The Rock Island Savings Bank was brand new when this postcard was mailed in
1911; so new, in fact, that instead of using a photo as a basis for the card,
a drawing of the bank was used. The rendering allowed the publisher to make
the building appear much larger as well - if drawn correctly, the citizens
thronging the sidewalk would be only about 4-1/2 feet tall and the autos would
have a wheelbase of about 6 feet.
This was Rock Island's homage to a Greek temple on the corner of 18th Street
and 3rd Avenue, with two huge Doric columns facing west and five facing
south. It was built at a cost of $100,000 in 1911, for the Rock Island
Savings bank, which had been founded in 1890. The lot where the bank
building stands was previously occupied by a home, which faced 3rd Avenue.
After the home was torn down, two buildings were constructed on the lot -
the bank and an adjacent smaller brick storefront on 18th Street, which
contained the offices for the bank. That structure is not even depicted on
this postcard.
Although the bank was 32 feet tall - normally two or three stories - it
actually contained only a single story with a soaring ceiling. Constructed
of reinforced concrete, the outer walls were surfaced in smooth Bedford
limestone. The windows were deeply recessed, framed by the columns, while
the carved cornice and deep frieze atop the building were most impressive.
The large windows ensured adequate natural light and probably ventilation as
well. The interior was reportedly finished with the finest marble, bronze
and mahogany. There were 75,000 pounds of steel in the fire- and
burglar-proof vault. Ladies were provided their own room and there was a
general waiting room as well, thoughtfully equipped with a telephone and
stationary.
Early in the century, the Greek Parthenon was an often-used classical
inspiration for banks, probably to convey the financial stability and
longevity of the institution within. In small and large towns throughout
the country, there frequently was such a classical columned building nestled
among brick Italianate storefronts downtown. And where are these wonderful
buildings now? Usually not banks anymore, they may be a beauty parlor, a
gift shop, or real estate office - and usually are still easily identified.
Or perhaps, as in Rock Island, the old bank is a television broadcast
building that is no longer recognizable as a bank.
During the Great Depression of the 1930s, the banking world changed. In
1932, the Rock Island Savings Bank merged with two other local banks -
Central Trust & Savings and Manufacturer's Trust & Savings - to form Rock
Island Bank and Trust Company (now Firstar). As banking operations were
consolidated, in another bank building across 18th Street, the building on
our postcard was vacated. It remained empty for many years, with only
intermittent use by small businesses.
By 1950, the building had new owners and a new name as well: Telco Building,
home of WHBF-TV. Interior remodelings added stairs and floors to create two
more stories in the originally single story building. WHBF occupied the top
two stories, while a drugstore was located on the street level. A 400-foot
tower with an 86 foot antenna atop was also constructed in 1950.
A few years later, the exterior was covered with granite, brick, and bright
turquoise metal tiles, creating a look straight out of a 1950s TV program.
More recently, the original bank and its adjacent building were covered in a
stucco material, with shadowed panels evoking the original columns, which
are still hidden underneath.
Are the marble, bronze, and mahogany interiors still under the contemporary
finishes? Likely they are not. But some original artifacts may still be in
the community. A front page Argus story (August 6, 1998) pictured a pair of
massive bronze doors that are of a size suggesting main entry doors.
Appropriate to our bank building, the doors show many classical motifs, from
an ornate Greek key and egg-and-dart border to acanthus leaves framing
three-dimensional eagles. Another pair of smaller and lighter bronze
"French" doors may have functioned to ensure the ladies' privacy from the
main waiting room.
Thus the Rock Island Savings Bank building has lived up to the original
premise of stability and longevity in its own way. It endures, despite a
completely different look and function.
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