Old-Merchants National Bank and Trust Co. Building
About this property
The Heritage Tower is a mixed-use commercial and residential building located at 25 West Michigan Avenue in Battle Creek, Michigan. It was originally built as the Old-Merchants National Bank and Trust Company Building, and designed as an office building. It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2018. In July of 1851 in Battle Creek, Michigan, Loyal Case Kellogg (December 25, 1822-January 30, 1907), who lived at 118 Maple Street(Capital Avenue Northeast) owned a private bank where he swapped due bills and brought buyers and sellers together. At the time, there was not a lot of money to be exchanged in the small village, Kellogg facilitated the use of trading and exchanging of goods and business notes. In September of 1865, Kellogg signed an application for a nationally-chartered bank. His bank was the first bank to be chartered in the city. The bank then changed its name to First National Bank and relocated its headquarters to a building that was part of the Whitcomb Block located at 1 East Main Street(East Michigan Avenue). In August of 1867, Kellogg sold his interest to Victory Phelps Collier (April 25, 1819-June 28, 1898), Clement Wakelee (March 7, 1821-April 7, 1889), Thomas Brockway Skinner (November 17, 1822-February 26, 1901), William Merritt-. In 1855 the Leon & Jennings Private Bank was founded and in 1856, Jennings sold his interest and the bank became the Leon & Sanborn Private Bank. In 1859, A.C. Hamblin & Company, another private bank, succeeded it. On June 2, 1888 the bank received a national charter and became the Merchants National Bank of Battle Creek. Federal charters required banks to meet certain regulatory standards, creating more reliability and safety than the private banks of the 'Free-banking' era. In 1891 First National Bank opened a savings department. The Merchants National Bank reorganized as the Merchants Savings Bank on April 1, 1895. The name change emphasized the expanding capabilities of the bank, which now allowed for depositors to receive interest from deposits. In 1898 First National Bank merged with the Farmers & Mechanics Bank. In 1905, First National Bank went through multiple reorganizations and became the Old National Bank & Trust Company. In the early 1910s, the Merchants Savings Bank built a new headquarters at 23 West Main Street. During a three-week financial panic in October of 1907, when most banks required a month's notice to withdraw funds to stem bank-runs, Old National remained financially solvent, and met the withdrawal demands of its customers. In 1915, Old National Bank moved into a building at 29-31 West Main Street. In the mid-1920s, Old National Bank operated the Calhoun County Abstract of Title, which was house in the building at 29 West Main Street. Around 1929, the two banks were nestled by the Grand Leader Department Store(17-21 West Main Street, Formerly the Hamblin Opera House until 1902), People's Outfitting Company(25-27 West Main Street), an unknown shop, Calhoun County Abstract & Title, another unknown shop. There was also the No. 1 Fire Station, also called the Central Fire Station located near the back of the Merchants Savings Bank. This building was later demolished somewhere around 1974. These two banks were fairly popular in the area, along with competitors such as the Central National Bank, which was located at 2 West Main Street right beside Old National Bank. Also in 1929, Old National Bank & Trust Company and the Merchants Savings Bank merged, creating the Old-Merchants National Bank and Trust Company of Battle Creek. At the time, this was the largest financial institution between Detroit and Chicago.
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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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Questions about this property
When was Old-Merchants National Bank and Trust Co. Building listed on the National Register?
Old-Merchants National Bank and Trust Co. Building was listed on the National Register of Historic Places on November 21, 2018.
What type of historic resource is Old-Merchants National Bank and Trust Co. Building?
Old-Merchants National Bank and Trust Co. Building is classified as a building in the National Register of Historic Places.
What is the period of significance for Old-Merchants National Bank and Trust Co. Building?
The period of significance for Old-Merchants National Bank and Trust Co. Building is recorded as the industrial era.
Can I research the history near Old-Merchants National Bank and Trust Co. Building?
Yes. Aubrey Research reports search National Register listings, battlefield records, land patents, and other primary historical sources within any radius of a US address. A report for an address near Old-Merchants National Bank and Trust Co. Building will include this listing and all other historical records in the area.
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