatbush Savings Bank opened in 1916 at the corner of Martense St. and Flatbush Ave. They soon relocated, but sustained growth prompted the construction of this Renaissance Revival building. The architectural firm of Halsey McCormack and Helmer (formerly Thomas Bruce Boyd, Inc.) were commissioned to design it, as they specialized in bank buildings. They also designed the Williamsburgh Savings Bank, a NYC Landmark.

The main façade on Flatbush Avenue is detailed with ashlar rustication and 45-foot-tall Corinthian columns at the corners. Above the entrance, there is a large arched window flanked by carved stone medallions that symbolize training and industry. Two more medallions, thrift and success, can be seen at the Duryea Place façade. In 1946, a two-story, 50-foot-wide extension was added to the north of the building. In 1997, the bank became a branch of Astoria Federal Savings & Loan Association, and in 2019 it was purchased by a hotel developer with plans to replace it with a nine-story, mixed-use building.

Photo by Julia Charles, ca. 2019.