State Bank of Antler
| Company type | Bank (defunct) |
|---|---|
| Industry | Banking |
| Founded | 1905 |
| Founder | David Newton Tallman |
| Defunct | 1931 |
| Headquarters | Antler , United States |
| Products | Banking services |
The State Bank of Antler, frequently referred to as the Antler Square Building, is a notable historic commercial structure situated at the heart of Antler’s public square in North Dakota.
History
Established in 1905 by David Newton Tallman, who was previously a clerk for the Great Northern Railway and an influential town founder, this bank significantly contributed to the early economic development of Antler. Tallman, responsible also for founding Maxbass, Sarles, and McCumber, divested his stake following the bank’s closure due to financial troubles in 1920. The institution resumed operations under the name Union Bank of Antler in 1924 but ultimately succumbed during the economic hardships of the Great Depression in 1931. Besides its banking function, the building accommodated vital community services such as customs offices, telephone and postal facilities, along with providing lodging through a rooming house.
Added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1988 when it was unoccupied, this building stands as the sole surviving original structure from Tallman’s town developments around the public square. Another bank building, known as the First National Bank, was torn down in 2016. An administrative error led to a temporary removal of the State Bank from the National Register; however, it was reinstated in 2019. Preservation initiatives by local groups focus on converting the property into a museum that documents Antler’s economic rise during the early 1900s.
Architecture
This edifice is an example of Classical Revival architecture and has been described in its NRHP nomination as "among the most elaborate and formal instances of pressed metal architecture found within North Dakota."