First Bank of the United States

The oldest bank building in America, designed by Samuel Blodget Jr. and completed in 1797. This Greek Revival masterpiece housed the first central bank of the United States, championed by Treasury Secretary Alexander Hamilton despite opposition from Thomas Jefferson.

The First Bank of the United States was established in 1791 by Treasury Secretary Alexander Hamilton, though the striking building itself was not completed until 1795. The decision to create a national bank was highly controversial among the Founding Fathers, with Hamilton passionately defending the institution against those who feared centralized financial power. Stephen Girard, then the richest man in early America, invested heavily to establish the bank and later purchased the building when the government shut it down after 20 years.

The historic bank is rumored to be haunted by Alexander Hamilton himself. Visitors and passersby report seeing his ghost pacing the halls, perhaps still wrestling with the financial battles that defined his career or tormented by guilt over leaving his wife Eliza in poverty after his death in the famous duel with Aaron Burr. People who stand close to the building to take photographs report their phone and camera batteries draining rapidly, an unexplained phenomenon that paranormal investigators associate with spirit activity.

The bank has been closed to the public for over 40 years, but its exterior remains a popular stop along Philadelphia ghost tours. Local historians hope to eventually restore the building into a museum honoring Hamilton's legacy, and some believe such a renovation might stir up even more paranormal activity from the founding father who created America's financial system.