The National Farmers' Bank of
Owatonna, Minnesota
Owatonna ( ) is a city in and the county seat of Steele County, Minnesota, United States. The population was 26,420 at the 2020 United States census, 2020 census. Owatonna is home to the Steele County Fairgrounds, which hosts the Steele County F ...
, United States, is a historic bank building designed by
Louis Sullivan
Louis Henry Sullivan (September 3, 1856 – April 14, 1924) was an American architect, and has been called a "father of skyscrapers" and "father of modernism". He was an influential architect of the Chicago school (architecture), Chicago ...
, with decorative elements by
George Elmslie.
History
It was built in 1908, and was the first of Sullivan's "jewel box" bank designs. The building is clad in red brick with green
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 ...
bands, and features two large arches on its street-facing facades. Single-story wings, originally housing bank offices, extend along each side. Internal elements include two
stained-glass
Stained glass refers to coloured glass as a material or art and architectural works created from it. Although it is traditionally made in flat panels and used as windows, the creations of modern stained glass artists also include three-dimensio ...
windows designed by
Louis J. Millet, a
mural
A mural is any piece of Graphic arts, graphic artwork that is painted or applied directly to a wall, ceiling or other permanent substrate. Mural techniques include fresco, mosaic, graffiti and marouflage.
Word mural in art
The word ''mural'' ...
by
Oskar Gross, and four immense cast iron
electrolier
Electrolier is a light fixture that holds electric lamps. Normally, the term designates an elaborate light fixture suspended from above, such as a large, multi-bulb pendant light. Additionally, the term is used by architects in the United S ...
s designed by Elmslie and cast by Winslow Brothers Company.
[ and ]
The officers of the National Farmers' Bank sought Sullivan out, in part because they wanted a fresh idea of a bank building that would suit their specific needs, and they felt that conventional bank architecture of the time would not meet those. The building Sullivan designed included a farmers' exchange room, where its clients might do business with each other, a women's consultation room, a conference room for the bank board, and the president's office. All of these rooms were richly decorated, with custom furniture.
The bank was remodeled in 1940, and many of the interior architectural elements were destroyed. Subsequent work in 1958 and from 1976 to 1981 restored it to its original grandeur. On January 7, 1976, it was recognized as a
National Historic Landmark
A National Historic Landmark (NHL) is a National Register of Historic Places property types, building, district, object, site, or structure that is officially recognized by the Federal government of the United States, United States government f ...
for its architectural significance.
The building now houses a branch of the
Wells Fargo
Wells Fargo & Company is an American multinational financial services company with a significant global presence. The company operates in 35 countries and serves over 70 million customers worldwide. It is a systemically important fi ...
bank. It is also a
contributing property
In the law regulating historic districts in the United States, a contributing property or contributing resource is any building, object, or structure which adds to the historical integrity or architectural qualities that make the historic dist ...
to the
Owatonna Commercial Historic District.
In 1981 the bank was featured on a block of four stamps paying tribute to American architects.
Images
Image:WestFaceDetail.jpg, West elevation detail
Image:LSOwatannaBank1.jpg, Cartouche
Image:LSOwatannaBank3.jpg, Cartouche detail
Image:LSOwatannaBank2.jpg, Exterior terra cotta
File:Electrolier-National FarmersBank-Owatonna-1910.jpg, Electrolier
See also
*
List of National Historic Landmarks in Minnesota
This is a complete List of National Historic Landmarks in Minnesota. The United States National Historic Landmark program is operated under the auspices of the National Park Service, and recognizes structures, districts, objects, and similar reso ...
*
References
Further reading
*
Millett, Larry. ''The curve of the arch: The story of Louis Sullivan's Owatonna Bank'' (1985).
Minnesota Historical Society Press
The Minnesota Historical Society (MNHS) is a Nonprofit organization, nonprofit Educational institution, educational and cultural institution dedicated to preserving the history of the U.S. state of Minnesota. It was founded by the Minnesota Terr ...
.
*
External links
"Why a Minnesota bank building ranks among the nation’s most significant architecture" ''
PBS NewsHour
''PBS News Hour'', previously stylized as ''PBS NewsHour'', is the news division of PBS and an American daily evening news broadcasting#television, television news program broadcast on over 350 PBS Network affiliate#Member stations, member stat ...
'', June 15, 2022.
Minnesota Public Radio: Louis Sullivan's Owatonna BankNHL summary
{{DEFAULTSORT:National Farmers Bank Of Owatonna
1908 establishments in Minnesota
Art Nouveau architecture in Minnesota
Art Nouveau commercial buildings
Bank buildings on the National Register of Historic Places in Minnesota
Buildings and structures in Steele County, Minnesota
Commercial buildings completed in 1908
Individually listed contributing properties to historic districts on the National Register in Minnesota
Louis Sullivan buildings
National Historic Landmarks in Minnesota
National Register of Historic Places in Steele County, Minnesota
Wells Fargo buildings