City National
Bank Building |
||||||
The City National Bank Building, built in the 1880s, is a six-story masonry Richardsonian Romanesque Revival style building. The rusticated ashlar block façade with its heavy decorative elements, such as engaged grouped columns, sawtooth stone frieze, dentil rows, molded cornices and heavy projecting window arches, creates a highly sculptural wall surface that is a characteristic of the architectural style. Alternating rows and groupings of arched and flat head windows, the slightly projecting piers and variously sized and textured stringcourses add to the façade's visual richness. The entry level consists of smooth-faced stone, a stepped-down basement entry, side entry door with large columns and balustrade parapet. Adjacent to the entrance three large display windows separate squared columns with scrolled corner brackets. Above the windows is a frieze panel displaying the block name “City National Bank.” The late 19th century saw many new banks in Canton. Before these new banks many financial institutions catered to specific immigrant populations, this “second wave” of banks served the broader public.This building is the only bank building of its era still standing in Canton’s 19-block commercial center.
By 1916, City National ranked fourth among Canton’s major banks with assets of $2.8 million. In 1923 the City National Bank was absorbed by another bank. The building has recently been rehabilitated; it currently houses the National First Ladies’ Library Education Resource Center and is open to the public for scheduled tours. The City National Bank Building is located at 205 S. Market Ave., in Canton. The building is now the Education Resource Center for the National First Ladies’ Library. Tours are available Tuesday-Saturday, at 9:30am, 10:30am, 12:30pm, 1:30pm and 2:30pm, and in the summer on Sundays as well at 12:30pm, 1:30pm and 2:30pm; there is a fee. For further information call 330-452-0876 or visit the National First Ladies’ Library website. |
Canal Home | List of Sites | Maps| Learn More |
Itineraries | NR Home | Next Site
Essays: Transportation | Ethnicity| Industry| Preservation
Comments or Questions
JPJ/RQ/SB