Peoples Savings Bank
Encyclopedia
The Peoples Savings Bank, located at 101 3rd Avenue, SW, Cedar Rapids, Iowa
, was designed by Louis Sullivan
. It was built in 1911 and has been listed on the National Register of Historic Places
since 1978.
The prominent architectural critic Montgomery Schuyler
said of it at the time that, "The building is thus clearly designed from within outward. The exterior is the envelope of the interior reduced to its very simplest expression." (Wilson and Robinson)
The bricks for the exterior of the building were produced in 15 different shades, producing, as Sullivan remarked, "the effect of an antique Oriental rug." The interior of the building includes clerestory walls of glass with murals by Allen Philbrick depicting life in rural Iowa.
This bank was the last commission that George Elmslie assisted Sullivan on. Shortly after its completion Elmslie joined the Minnesota partnership of Purcell & Feick
, the new firm being named Purcell, Feick & Elmslie.
Peoples Bank was purchased around 1989 by Minneapolis-based Norwest
, which a few years later acquired Wells Fargo
and took on its name. The Third Avenue building continued to serve as the Cedar Rapids/Marion area's main Wells Fargo branch, but because of its proximity to the Cedar River, it was impacted by the Great Iowa Flood of 2008. As such, the main bank is currently closed. Wells Fargo's Web site says the adjacent motor bank is operating, however.
Cedar Rapids, Iowa
Cedar Rapids is the second largest city in Iowa and is the county seat of Linn County. The city lies on both banks of the Cedar River, north of Iowa City and east of Des Moines, the state's capital and largest city...
, was designed by Louis Sullivan
Louis Sullivan
Louis Henri Sullivan was an American architect, and has been called the "father of skyscrapers" and "father of modernism" He is considered by many as the creator of the modern skyscraper, was an influential architect and critic of the Chicago School, was a mentor to Frank Lloyd Wright, and an...
. It was built in 1911 and has been listed on the National Register of Historic Places
National Register of Historic Places
The National Register of Historic Places is the United States government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures, and objects deemed worthy of preservation...
since 1978.
History
Sullivan's initial design was completed in the summer of 1909 but was rejected by the bank as being too expensive. The following year his Cedar Rapids clients, spearheaded by the bank Vice-President Fred Shaver (whom local Cedar Rapids tradition has Sullivan designing a remodeling of his residence), continued their negotiations with him and an agreement was reached. Sullivan began this study of the bank and its functions beginning with the large banking room and working out from there while reducing the cost of the structure by cutting back on the terra cotta ornamentation. The building was finished in 1912.The prominent architectural critic Montgomery Schuyler
Montgomery Schuyler
Montgomery Schuyler, AIA, was a highly influential critic, journalist and editorial writer in New York City who wrote about and influenced art, literature, music and architecture during the city's "Gilded Age." He was active as a journalist for over forty years but is principally noted as a highly...
said of it at the time that, "The building is thus clearly designed from within outward. The exterior is the envelope of the interior reduced to its very simplest expression." (Wilson and Robinson)
The bricks for the exterior of the building were produced in 15 different shades, producing, as Sullivan remarked, "the effect of an antique Oriental rug." The interior of the building includes clerestory walls of glass with murals by Allen Philbrick depicting life in rural Iowa.
This bank was the last commission that George Elmslie assisted Sullivan on. Shortly after its completion Elmslie joined the Minnesota partnership of Purcell & Feick
Purcell & Elmslie
The American progressive architectural practice most widely known as Purcell & Elmslie was the second most commissioned firm of the Prairie School after Frank Lloyd Wright...
, the new firm being named Purcell, Feick & Elmslie.
Peoples Bank was purchased around 1989 by Minneapolis-based Norwest
Norwest
Norwest Corporation was a banking and financial services company based in Minneapolis, Minnesota, United States. In 1998, it merged with Wells Fargo & Co. and since that time has traded under the Wells Fargo name.-Early formation:...
, which a few years later acquired Wells Fargo
Wells Fargo
Wells Fargo & Company is an American multinational diversified financial services company with operations around the world. Wells Fargo is the fourth largest bank in the U.S. by assets and the largest bank by market capitalization. Wells Fargo is the second largest bank in deposits, home...
and took on its name. The Third Avenue building continued to serve as the Cedar Rapids/Marion area's main Wells Fargo branch, but because of its proximity to the Cedar River, it was impacted by the Great Iowa Flood of 2008. As such, the main bank is currently closed. Wells Fargo's Web site says the adjacent motor bank is operating, however.
Other Louis Sullivan "jewel boxes"
- Farmers and Merchants BankFarmers and Merchants Union Bank (Columbus, Wisconsin)The Farmers and Merchants Union Bank in Columbus, Wisconsin, also known as Farmers' and Merchants' Union Bank, is the last of eight "jewel box" banks designed by Louis Sullivan, and the next to last of those being constructed....
, ColumbusColumbus, WisconsinColumbus is a city in Columbia and Dodge Counties in the south-central part of the U.S. state of Wisconsin. The population was 4,991 at the 2010 census. Columbus is located about northeast of Madison on the Crawfish River. It is part of the Madison Metropolitan Statistical Area...
