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While the bank housed in the structure and its location, the small town of
Grinnell did not warrant national attention. Yet the unveiling of the Louis Sullivan building was given national coverage in the architectural press of the day. The Merchants' Bank was thus featured in an eleven-page spread
316:
In the 1970s or early 1980s, a city beautification project sponsored the planting of several trees in front of the bank. Gebhard calls this an "unbelievable decision" for the growing plants would obscure more and more of the amazing facade. These plantings can be easily seen in the gallery
274:
that surrounds a circular window on the Fourth Street facade. Light is introduced into the interior by a series of stained glass windows that alternate with structural posts down the side of the building and through the colored glass skylight that comprises much of the ceiling.
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In 2007, the city remodeled its downtown sidewalks and streets so the intersections of the square had the "Jewelbox" appearance to them. The city also put
Planters at the four corners of the crossings which have the "Jewelbox" engraved in them.
231:
between 1909 and 1919. All of the banks are built of brick and for this structure he employed various shades of brick, ranging in color from blue-black to golden brown, giving it an overall reddish brown appearance. It was declared a
294:, Ohio, Sullivan used lions, or at least a grotesque, winged version of a lion, as figurative decoration. This creature is one of the very few figurative elements that can be found in the architect's designs. (The angels in his
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684:"National Register of Historic Places Inventory-Nomination: Merchants' National Bank / Poweshiek County National Bank"
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Merchants' National Bank was built in 1914 and had its grand opening on
January the first, in 1915, along with the
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Between 2008 and 2009, one of the lions in front of the building was damaged. Both lions have now been replaced.
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Structurally the building is a rectangular box, with a magnificent main facade and a windowed side facade.
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Individually listed contributing properties to historic districts on the
National Register in Iowa
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Some of the plans and even the designs of the ornament were done by
Sullivan's draftsman
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This article is about the bank building in
Grinnell, Iowa. For other uses, see
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banks, it appears just as monumental. This is due largely to the oversized
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National
Register of Historic Places listings in Poweshiek County, Iowa
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National
Register of Historic Places listings in Poweshiek County, Iowa
341:
Merchants
National Bank entrance with gold winged lions, Grinnell, IA
493:
455:
881:
Chicago, Rock Island and
Pacific Railroad-Grinnell Passenger Station
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Accompanying 7 photos, exterior and interior, from 1978 and undated.
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Bank buildings on the National Register of Historic Places in Iowa
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pictures, taken in 1985. These trees were removed as of 2013.
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National Register of Historic Places in Poweshiek County, Iowa
784:. The American Architect. January–June 1916. pp. 246–247.
385:
78:
563:
The Prairie School: Frank Lloyd Wright and His Contemporaries
219:(1914) building is a historic commercial building located in
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479:
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in 1976 for its architecture. In 1991, it was listed as a
309:, who was shortly thereafter to fall victim to the 1918
565:, University of Toronto Press, Toronto, Ontario, 1972
758:. Pomegranate Communications, Inc. 2007. p. 1.
572:, Princeton Architectural Press, Princeton NY, 1996
223:. It is one of a series of small banks designed by
160:
Late 19th And Early 20th Century American Movements
1534:Buildings and structures in Poweshiek County, Iowa
262:Although this building is smaller than either his
600:, Elizabeth Sifton Books - Viking, New York, 1986
1510:
1443:Tall: The American Skyscraper and Louis Sullivan
781:American Architect and Architecture, Volume 109
607:, Iowa State University Press, Ames, Iowa, 1977
591:Louis Sullivan: Prophet of Modern Architecture
1300:People's Federal Savings and Loan Association
1040:
807:
681:
500:People's Federal Savings and Loan Association
603:Wilson, Richard Guy and Sidney K. Robinson,
1016:List of National Historic Landmarks in Iowa
886:Farmers Mutual Reinsurance Company Building
545:List of National Historic Landmarks in Iowa
1047:
1033:
814:
800:
657:National Historic Landmark summary listing
593:, W.W. Norton and Company, New York, 1963
247:
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1160:Carson, Pirie, Scott and Company Building
579:, Oxford University Press, New York, 1993
44:U.S. National Register of Historic Places
756:Louis Sullivan's Merchants National Bank
647:
645:
731:"Grinnell Historic Commercial District"
675:
659:. National Park Service. Archived from
256:in Indiana, also designed by Sullivan.
1519:Commercial buildings completed in 1914
1511:
1492:
916:E.A. and Rebecca (Johnson) Marsh House
626:"National Register Information System"
575:Gebhard, David & Gerald Mansheim,
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901:Grinnell Historic Commercial District
795:
728:
642:
242:Grinnell Historic Commercial District
169:Grinnell Historic Commercial District
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988:Montezuma Downtown Historic District
823:National Register of Historic Places
631:National Register of Historic Places
1529:National Historic Landmarks in Iowa
936:Pioneer Oil Company Filling Station
911:Interior Telephone Company Building
876:Bowers and McDonald Office Building
722:
618:
13:
1292:National Farmer's Bank of Owatonna
1054:
442:Other Louis Sullivan "jewel boxes"
14:
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598:Louis Sullivan: His Life and Work
472:Home Building Association Company
1549:Art Nouveau commercial buildings
1544:Art Nouveau architecture in Iowa
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1324:St. Paul United Methodist Church
1212:Farmers and Merchants Union Bank
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931:North Grinnell Historic District
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429:
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1244:Holy Trinity Orthodox Cathedral
1144:Chicago Stock Exchange Building
946:Spaulding Manufacturing Company
66:U.S. National Historic Landmark
1252:Home Building Association Bank
1136:Prudential (Guaranty) Building
846:Kent Union Chapel and Cemetery
772:
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181:
1:
611:
584:The Louis Sullivan Pilgrimage
1128:Union Trust Company Building
1079:Auditorium Building, Chicago
25:United States historic place
7:
998:Poweshiek County Courthouse
682:Carolyn Pitts (July 1975).
