First National Bank is a historic building located in downtown

Ottumwa, Iowa Ottumwa ( ) is a List of cities in Iowa, city in and the county seat of Wapello County, Iowa, United States. The population was 25,529 at the time of the 2020 United States census, 2020 U.S. Census. Located in the state's southeastern section, th ...

, United States. It is significant for its architectural design and its use of

terra cotta Terracotta, also known as terra cotta or terra-cotta (; ; ), is a clay-based Vitrification#Ceramics, non-vitreous ceramicOED, "Terracotta""Terracotta" MFA Boston, "Cameo" database fired at relatively low temperatures. It is therefore a term used ...

for the exterior, the only bank in town so clad. with

Chicago Chicago is the List of municipalities in Illinois, most populous city in the U.S. state of Illinois and in the Midwestern United States. With a population of 2,746,388, as of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, it is the List of Unite ...

architect H. H. Stoddard designed the building in the Neoclassical style. It was built by the Blackhawk Construction Company in 1915. The building replaced the original 1868 bank building rebuilt after a fire in 1881, also at this location. The two-story structure features a

pediment Pediments are a form of gable in classical architecture, usually of a triangular shape. Pediments are placed above the horizontal structure of the cornice (an elaborated lintel), or entablature if supported by columns.Summerson, 130 In an ...

and two columns flanking the main entrance. The exterior is composed entirely of cream colored terra cotta.

Dentil A dentil (from Lat. ''dens'', a tooth) is a small block used as a repeating ornament in the bedmould of a cornice. Dentils are found in ancient Greek and Roman architecture, and also in later styles such as Neoclassical, Federal, Georgian Rev ...

ornamentation is found across the top of the building. Initially, the building was a single story with ceilings, but it was altered to its present form in 1956. The glass wall of the main facade was also added at that time. The building was listed on the

National Register of Historic Places The National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) is the Federal government of the United States, United States federal government's official United States National Register of Historic Places listings, list of sites, buildings, structures, Hist ...

in 1995.

References

Commercial buildings completed in 1915 Neoclassical architecture in Iowa Buildings and structures in Ottumwa, Iowa Bank buildings on the National Register of Historic Places in Iowa National Register of Historic Places in Wapello County, Iowa 1915 establishments in Iowa {{Iowa-struct-stub