, WisconsinWisconsinWisconsin is a U.S. state located in the north-central United States and is part of the Midwest. It is bordered by Minnesota to the west, Iowa to the southwest, Illinois to the south, Lake Michigan to the east, Michigan to the northeast, and Lake Superior to the north. Wisconsin's capital is...
(1919) - Henry Adams BuildingHenry Adams BuildingThe Henry Adams Building , located in Algona, Iowa, was designed by Louis Sullivan in 1912....
, Algona, IowaAlgona, IowaAlgona is a city in and the county seat of Kossuth County, Iowa, United States. The population was 5,741 at the 2000 census. Ambrose A. Call State Park is located two miles southwest of the city.-History:...
(1913) - Home Building Association CompanyHome Building Association CompanyThe Home Building Association Bank is a historic building located at 6 West Main Street in Newark, Ohio, and was designed by noted Chicago architect Louis Sullivan. It was one of three banks designed by Sullivan in 1914, the other two being in Grinnell, Iowa and in West Lafayette, Indiana...
, NewarkNewark, OhioIn addition, the remains of a road leading south from the Octagon have been documented and explored. It was first surveyed in the 19th century, when its walls were more apparent. Called the Great Hopewell Road, it may extend to the Hopewell complex at Chillicothe, Ohio...
, OhioOhioOhio is a Midwestern state in the United States. The 34th largest state by area in the U.S.,it is the 7th‑most populous with over 11.5 million residents, containing several major American cities and seven metropolitan areas with populations of 500,000 or more.The state's capital is Columbus...
(1914) - Merchants' National BankMerchants' National BankMerchants' National Bank building is located at 833 Fourth Avenue in Grinnell, Iowa. It is one of a series of small banks designed by Louis Sullivan in the Midwest between 1909 and 1919. All of the banks are built of brick and for this structure he employed various shades of brick, ranging in...
, Grinnell, IowaGrinnell, IowaGrinnell is a city in Poweshiek County, Iowa, United States. The population was 9,218 at the 2010 census. Grinnell was named after Josiah Bushnell Grinnell and is the home of Grinnell College.- History :...
(1914) - National Farmer's BankNational Farmer's Bank of OwatonnaThe National Farmers' Bank of Owatonna, Minnesota is a bank building designed by Louis Sullivan with decorative elements by George Elmslie. It was built in 1908, and was the first of Sullivan's "jewel boxes". The building is clad in red brick with green terra cotta bands, and features two large...
, OwatonnaOwatonna, MinnesotaOwatonna is a city in Steele County, Minnesota, United States. The population was 25,599 at the 2010 census. It is the county seat of Steele County. Owatonna is home to the Steele County Fairgrounds, which hosts the Steele County Free Fair in August....
, MinnesotaMinnesotaMinnesota is a U.S. state located in the Midwestern United States. The twelfth largest state of the U.S., it is the twenty-first most populous, with 5.3 million residents. Minnesota was carved out of the eastern half of the Minnesota Territory and admitted to the Union as the thirty-second state...
(1908) - People's Federal Savings and Loan AssociationPeople's Federal Savings and Loan AssociationThe People's Federal Savings and Loan Association in Sidney is an early-modern building in western Ohio, designed by Chicago architect Louis Sullivan, the mentor of Frank Lloyd Wright. It was designed and built in 1917 for use by Peoples Federal Savings and Loan Association, which still operates...
, Sidney, OhioSidney, OhioSidney is a city in Shelby County, Ohio, United States. The population was 20,211 at the 2000 census. It is named after English poet Sir Phillip Sidney and is the county seat of Shelby County.Sidney was the recipient of the 1964 All-America City Award...
(1918) - Purdue State BankPurdue State BankIn 1914 the Purdue State Bank, the smallest and least expensive of architect Louis Sullivan's "Jewel Boxes" was completed in West Lafayette, Indiana, United States. Built on a tiny, triangular shaped lot the building makes the most of the small space alloted to it...
, West LafayetteWest Lafayette, IndianaAs of the census of 2010, there were 29,596 people, 12,591 households, and 3,588 families residing in the city. The population density was 5,381.1 people per square mile . The racial makeup of the city was 74.3% White, 17.3% Asian, 2.7% African American, 0.16% Native American, 0.03% Pacific...
, IndianaIndianaIndiana is a US state, admitted to the United States as the 19th on December 11, 1816. It is located in the Midwestern United States and Great Lakes Region. With 6,483,802 residents, the state is ranked 15th in population and 16th in population density. Indiana is ranked 38th in land area and is...
(1914)
Further reading
- Elia, Mario Manieri, Louis Henry Sullivan, Princeton Architectural Press, Princeton NY, 1996
- Gebhard, David & Gerald Mansheim, Building of Iowa, Oxford University Press, New York, 1993
- Kvaran, Einar Einarsson, The Louis Sullivan Pilgrimage, unpublished manuscript
- Twombly, Robert, Louis Sullivan: His Life and Work, Elizabeth Sifton Books - Viking, New York, 1986
- Wilson, Richard Guy and Sidney K. Robinson, The Prairie School in Iowa, Iowa State University Press, Ames, Iowa, 1977