People's Federal Savings and Loan Association, National Historic Landmark bank in Sidney, Ohio
The People's Federal Savings and Loan Association is a bank building in Sidney, Ohio, designed by architect Louis Sullivan, with a rectangular two-story form in red brick and black marble. The interior opens across both floors to form a single banking hall lit from above.
The building was completed in 1917 and is one of eight banks Sullivan designed during the final years of his career in the Midwest. In this phase of his work, he paired straightforward floor plans with elaborate decorative work on facades and interiors.
The entrance is decorated with terra-cotta ornaments and glass mosaics inspired by plant forms, made by decorator Louis Millet and modeler Kristian Schneider. These handcrafted details give the facade a look that sets it apart from ordinary bank buildings in the region.
The building still operates as an active bank, so visitors can enter and see the interior during regular business hours. Weekday daytime visits tend to work best, as the space is well lit and open while the bank is in use.
A marble drinking fountain still stands in the center of the banking floor and dates from the original 1917 furnishings. It is one of the few surviving everyday objects from Sullivan's design that can still be used in its original spot.
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