Mellon Bank

In the bank

Thomas Mellon established his bank on 1 January 1870 at Smithfield Street in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.

Thomas was born in County Tyrone. He emigrated to Pennsylvania in 1816 with his parents and worked in farming until he had enough money to pay for his education. He trained as a lawyer and went on to found the Mellon Bank in the United States of America.

His first Mellon Bank building was only occupied for one and a halfyears until it moved to downtown Pittsburgh. The front of this building is based on an artist’s impression painted in 1910. The style of this building is earlier than this date, indicating that it was not purpose-built to house the bank.

The Mellon House, Thomas’s birthplace and childhood home, is on its original site at the Ulster American Folk Park.

Take a look at he heavy grills on the windows and the counter to deter robbers. The wood burning stove provided heat.