Home Building Association Company
Encyclopedia
The Home Building Association Bank (or Home Building Association Company) is a historic building located at 6 West Main Street in Newark, Ohio
, and was designed by noted Chicago
architect Louis Sullivan
. It was one of three banks designed by Sullivan in 1914, the other two being in Grinnell, Iowa
and in West Lafayette, Indiana
. For this project the architect was given a narrow lot but made the building larger by making it two stories high, something that he did not typically do in his banks.
The color scheme chosen here deviates from his normal red-brown brick tapestry surface. Instead the building is covered with gray-green terra cotta slabs that are edged with typical Sullivanesque border designs. The ornamentation included a winged lion quite similar to the ones to be found in Cedar Rapids, Grinnell and Sidney. Little mention is made in the literature about Sullivan as to why these creatures populate his banks. Also unusual is the fact that Sullivan includes his name in the tile mosaic over the front door.
It was added to the National Register of Historic Places
on July 2, 1973.
Newark, Ohio
In addition, the remains of a road leading south from the Octagon have been documented and explored. It was first surveyed in the 19th century, when its walls were more apparent. Called the Great Hopewell Road, it may extend to the Hopewell complex at Chillicothe, Ohio...
, and was designed by noted Chicago
Chicago
Chicago is the largest city in the US state of Illinois. With nearly 2.7 million residents, it is the most populous city in the Midwestern United States and the third most populous in the US, after New York City and Los Angeles...
architect Louis Sullivan
Louis Sullivan
Louis Henri Sullivan was an American architect, and has been called the "father of skyscrapers" and "father of modernism" He is considered by many as the creator of the modern skyscraper, was an influential architect and critic of the Chicago School, was a mentor to Frank Lloyd Wright, and an...
. It was one of three banks designed by Sullivan in 1914, the other two being in Grinnell, Iowa
Grinnell, Iowa
Grinnell is a city in Poweshiek County, Iowa, United States. The population was 9,218 at the 2010 census. Grinnell was named after Josiah Bushnell Grinnell and is the home of Grinnell College.- History :...
and in West Lafayette, Indiana
West Lafayette, Indiana
As of the census of 2010, there were 29,596 people, 12,591 households, and 3,588 families residing in the city. The population density was 5,381.1 people per square mile . The racial makeup of the city was 74.3% White, 17.3% Asian, 2.7% African American, 0.16% Native American, 0.03% Pacific...
. For this project the architect was given a narrow lot but made the building larger by making it two stories high, something that he did not typically do in his banks.
The color scheme chosen here deviates from his normal red-brown brick tapestry surface. Instead the building is covered with gray-green terra cotta slabs that are edged with typical Sullivanesque border designs. The ornamentation included a winged lion quite similar to the ones to be found in Cedar Rapids, Grinnell and Sidney. Little mention is made in the literature about Sullivan as to why these creatures populate his banks. Also unusual is the fact that Sullivan includes his name in the tile mosaic over the front door.
It was added to the National Register of Historic Places
National Register of Historic Places
The National Register of Historic Places is the United States government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures, and objects deemed worthy of preservation...
on July 2, 1973.
Other Louis Sullivan "jewel boxes"
- Farmers and Merchants BankFarmers and Merchants Union Bank (Columbus, Wisconsin)The Farmers and Merchants Union Bank in Columbus, Wisconsin, also known as Farmers' and Merchants' Union Bank, is the last of eight "jewel box" banks designed by Louis Sullivan, and the next to last of those being constructed....
, ColumbusColumbus, WisconsinColumbus is a city in Columbia and Dodge Counties in the south-central part of the U.S. state of Wisconsin. The population was 4,991 at the 2010 census. Columbus is located about northeast of Madison on the Crawfish River. It is part of the Madison Metropolitan Statistical Area...
, WisconsinWisconsinWisconsin is a U.S. state located in the north-central United States and is part of the Midwest. It is bordered by Minnesota to the west, Iowa to the southwest, Illinois to the south, Lake Michigan to the east, Michigan to the northeast, and Lake Superior to the north. Wisconsin's capital is...
(1919) - Henry Adams BuildingHenry Adams BuildingThe Henry Adams Building , located in Algona, Iowa, was designed by Louis Sullivan in 1912....
, Algona, IowaAlgona, IowaAlgona is a city in and the county seat of Kossuth County, Iowa, United States. The population was 5,741 at the 2000 census. Ambrose A. Call State Park is located two miles southwest of the city.-History:...
