Brooklyn Trust Company Building
Also known as: Chase Manhattan
Why it's listed
Occupying a corner site at Montague, Clinton and Pierrepont Streets in Brooklyn Heights, this five-story bank was designed by the firm York & Sawyer and built between 1913 and 1916 for the Brooklyn Trust Company. Its design follows the palazzi of the Italian High Renaissance. A rusticated limestone base supports an upper level, the piano nobile, faced in smooth limestone with a double-height Corinthian colonnade. Arched entrances on the north and south ends feature carved enframements, wrought iron gates and decorative lamps. Inside, a single vaulted banking hall has marble walls, a coffered ceiling, a mosaic floor and a frieze of classical heads adapted from ancient coins. The Brooklyn Trust Company was chartered in 1866 and expanded through mergers into a bank with dozens of branches. This building replaced its earlier headquarters in a converted mansion and became a prominent landmark of Montague Street's banking row. It remains a bank today and retains its architectural integrity.
Significance in brief: The building is presented as a finely crafted urban palazzo modeled on sixteenth-century Italian High Renaissance palaces, with a notable limestone exterior and a vaulted banking hall. It also served as headquarters of the Brooklyn Trust Company, founded in 1866, which grew through mergers into a major institution. The building stands on Montague Street's "Bank Row" and retains its architectural integrity.
Machine-generated summary. This summary was generated by a language model from the official nomination document and has not been reviewed line by line by an editor. It may contain errors. Check the source document before relying on any detail. Source: nomination document (PDF) · National Archives catalog entry. NRHP reference 09000632, listed August 20, 2009. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence medium).
Key facts
| Address | 177 Montague St., Brooklyn |
|---|---|
| County | Brooklyn |
| Listed | August 20, 2009 |
| Reference number | 09000632 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Architect / builder | York & Sawyer |
| Architectural style | Late 19th and 20th Century Revivals: Italian Renaissance |
| Areas of significance | Architecture, Commerce |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Facades are well maintained with only minor alterations; the building still houses a bank branch (Chase), though the second and third floors have been significantly altered. |
| Acreage | 0.9 |
| Coordinates | 40.69658, -73.99163 (NPS GIS) |
What listing means for this property
For an income-producing building, listing (individually or as a contributing building in a district) is the gateway to the 20% federal rehabilitation tax credit on qualified rehabilitation costs, often stackable with state credits. Work claiming the credit must follow the Secretary of the Interior's Standards and be approved in advance.
Listing does not restrict a private owner acting without federal money or permits; where federal funding or licensing is involved, Section 106 review applies.
General information, not legal or tax advice. Rules change; confirm with your State Historic Preservation Office or a qualified adviser.
Sources and further reading
- National Park Service, National Register of Historic Places database (snapshot May 2026), reference 09000632.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q4974914
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.