The Savings Bank Building is a commercial building located at 101 South Front Street in Marquette, Michigan. It is also known as the Marquette County Savings Bank. The building was designated a Michigan State Historic Site in 1976[2] and listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1978.[1]
Savings Bank Building | |
 | |
| Location | 101 S. Front St., Marquette, Michigan |
|---|---|
| Coordinates | 46°32′35″N 87°23′33″W / 46.54306°N 87.39250°W |
| Built | 1891 |
| Built by | Noble & Benson |
| Architect | Barber & Barber |
| NRHP reference No. | 78001507[1] |
| Significant dates | |
| Added to NRHP | September 13, 1978 |
| Designated MSHS | June 18, 1976[2] |
Description edit
The Marquette County Savings Bank is a steel-frame, flat-roofed, rectangular building with a five-story front facade and seven-story rear.[2] The structure is faced with ashlar on the lower two levels and red brick on the upper five.[2] The front facade has a central recessed bay, with a one-story entrance flanked with granite columns at the bottom and gable at the top.[2] Above the entrance are stone panels decorated with a foliage design.[3] Surrounding the central bay are two semi-circular bays at each corner; the streetcorner bay is topped by a clock tower with copper roof.[2]
Inside, the elevator, stairs, and lavatories are located on the south side of the building to deaden the sound of ore cars that once rumbled through town.[3] The basement and subbasement held the janitor and boiler room, a barbershop, and safety deposit boxes.[3] On the upper floors, offices were accessed via a central hallway.[3] The interior construction was of iron, steel, and tiling to resist fire; the only combustible building materials used were oak flooring and window and door casings.[3]
History and significance edit
The Marquette County Savings Bank was founded in 1890 by Nathan M. Kaufman, along with other prominent Marquette businessmen.[3] The bank grew rapidly,[4] and within four months directors made plans to move from their temporary headquarters and construct a new bank building.[3] The lot at the corner of Front and Washington was purchased in January 1891.[3] The new building was designed by the architectural firm of Barber and Barber and built in 1892 by Noble and Benson for a cost of $174,000.[2]
The structure reflects the importance of late 19th century Marquette as an iron shipping port.[2] Although there were originally balconies,[4] the building is substantially intact, and is currently used as office space.[2]
Gallery edit
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Detail over door -
Front Street around 1909. The Marquette County Savings Bank Building is in the middleground at right
See also edit
References edit
- ^ a b "National Register Information System". National Register of Historic Places. National Park Service. March 13, 2009.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i "Marquette County Savings Bank". Historic Sites Online. Michigan State Housing Development Authority. Retrieved November 25, 2009.
- ^ a b c d e f g h Eckert, Kathryn Bishop (2000). The Sandstone Architecture of the Lake Superior Region. Detroit: Wayne State University Press. pp. 122–126. ISBN 0-8143-2807-5.
- ^ a b Downs, Michael C. (1999). Marquette. Arcadia Publishing. p. 40. ISBN 0-7385-0056-9.
