Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1914-06-20
HANDSOME HOME
FOR LOCAL BANK
| FIRST NATIONAL TO ERECT 5000
BUILDING EXCLUSIVELY
FOR BANKING
MARBLE AND GRANITE
Entirely Fireproof Structure to Be
Erected in Place of the Present
Quarters; Begin Next
Month.

The present structure housing thu
First National bank iG soon to be razet
and replaced by another and NOR
modern building this summer. Ih'
arrangements for the work are wei
completed for the handsome new home
for the Oldest national bank west OF
the Mississippi river.
/. Cost About $4,000.
: A. Sager of Chicago, superintendent
of decoration for the E. Jackson Case
Co.. spent a day in Ottumwa anC
was present at a meeting of the banR
directors in the afternoon, where the
plans and specifications were gone
over extensively. The structure will
be probably eight months under con-
! struction, but when finished will be
one Of the handsomest bank buildings IN
the state. Granite. terra Gotta, marble
and the very finest quality of materials
! will be used in the construction, which
is to be absolutely fire proof and al
most free Of wood or other materials
which are ~combustible. The style OF
architecture will be along classic ines
; and the picture Of the building planned
! to be erected will be here in 4 short
time and placed On display. 1t will be
/! different from anything in these parts
and very attractive.
Barber Shop Below.
Tie building is to be an exclusive
banking building and no other bust
ness will have rooms in it on the main
floor. The structure will be but one
story high with a mezzanine floor at
the front and the rear. A basement
will extend beneath the entire build
ing and here will be provided an ex-
cellent room for a barber shop n a
large room for the holding Of meetings
by patrons Of the bank having bust
ness to attend to and no place in which
to meet. Meetings of various kinds
can be held in this room, which will be
IS. 6x45 feet and attractively fitted. "A
storage vault and the forced heating
and ventilating plant is also in the
basement.
The exterior of the building will
show a granite base some ten feet
high with terra Gotta above this. Mar
row windows Of pretty design will be
placed in the granite walls, but above
this in the terra Gotta there will be
huge windows Of unique design some
seven by ten feet in dimensions. The
window sashes will all be metal and
even the inner side Of the windows will
be of the plaster reveal type, or with
out wood trim. All of the outer doors
will be of metal and fancy in design.
Large pillars will rise the full height
OF the structure on the front and sup
ported or huge granite blocks will give
the building a rich and strong appear
ance, as well as a new architectural
style for Ottumwa.
Large Outer Lobby.
Entering from the street the public
will find a huge marble vestibule that
not only affords a lobby on the out
of the bank, but supplies entrance
and exit for the floor below, which is
reached by a marble stair case. This
outer door is always open and thus
after banking hours the lower floor Of
the building will be accessible for those
having business with the occupant Of
the basement.
Handsome Interior.
An elaborate metal door opens off
this lobby into the bank proper, and
it is here the visitor will be shown a
place of rare architectural beauty. The
banking room will easily be the most
modern in it's equipment and finish
that is to be found in the state. Marble
and caen stone with bronze grills and
plate glass will make up practically all
Of the inner equipment Of h bank. A
ceiling some twenty-four feet high
will cover the handsome interior and
vying with the ceiling will be the
pretty side walls, which will be cov-
cred with the caen stone for a height
of nine feet, or corresponding to the
bank screen, n topping this will be
six huge pilasters set at intervals that
make them a frame for the large side
windows. The smaller windows in the
granite base will be at the usual dis
lance from the floor, but the large win
dows between the pilasters will be set
on a level with the top OF the screen
that separates the lobby from the en-
ployes.
Directors Room Above.
Upon entering the banking room to
the right of the entrance is provided
a room for the ladies where they may
sit and rest or write a Letter. A toilet
is also located here. At the left is
the private room of the officers and
the stairway to the mezzanine floor
where a handsomely appointed direc-
tors DON is to be found. This will
occupy the entire front of the build
ing and will have a mahogany wains-
coting two and a half feet high with
trimmings and furniture of the room
in the same material. A one piece
tufted rug without a seam will cover
the floor.
Marble Bank Screen.
Below on the banking floor at the
rear Of the stairway and the officers
private room are the offices of Presi-
dent Bonnifield and Cashier Ackley.
The public lobby is to the right side
and looking back from the cashiers
office there are eight wickets in the
bank screen. This screen is made Of
marble from the floor to the op Of the
cornice, with bronze frames holding
the plate glass between the wickets
which are also of bronze the same as
the frames.
The first three wickets are for the
paying and receiving t~ellers, the next
two for the bookeepers. the sixth for
the draft clerk, the seventh for the re-
m%ittance clerk and the eighth for the
collection clerk. Two large check
desks and a settee will be provided in
the lobby.
A bronze grill separates the public
lobby from the vault lobby. In the lat
ter one finds the deposit boxes to the
number of 1868 with provision to add
$50 more if needed later. Off the vault
lobby are three coupon booths. The
book and cash vaults will be separate
and only those employees having &C
cess to the latter can enter it.