Savoyard Centre
Encyclopedia
Savoyard Centre also known as State Savings Bank, is an office building at 151 Fort Street in Detroit
, Michigan
. It was designated a Michigan State Historic Site in 1981 and listed on the National Register of Historic Places
in 1982. Another historic marker erected November 13, 1964, also notes that the site was previously occupied by Fort Lernoult. On July 11, 1796, in compliance with the terms of the Treaty of Paris
ending the American Revolutionary War
, British troops evacuated their last post in United States territory.
to design the Neo-Classical bank. The interior and exterior walls are white marble. The main entrance is in a recessed portico and framed by two Ionic
columns 28 ft (8.5 m) tall and weighing 56000 lb (25,401.2 kg). Above the entry is a cartouche bearing the Michigan Coat of Arms
flanked by two figures representing Industry and Commerce.
In 1907, the State Savings Bank merged with the People's Savings Bank to form the People's State Bank, requiring a larger building. The original structure faced Fort Street, but extended only 138 ft (42.1 m) in depth.
In 1914, the bank hired Donaldson and Meier
to design an addition to the building. The resulting structure doubled the original size by extending the building to Congress Street. The addition is nearly indistinguishable from the original.
The two-story main banking room in the interior is surrounded by arched colonnades. The colonnades are divided by Ionic pilasters. The second floor occupies the upper portions of the arches and frosted glass allows light to pass between the spaces. The coffered ceiling is molded plaster and is slightly more ornate in the 1898 portion of the building. The main vault stood at the rear of the original structure and the 1914 addition placed it in the middle of the banking floor. In the archway over the Congress Street entry is a mural by American artist Thomas Wilmer Dewing. It is an allegorical representation of the City of Detroit flanked by Commerce and Agriculture. The painting was completed in 1900 and placed in its present position after the structure was expanded in 1914.
The bank again merged in 1927 to become the Peoples Wayne County Bank, but disappeared in the financial failures of the Great Depression
. Afterward, the headquarters of Edsel Ford
's Manufacturer's National Bank occupied the building. In the 1960s, a pedestrian bridge was constructed across Shelby Street to connect the two buildings then occupied by Manufacturer's Bank. The building was continuously used as a bank until the 1980s, when it became an office supply showroom.
The structure was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1982.
Detroit, Michigan
Detroit is the major city among the primary cultural, financial, and transportation centers in the Metro Detroit area, a region of 5.2 million people. As the seat of Wayne County, the city of Detroit is the largest city in the U.S. state of Michigan and serves as a major port on the Detroit River...
, Michigan
Michigan
Michigan is a U.S. state located in the Great Lakes Region of the United States of America. The name Michigan is the French form of the Ojibwa word mishigamaa, meaning "large water" or "large lake"....
. It was designated a Michigan State Historic Site in 1981 and 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...
in 1982. Another historic marker erected November 13, 1964, also notes that the site was previously occupied by Fort Lernoult. On July 11, 1796, in compliance with the terms of the Treaty of Paris
Treaty of Paris (1783)
The Treaty of Paris, signed on September 3, 1783, ended the American Revolutionary War between Great Britain on the one hand and the United States of America and its allies on the other. The other combatant nations, France, Spain and the Dutch Republic had separate agreements; for details of...
ending the American Revolutionary War
American Revolutionary War
The American Revolutionary War , the American War of Independence, or simply the Revolutionary War, began as a war between the Kingdom of Great Britain and thirteen British colonies in North America, and ended in a global war between several European great powers.The war was the result of the...
, British troops evacuated their last post in United States territory.
History
The State Savings Bank was organized in 1883, and purchased the site at the corner of Fort and Shelby in 1898, by which time it was the largest bank in Detroit. They commissioned the prominent architect Stanford WhiteStanford White
Stanford White was an American architect and partner in the architectural firm of McKim, Mead & White, the frontrunner among Beaux-Arts firms. He designed a long series of houses for the rich and the very rich, and various public, institutional, and religious buildings, some of which can be found...
to design the Neo-Classical bank. The interior and exterior walls are white marble. The main entrance is in a recessed portico and framed by two Ionic
Ionic order
The Ionic order forms one of the three orders or organizational systems of classical architecture, the other two canonic orders being the Doric and the Corinthian...
columns 28 ft (8.5 m) tall and weighing 56000 lb (25,401.2 kg). Above the entry is a cartouche bearing the Michigan Coat of Arms
Seal of Michigan
The Great Seal of the State of Michigan depicts the coat of arms of the U.S. state of Michigan on a light blue field. On the dark blue shield the sun rises over a lake and peninsula, a man holding a long gun with a raised hand represents peace and the ability to defend his rights...
flanked by two figures representing Industry and Commerce.
In 1907, the State Savings Bank merged with the People's Savings Bank to form the People's State Bank, requiring a larger building. The original structure faced Fort Street, but extended only 138 ft (42.1 m) in depth.
In 1914, the bank hired Donaldson and Meier
Donaldson and Meier
Donaldson and Meier was an architectural firm based in Detroit, Michigan. Founded in 1880 by John Donaldson and Henry J. Meier the firm produced a large and varied number of commissions in Detroit and southeastern Michigan...
to design an addition to the building. The resulting structure doubled the original size by extending the building to Congress Street. The addition is nearly indistinguishable from the original.
The two-story main banking room in the interior is surrounded by arched colonnades. The colonnades are divided by Ionic pilasters. The second floor occupies the upper portions of the arches and frosted glass allows light to pass between the spaces. The coffered ceiling is molded plaster and is slightly more ornate in the 1898 portion of the building. The main vault stood at the rear of the original structure and the 1914 addition placed it in the middle of the banking floor. In the archway over the Congress Street entry is a mural by American artist Thomas Wilmer Dewing. It is an allegorical representation of the City of Detroit flanked by Commerce and Agriculture. The painting was completed in 1900 and placed in its present position after the structure was expanded in 1914.
The bank again merged in 1927 to become the Peoples Wayne County Bank, but disappeared in the financial failures of the Great Depression
Great Depression
The Great Depression was a severe worldwide economic depression in the decade preceding World War II. The timing of the Great Depression varied across nations, but in most countries it started in about 1929 and lasted until the late 1930s or early 1940s...
. Afterward, the headquarters of Edsel Ford
Edsel Ford
Edsel Bryant Ford , son of Henry Ford, was born in Detroit, Michigan, USA. He was president of Ford Motor Company from 1919 until his death in 1943.-Life and career:...
's Manufacturer's National Bank occupied the building. In the 1960s, a pedestrian bridge was constructed across Shelby Street to connect the two buildings then occupied by Manufacturer's Bank. The building was continuously used as a bank until the 1980s, when it became an office supply showroom.
The structure was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1982.