Second Bank of the United States

This marvel of Greek Revival architecture, designed by noted architect William Strickland, houses a permanent collection of over 150 portraits of the founders by such noted artists as Charles Willson Peale and Thomas Sully. Originally chartered by Congress in 1816, the Second Bank of the United Sta ... tes played a pivotal role in the “bank wars,” which pitted President Andrew Jackson against powerful bank president Nicholas Biddle. President Jackson declined to renew the Bank’s charter in 1836. The building later served as a Custom House before becoming a Portrait Gallery.