538:
10:
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1393:(1887–2006, A&S)
1385:(1891–2006, A&S)
1377:(1891–1961, A&S)
1063:Adler & Sullivan works
653:"Merchants' National Bank"
605:The Prairie School in Iowa
555:
448:Farmers and Merchants Bank
286:As he did in his banks in
283:'s February 1916 edition.
234:National Historic Landmark
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180:NRHP reference
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1524:Louis Sullivan buildings
1284:Merchants' National Bank
951:Charles H. Spencer House
926:Merchants' National Bank
896:Grinnell Herald Building
689:. National Park Service.
586:, unpublished manuscript
217:Merchants' National Bank
157:Architectural style
152:; Stewart-Robison-Laffan
83:Merchants' National Bank
36:Merchants' National Bank
1367:Louis Sullivan Bungalow
1152:Bayard–Condict Building
1096:Carrie Eliza Getty Tomb
993:New Carroll House Hotel
302:being other examples.)
300:Bayard-Condict Building
296:Transportation Building
248:Description and history
122:41.74333°N 92.7243750°W
18:Merchants National Bank
1383:Pilgrim Baptist Church
1204:Pilgrim Baptist Church
1120:Bellefontaine Cemetery
906:Levi P. Grinnell House
827:Poweshiek County, Iowa
702:Cite journal requires
486:National Farmer's Bank
53:U.S. Historic district
1452:Form follows function
735:National Park Service
636:National Park Service
568:Elia, Mario Manieri,
281:The Western Architect
238:contributing property
127:41.74333; -92.7243750
57:Contributing property
1410:Adler & Sullivan
1308:Peoples Savings Bank
1220:Gage Group Buildings
851:William Manatt House
570:Louis Henry Sullivan
510:Peoples Savings Bank
462:Henry Adams Building
412:Sign over side door.
1104:Wainwright Building
1071:Martin Ryerson Tomb
663:on October 13, 2006
638:. January 23, 2007.
400:Detail of cartouche
379:Over front entrance
118: /
1369:(1890s–2005)
1332:Van Allen Building
1276:McVicker's Theater
1268:Krause Music Store
1087:Auditorium Theatre
972:P.P. Raymond House
561:Brooks, H. Allen,
206:Designated CP
92:833 Fourth Avenue,
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1361:(1891–1965)
1353:(1892–1954)
1316:Purdue State Bank
1260:Jewelers Building
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941:B.J. Ricker House
596:Twombly, Robert,
524:Purdue State Bank
254:Purdue State Bank
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193:Significant dates
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589:Morrison, Hugh,
577:Building of Iowa
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1375:Garrick Theater
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1112:Wainwright Tomb
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956:Stewart Library
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307:Parker N. Berry
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209:January 7, 1976
201:January 7, 1976
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1559:Grinnell, Iowa
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1343:Lost buildings
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1180:Sullivan works
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718:(1.73 MB)
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221:Grinnell, Iowa
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113:92°43′27.75″W
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1402:Affiliations
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891:Goodnow Hall
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738:. Retrieved
724:
695:cite journal
677:
665:. Retrieved
661:the original
656:
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514:Cedar Rapids
504:Sidney, Ohio
466:Algona, Iowa
424:Door molding
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288:Cedar Rapids
285:
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268:Cedar Rapids
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216:
214:
22:
1359:Dooly Block
729:W.C. Page.
667:October 10,
353:Main facade
311:Spanish flu
125: /
101:Coordinates
1513:Categories
921:Mears Hall
612:References
313:epidemic.
173:ID91000384
110:41°44′36″N
1497:Wikiquote
1130:(1892-93)
1009:See also:
981:Montezuma
740:April 16,
494:Minnesota
456:Wisconsin
366:Cartouche
272:cartouche
146:Architect
1473:Category
869:Grinnell
834:Brooklyn
539:See also
490:Owatonna
452:Columbus
298:and the
264:Owatonna
187:76000804
89:Location
1485:Commons
556:Sources
532:Indiana
436:windows
240:in the
229:Midwest
227:in the
165:Part of
1334:(1913)
1326:(1914)
1318:(1914)
1310:(1911)
1302:(1917)
1294:(1908)
1286:(1914)
1278:(1891)
1270:(1922)
1262:(1882)
1254:(1914)
1246:(1903)
1238:(1913)
1230:(1883)
1222:(1898)
1214:(1919)
1206:(1890)
1198:(1892)
1190:(1909)
1162:(1899)
1154:(1899)
1146:(1894)
1138:(1894)
1122:(1892)
1114:(1892)
1106:(1890)
1098:(1890)
1081:(1889)
1073:(1897)
965:Malcom
762:
716:
534:(1914)
520:(1912)
506:(1918)
496:(1908)
482:(1914)
476:Newark
468:(1913)
458:(1919)
328:Images
292:Sidney
1427:Other
687:(pdf)
138:Built
1014:and
760:ISBN
742:2016
712:and
708:help
669:2007
518:Iowa
480:Ohio
290:and
215:The
141:1914
825:in
279:in
266:or
182:No.
1515::
733:.
699::
697:}}
693:{{
655:.
644:^
634:.
628:.
530:,
526:,
516:,
512:,
502:,
492:,
488:,
478:,
474:,
464:,
454:,
450:,
244:.
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1048:e
1041:t
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808:t
801:v
768:.
744:.
710:)
706:(
671:.
175:)
171:(
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