National Register of Historic Places

First National Bank of Mason City

Mason City, Cerro Gordo County, Iowa
Listed
May 1, 1997
Type
Building
Period
Industrial
Ref No.
97000392

About this property

The First National Bank of Mason City, also known as Norwest Bank Building and City Center of Mason City, is a historic building located in Mason City, Iowa, United States. It was designed by the Des Moines architectural firm of Liebbe, Nourse & Rasmussen, and it was the only Mason City commission for this firm. Completed in 1911, it was constructed by C.E. Atkinson of Webster City, Iowa who had built several other H.F. Liebbe designs. The 6½-story building follows the Early Commercial style. It features modestly decorated main floor and attic level with five floors of rather plain brick construction in between. The bank occupied most of the first floor and some of the office space above, while the other office space was taken up by professional offices. By the 1960s the bank occupied the whole building. A building to the north of the bank was torn down in 1982 and a two-story annex to the bank replaced it. John Dillinger, Baby Face Nelson, John Hamilton and Tommy Carroll robbed the bank on March 13, 1934 and stole about $50,000. Dillinger was wounded in an exchange of gunfire during the heist. The bank building was individually listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1997, and as a contributing property in the Mason City Downtown Historic District in 2005. City Center of Mason City Inc. bought the building in 1995, and remodeled it into apartments and offices.

Location

5--7 N. Federal Ave.
Mason City, Cerro Gordo County, Iowa
43.16116, -93.20021

Categories

ARCHITECTURE
National Register nomination ›
Sources

Property data from the National Register of Historic Places, National Park Service (public domain).

Description adapted from Wikipedia under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.

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Nearby Historic Sites

Mason City Downtown Historic District
Civil War
0.3 mi
Kirk, The
Industrial
0.5 mi
Parker's Opera House
Industrial
0.6 mi
Stewart Avenue Bridge
Industrial
0.6 mi
Wagner-Mozart Music Hall
Industrial
0.6 mi

Questions about this property

When was First National Bank of Mason City listed on the National Register?

First National Bank of Mason City was listed on the National Register of Historic Places on May 1, 1997.

What type of historic resource is First National Bank of Mason City?

First National Bank of Mason City is classified as a building in the National Register of Historic Places.

What is the period of significance for First National Bank of Mason City?

The period of significance for First National Bank of Mason City is recorded as the industrial era.

Can I research the history near First National Bank of Mason City?

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