Then and Now: The Hibbs/Folger Building
Left: The Hibbs Building at 725 15th Street, NW, ca. 1920-1950. Image from the Library of Congress. Right: The Folger Building, today. Photo by the author.
When the Hibbs Building was nearing completion in June, 1907, construction was advancing at a record pace to finish within ten months. Designed by Bruce, Price & de Sibour, architects, for William B. Hibbs, the lower portion of the building was set aside for W. B. Hibbs & Co. and contained a banking room in the front and a stock trading room in the rear section. The architects set aside the upper floors for their Washington headquarters.
The building was designed in the French renaissance style of the day and built of white marble upon a steel frame. As such, the building was considered fireproof. Upon completion, the total cost of the building was estimated to exceed $250,000.
Today, the building has been renamed the Folger Building to reflect the current name of the investment firm that was created when W. B. Hibbs & Co. combined with Folger, Nolan in 1953. Folger, Nolan, Fleming, Douglas, Inc. is among Washington’s oldest major investment houses.