National Register of Historic Places

State Savings Bank

Council Bluffs, Pottawattamie County, Iowa
Listed
June 3, 1984
Type
Building
Period
Industrial
Ref No.
84001312

About this property

State Savings Bank, also known as the Old Savings Bank, is a historic building located in Council Bluffs, Iowa, United States. the bank was established in 1889, and was originally located across the street. Planning for this building began in 1941 with the organization of the State Investment Company, which would build and own the building. It was designed by W.G. Knoebel and built by St. Louis–based Bank Building and Equipment Corporation of America. It is a late example of Art Deco, and it's the only building in Council Bluffs that exhibits this style. Two-thirds of the building is a single-story banking facility, and the rest is divided into two-stories of office space. It has one of the first drive-through teller windows in Iowa. The rectangular building's exterior is finished in gray limestone on two elevations, and a wrap-around continuation on a third. Its primary decorative feature is an inscribed harvest motif on the east and west elevations that are mirror images of each other, oriented to the north. The motif features a male nude holding a wagon wheel and a scythe, with sheaves of wheat and a dog. The bank changed its name to State Bank & Trust in 1967, and continued to operated from here until 1978. The building sat empty for five years when it was renovated for use by State Investment Company and other offices. It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1984. The building now houses a branch office of First Interstate BancSystem.

Location

509 W. Broadway
Council Bluffs, Pottawattamie County, Iowa
41.26084, -95.85075

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

Council Bluffs Telephone Exchange
Industrial
0.1 mi
Bennett Building
Industrial
0.1 mi
Council Bluffs Federal Building and Post Office
Early Republic
0.1 mi
Y.M.C.A. Building
Industrial
0.2 mi
St. Peter's Church and Rectory
Industrial
0.2 mi

Questions about this property

When was State Savings Bank listed on the National Register?

State Savings Bank was listed on the National Register of Historic Places on June 3, 1984.

What type of historic resource is State Savings Bank?

State Savings Bank is classified as a building in the National Register of Historic Places.

What is the period of significance for State Savings Bank?

The period of significance for State Savings Bank is recorded as the industrial era.

Can I research the history near State Savings Bank?

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