Address: 1525 E. 53rd St. Year Built:
1928
- 1929
Architect:
Vitzthum, Karl, and Co.
Date Designated a Chicago Landmark:
October 8, 2008
When it was completed in 1929, this was the largest bank building outside of Chicago's Loop, and it remains a prominent visual landmark in the Hyde Park neighborhood. The design is predominantly in the Classical Revival style of architecture, though it also includes ornamentation with Art Deco influences. Rental income generated by street-level storefronts and upper-floor offices allowed the bank to build a visually-stunning banking hall on the second floor. The original vault, a masterpiece of machined steel, is prominently displayed in the entrance vestibule, a common feature of early twentieth-century banks meant to assure customers that their deposits were safe.
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