(1913) - Merchants' National BankMerchants' National BankMerchants' National Bank building is located at 833 Fourth Avenue in Grinnell, Iowa. It is one of a series of small banks designed by Louis Sullivan in the Midwest between 1909 and 1919. All of the banks are built of brick and for this structure he employed various shades of brick, ranging in...
, Grinnell, IowaGrinnell, IowaGrinnell is a city in Poweshiek County, Iowa, United States. The population was 9,218 at the 2010 census. Grinnell was named after Josiah Bushnell Grinnell and is the home of Grinnell College.- History :...
(1914) - National Farmer's BankNational Farmer's Bank of OwatonnaThe National Farmers' Bank of Owatonna, Minnesota is a bank building designed by Louis Sullivan with decorative elements by George Elmslie. It was built in 1908, and was the first of Sullivan's "jewel boxes". The building is clad in red brick with green terra cotta bands, and features two large...
, OwatonnaOwatonna, MinnesotaOwatonna is a city in Steele County, Minnesota, United States. The population was 25,599 at the 2010 census. It is the county seat of Steele County. Owatonna is home to the Steele County Fairgrounds, which hosts the Steele County Free Fair in August....
, MinnesotaMinnesotaMinnesota is a U.S. state located in the Midwestern United States. The twelfth largest state of the U.S., it is the twenty-first most populous, with 5.3 million residents. Minnesota was carved out of the eastern half of the Minnesota Territory and admitted to the Union as the thirty-second state...
(1908) - People's Federal Savings and Loan AssociationPeople's Federal Savings and Loan AssociationThe People's Federal Savings and Loan Association in Sidney is an early-modern building in western Ohio, designed by Chicago architect Louis Sullivan, the mentor of Frank Lloyd Wright. It was designed and built in 1917 for use by Peoples Federal Savings and Loan Association, which still operates...
, Sidney, OhioSidney, OhioSidney is a city in Shelby County, Ohio, United States. The population was 20,211 at the 2000 census. It is named after English poet Sir Phillip Sidney and is the county seat of Shelby County.Sidney was the recipient of the 1964 All-America City Award...
(1918) - Peoples Savings BankPeoples Savings BankThe Peoples Savings Bank, located at 101 3rd Avenue, SW, Cedar Rapids, Iowa, was designed by Louis Sullivan. It was built in 1911 and has been listed on the National Register of Historic Places since 1978.- History :...
, Cedar RapidsCedar Rapids, IowaCedar Rapids is the second largest city in Iowa and is the county seat of Linn County. The city lies on both banks of the Cedar River, north of Iowa City and east of Des Moines, the state's capital and largest city...
, IowaIowaIowa is a state located in the Midwestern United States, an area often referred to as the "American Heartland". It derives its name from the Ioway people, one of the many American Indian tribes that occupied the state at the time of European exploration. Iowa was a part of the French colony of New...
(1912) - Purdue State BankPurdue State BankIn 1914 the Purdue State Bank, the smallest and least expensive of architect Louis Sullivan's "Jewel Boxes" was completed in West Lafayette, Indiana, United States. Built on a tiny, triangular shaped lot the building makes the most of the small space alloted to it...
, West LafayetteWest Lafayette, IndianaAs of the census of 2010, there were 29,596 people, 12,591 households, and 3,588 families residing in the city. The population density was 5,381.1 people per square mile . The racial makeup of the city was 74.3% White, 17.3% Asian, 2.7% African American, 0.16% Native American, 0.03% Pacific...
, IndianaIndianaIndiana is a US state, admitted to the United States as the 19th on December 11, 1816. It is located in the Midwestern United States and Great Lakes Region. With 6,483,802 residents, the state is ranked 15th in population and 16th in population density. Indiana is ranked 38th in land area and is...
(1914)
Further reading
- Elia, Mario Manieri, Louis Henry Sullivan, Princeton Architectural Press, Princeton NY, 1996
- Kvaran, Einar Einarsson, The Louis Sullivan Pilgrimage, unpublished manuscript
- Morrison, Hugh, "Louis Sullivan: Prophet of Modern Architecture", W.W. Norton and Company, New York, 1963
- Twombly, Robert, Louis Sullivan: His Life and Work, Elizabeth Sifton Books - Viking, New York, 1986
- Vinci, John, "The Art Institute of Chicago: The Stock Exchange Trading Room", The Art Institute of Chicago, Chicago IL, 1977