Merchants' National Bank
Bank building in Grinnell, Iowa. Added to the National Register in 1976, and a National Historic Landmark.
What it is
The Merchants' National Bank is a historic commercial building located in Grinnell, Iowa. Built in 1914, it is one of a series of small banks designed by Louis Sullivan in the Midwest between 1909 and 1919. All of the banks are built of brick and for this structure he employed various shades of brick, ranging in color from blue-black to golden brown, giving it an overall reddish brown appearance. It was declared a National Historic Landmark in 1976 for its architecture. In 1991, it was listed as a contributing property to the Grinnell Historic Commercial District.
Text from Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0.
The record
| Property type | Building |
| Address | NW corner 4th Ave. and Broad St., Grinnell, IA |
| County | Poweshiek County |
| Listed | Jan 7, 1976 |
| Listed for | Architecture |
| Level of significance | National |
| Reference number | 76000804 |
| Type of place | bank |
| Designations | National Historic Landmark |
| Contributing resources | 1 building |
The nomination form, the document that argues why this place matters, is in the National Archives: Read the nomination ↗
Visiting
| Address | NW corner 4th Ave. and Broad St., Grinnell, IA |
| Coordinates | 41.7442° N, 92.7260° W · Directions ↗ |
| Also in Grinnell | 18 listed places in Grinnell → |
| Nearest national park unit | Herbert Hoover National Historic Site · 71 miles · on Park Atlas |
| Federal campgrounds nearby | Roberts Creek West Campground 27 miles · Wallashuck 28 miles · Fifield (Ia) 28 miles |
Explore
Drawings & photographs
Measured drawings and photographs from the Library of Congress. Public domain. All 6 records ↗
Map
Nearby in Poweshiek County
Local history books for Grinnell
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Guidebooks to historic places and travel in Iowa
Titles come from Open Library's catalog, matched by subject heading or by title.
Reference
Questions people ask
When was Merchants' National Bank listed on the National Register?
Jan 7, 1976. It is also a National Historic Landmark, the higher of the two designations.
Source: National Park Service
Where is Merchants' National Bank?
NW corner 4th Ave. and Broad St., Grinnell, Poweshiek County, Iowa. The nearest national park unit is Herbert Hoover National Historic Site, 71 miles away.
Are there historic photographs or drawings of Merchants' National Bank?
Yes. The Historic American Buildings Survey at the Library of Congress has drawings or photographs of it.
Source: Library of Congress
Where is the nomination form for Merchants' National Bank?
The National Archives holds the nomination form, the document that made the case for listing.
Source: National Archives
Are there campgrounds near Merchants' National Bank?
Three federal campgrounds are within reach. The closest is Roberts Creek West Campground, 27 miles away. Wallashuck is 28 miles away, and Fifield (Ia) is 28 miles away.
Source: Campsite Atlas
Is there cell service at Merchants' National Bank?
FCC coverage maps show Verizon 5G, AT&T 5G, and T-Mobile 5G at the listed point. Coverage indoors and behind old masonry is another matter.
Source: FCC Broadband Map
Sources
Location, type and contributing counts come from the National Park Service's National Register spatial data. Listing dates come from the National Register office's spreadsheet where it carries the listing. Construction date, architect, style, photograph and encyclopedia link come from Wikidata and Wikimedia Commons, matched on reference number 76000804. Nothing here is transcribed by hand. The nomination form and photographs ↗ at NPGallery are the original nomination as filed with the National Park Service, and the form is often the best description of the place. The description under "What it is" is the opening of the Wikipedia article, CC BY-SA. Drawings and photographs are Historic American Buildings Survey records at the Library of Congress, public domain.