Peoples Savings Bank, Bank building in Cedar Rapids, Iowa.
Peoples Savings Bank is a bank building in Cedar Rapids featuring brick walls in fifteen different shades that create an intricate exterior pattern. Inside, glazed clerestory walls display murals depicting rural Iowa life and agricultural themes.
Architect Louis Sullivan designed the building in 1911 as one of his small bank commissions across the Midwest from 1907 to 1919. The structure earned placement on the National Register of Historic Places in 1978, recognizing its importance to American banking architecture.
The building reflects the connection between banking and rural life through interior murals showing scenes from Iowa farmland. This visual storytelling reveals how closely the bank identified with the local agricultural community.
The building underwent significant modifications after the Cedar River flood in 2008, with the main facility temporarily closed while a motor bank branch handled operations. Visitors planning a trip should note the current operational arrangement between the main structure and the motor bank facility.
Sullivan intentionally designed the exterior brick pattern to resemble textile weaving, creating a fabric-like visual effect across the facade. This textile-inspired approach is enhanced by detailed terra cotta ornamental elements that elevate the surface design.
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