Calumet National Bank (Former)

Address: 9117 S. Commercial Avenue Year Built: 1910 Architect: John A. Domicksen Date Designated a Chicago Landmark: July 9, 2008

This three-story brick commercial building is an early and fine example of the small local banks that adorned Chicago's neighborhoods and were important to their development. Its front facade, sheathed in white terra cotta, features distinctive Classical Revival-style ornamentation, including two-story piers topped by large acanthus leaves and a pair of eagles. The original bank name, the Calumet National Bank, is visible at the top of the building. It is located on Commercial Avenue, the main business thoroughfare of the South Chicago neighborhood, which was extensively developed by the end of the nineteenth century by a diverse population, including Swedish, German and Polish immigrants who were attracted by jobs in nearby steel mills.