The Equitable Building: Progressive Banking (and Dancing) on F Street

The former home of the Equitable Co-operative Building Association at 915 F Street NW, completed in 1912, is a small but eminently distinguished bank building. One glance at the facade dominated by four great Ionic columns, and you know what type of business operated here. What's less obvious is that this was a uniquely progressive financial institution, meant to help the "little guy" save money, and it was founded by one of Washington's most prominent and civic-minded citizens, John Joy Edson (1846-1935). The unique building—designated as an historic landmark both for its exterior and main banking room—has survived years of neglect as a nightclub and is currently being rehabilitated for retail use by the Douglas Development Corporation. It will be the site of the D.C. Preservation League's 41st annual gala fundraiser on April 26, 2012, where attendees will have a unique opportunity to enjoy the beautiful former banking room inside.

The Equitable Building in 2010. Photo by the author.

A walk down Connecticut Avenue, circa 1907

This old postcard (click the image to enlarge it) shows a fashionable downtown street, fully built up with important institutions. The uncluttered, tree-lined sidewalks make for a pleasant Sunday morning stroll as the occasional streetcar or automobile rolls past. Now, some 100 years later, the street looks very different. Virtually all of the buildings have been replaced, and the grassy open space between the buildings and the sidewalk has been taken over by a much-widened street. The old-time elegance is a thing of the past.

The view is facing south along Connecticut Avenue from just below M Street. A street-level view from roughly the same location appears below.

Now let's take a look at each the buildings that line the left (east) side of the street in the original postcard view.