Random Notes - A Blog

This view shows one of the bank’s four great piers, with the area occupied by the tellers’ counter beyond. It’s not clear from these photographs (taken through very grimy windows) what the building’s current situation is—clearly, the interior has been cleaned and stabilized, but one can’t know the true extent of the damage or whether a restoration is in the works.

Now that a decision has been made not to sacrifice the building on the altar of flood control, we may hope that Wells Fargo moves forward with a complete restoration of this significant piece of American architectural history.

This same trip included a stop in West Lafayette, Indiana, home of the Purdue State Bank, one of Sullivan’s lesser-known bank buildings. Though still a bank, it is yoked to an unsympathetic addition, an ATM occupies the former front doorway, the exterior has been inexpertly tuckpointed (note the original tinted and raked mortar joints in the area previously covered by a sign over the front door), and the interior has been completely altered. Nevertheless, it is still witness to how elegantly Sullivan dealt with a modest budget and exceedingly difficult site.