Once I was waiting for my girlfriend in front of NY Public Library on 5th Ave; the sun was close to setting and was behind me. I happened to glance to the top of the building across the street and seemed to see a couple of men staring back down at me!
A moment’s consideration of scale and observation of lack of movement convinced me that they were carved there. Now, while it is not unusual for buildings of a certain vintage in NY city to be topped by gargoyles, lions’ heads, etc., these were full torsos and heads, prosaic highly individualistic fellows, one thoughtfully cupping his chin in his hand as he gazed down at 5th Ave below.
Fascinated, I came back a few days later and noted that the building was identified on its façade as “The Farmers’ Loan and Trust” building. It is not, however, the building occupied by Farmerns’ Loan and Trust, and no one in the building, adjacent buildings, or at convenient desks of the public library knew anything about the figures.
Online, I located a huge raft of sites mentioning “farmers’ loan and trust”, which apparently figured in a depression-era court finding regarding taxes, but browsing a couple dozen of these did not tell me whether or not the court decision had killed off the Farmers’ Loan and Trust or if they had instead relocated to Grand Junction, Colorado or something, and none of them mentioned the building or its interesting stone men.
[the implied question here is: anyone have further relevant info?]
*AHunter3: Online, I located a huge raft of sites mentioning “farmers’ loan and trust”, which apparently figured in a depression-era court finding regarding taxes, but browsing a couple dozen of these did not tell me whether or not the court decision had killed off the Farmers’ Loan and Trust or if they had instead relocated to Grand Junction, Colorado or something, and none of them mentioned the building or its interesting stone men. *
Moved to Grand Junction, CO? A fate worse than death!
(Born in GJ 1964, fled in 1986.)
Wrong thinking is punished, right thinking is just as swiftly rewarded. You’ll find it an effective combination.
Changed to Citibank
Haven’t seen anything about the building yet though… http://www.scripophily.com/nybankhistoryf.htm
Farmers Loan and Trust Company
1822 Established Farmers Fire Insurance & Loan Company
1836 Name Change To Farmers Loan and Trust Company
06/01/1929 Purchased Trust National City Bank of New York
06/01/1929 Name Change To City Bank Farmers Trust Company
12/19/1931 Acquire By Merger Bank of America Trust Company
01/30/1959 Convert Federal First National City Trust Company
01/01/1963 Merge To Federal First National City Bank
1976 Name Change To Citibank, N.A.
Description of a walking tour offered during a workshop. You might try to contact Francis Morrone
"FIFTH AVENUE: REMNANTS OF SPLENDOR
Francis Morrone, Architectural Historian
Meet at the northernmost lion at Fifth Avenue and 41st Street Entrance of the New York Public Library.
Tour will focus on the architectural and social history of Fifth Avenue from its residential days to its commercial transformation before World War I."
