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Savings Bank Building

Coordinates: 46°32′35″N 87°23′33″W / 46.54306°N 87.39250°W / 46.54306; -87.39250
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Savings Bank Building
Location101 S. Front St., Marquette, Michigan
Coordinates46°32′35″N 87°23′33″W / 46.54306°N 87.39250°W / 46.54306; -87.39250
Built1891
Built byNoble & Benson
ArchitectBarber & Barber
NRHP reference No.78001507[1]
Significant dates
Added to NRHPSeptember 13, 1978
Designated MSHSJune 18, 1976[2]

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]

Description

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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

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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]

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See also

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References

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  1. ^ a b "National Register Information System". National Register of Historic Places. National Park Service. March 13, 2009.
  2. ^ 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.
  3. ^ 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.
  4. ^ a b Downs, Michael C. (1999). Marquette. Arcadia Publishing. p. 40. ISBN 0-7385-0056-9.