The Alex. Brown & Sons building, located at 135 East Baltimore Street in Baltimore, Maryland, served as the corporate headquarters

Corporate headquarters

Corporate headquarters is a term used to describe the entity at the top of a corporation to take full responsibility for the overall success of the corporation, ensures Corporate Governance...

 during the 20th century for the banking firm Alex. Brown & Sons

Alex. Brown & Sons

Alex. Brown & Sons was the first investment bank in the United States, founded by Alexander Brown in 1800 and based in Baltimore, Maryland. The firm was acquired by Bankers Trust in 1997 to form BT Alex...

, which was the oldest banking firm in the United States when it was purchased by Bankers Trust

Bankers Trust

Bankers Trust was an historic American banking organization. The bank merged with Alex. Brown & Sons before being acquired by Deutsche Bank in 1998.-History:A consortium of banks created Bankers Trust to perform trust company services for their clients....

 in 1997. The two story building, completed in 1901 and designed by the partnership of J. Harleston Parker and Douglas H. Thomas. Jr., survived the 1904 Baltimore fire

Great Baltimore Fire

The Great Baltimore Fire raged in Baltimore, Maryland, United States, on Sunday, February 7, and Monday, February 8, 1904. 1,231 firefighters were required to bring the blaze under control...

. The building was modified on the Calvert Street side and in the interior by the firm Beecher, Friz, and Gregg in 1905.

The building was sold to Chevy Chase Bank

Chevy Chase Bank

Chevy Chase Bank, F.S.B. was the largest locally-based banking company in the Washington Metropolitan Area. It was acquired by Capital One in 2009 and rebranded as Capital One Bank in 2010. Despite its name, Chevy Chase Bank was a federally chartered thrift regulated by the Office of Thrift...

 in 1997. A plaque on the side of the building states:

"A thorough historical renovation of the building was completed in 1996 when it was reopened as a traditional retail bank branch. The beautiful stained glass dome, probably the work of Baltimore artist Gustave Baumstark (who studied under both Louis C. Tiffany

Louis Comfort Tiffany

Louis Comfort Tiffany was an American artist and designer who worked in the decorative arts and is best known for his work in stained glass. He is the American artist most associated with the Art Nouveau  and Aesthetic movements...

 and John LaFarge

John LaFarge

John La Farge was an American painter, muralist, stained glass window maker, decorator, and writer.-Biography:...

) was cleaned and refurbished. The marble columns and the plaster moldings of the great banking hall were restored to their original designs. During the renovation the original teller

Bank teller

A teller is an employee of a bank who deals directly with most customers. In some places, this employee is known as a cashier. Most teller jobs require cash handling experience and a high school diploma. Most banks provide on the job training....

 line was reconstructed. Even such details as the design and placement of the freestanding furniture now in existence in the bank branch were designed to mimic the original furniture."

The Alex. Brown & Sons Building was listed on the National Register of Historic Places

National Register of Historic Places

The National Register of Historic Places is the United States government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures, and objects deemed worthy of preservation...

 in 1982.

External links

• Alex Brown Building, Baltimore City, including photo from 1985, at Maryland Historical Trust
• Alex. Brown & Sons Company Building, 135 East Baltimore Street, Baltimore, Independent City, MD: 10 photos and 2 color transparencies, at Historic American Building Survey