Peoples Savings Bank
| Company type | Bank |
|---|---|
| Industry | Banking |
| Founded | 1911 |
| Fate | Acquired by Norwest Corporation (c. 1989), later merged with Wells Fargo |
| Headquarters | Cedar Rapids , United States |
| Parent | Wells Fargo (after merger) |
The Peoples Savings Bank located in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, was designed by the renowned architect Louis Sullivan and stands as the second in a series of small-scale "jewel box" banks he crafted for Midwestern communities between 1907 and 1919. Constructed in 1911, this building earned a spot on the National Register of Historic Places in 1978 and was later designated as a contributing structure within the West Side Third Avenue SW Commercial Historic District in 2014.
History
The original design proposed by Sullivan in 1909 was deemed too expensive and subsequently rejected. However, following discussions led by bank Vice-President Fred Shaver, a modified version featuring less terra cotta decoration was finalized in 1912. Sullivan emphasized the spacious banking hall, opting to design the exterior as a straightforward shell that mirrored the interior layout. Architectural critic Montgomery Schuyler commended this strategy, describing the exterior as "pared down to its most basic form."
The facade incorporates bricks in fifteen different hues, producing an effect Sullivan compared to "an antique Oriental rug." Inside, clerestory glass walls allow natural light to illuminate murals by Allen Philbrick, which portray scenes from rural life in Iowa.
This commission represented the last collaboration between Sullivan and George Elmslie before Elmslie joined the Minneapolis architectural firm Purcell, Feick & Elmslie.
In approximately 1989, ownership of Peoples Bank transferred to Minneapolis-based Norwest Corporation, which later merged with Wells Fargo and adopted its name. The historic building on Third Avenue functioned as Wells Fargo’s primary branch for Cedar Rapids/Marion until it was affected by the Iowa flood of 2008. Although the main branch remains closed due to flood hazards posed by the nearby Cedar River, Wells Fargo continues to operate from the adjacent drive-up facility.
See also
Additional notable Louis Sullivan "jewel box" banks:
- Farmers and Merchants Bank, Columbus, Wisconsin (1919)
- Henry Adams Building, Algona, Iowa (1913)
- Home Building Association Company, Newark, Ohio (1914)
- Merchants' National Bank, Grinnell, Iowa (1914)
- National Farmer's Bank, Owatonna, Minnesota (1908)
- People's Federal Savings and Loan Association, Sidney, Ohio (1918)
- Purdue State Bank, West Lafayette, Indiana (1914)
Further reading
- Elia, Mario Manieri, Louis Henry Sullivan, Princeton Architectural Press, 1996
- Gebhard, David & Gerald Mansheim, Building of Iowa, Oxford University Press, 1993
- Kvaran, Einar Einarsson, The Louis Sullivan Pilgrimage, unpublished manuscript
- Twombly, Robert, Louis Sullivan: His Life and Work, Viking, 1986
- Wilson, Richard Guy and Sidney K. Robinson, The Prairie School in Iowa, Iowa State University Press, 1977