Second Bank of the United States

The Second Bank of the United States, completed in 1824, is one of the finest examples of Greek Revival architecture in the early republic and a defining work of architect William Strickland. Chartered by Congress in 1816 after the financial instability that followed the War of 1812, the Bank served as the nation’s central financial institution during a turbulent period marked by debates over federal authority, monetary policy, and the role of public credit. Its most famous president, Nicholas Biddle, oversaw the Bank during the political struggle with President Andrew Jackson that culminated in the Bank’s charter being allowed to expire in 1836.

The building’s monumental design—modeled on the Parthenon, with a massive Doric portico and marble façade—symbolized stability, republican virtue, and the federal government’s financial ambitions. After the Bank’s dissolution, the structure housed the U.S. Custom House and later various federal offices before becoming part of Independence National Historical Park.

Today, the Second Bank is best known for its Charles Willson Peale Portrait Gallery, a museum installation that recreates Peale’s vision and displays an unparalleled collection of 18th‑ and early 19th‑century American portraits. The building remains one of Philadelphia’s most iconic neoclassical landmarks and a key site for interpreting the nation’s early financial and artistic history