Old Second National Bank (Aurora, Illinois)

Old Second National Bank
U.S. National Register of Historic Places
Old Second National Bank in 2012
Location	37 S. River St Aurora, Kane County, Illinois, United States
Coordinates	41°45′28″N 88°19′6″W / 41.75778°N 88.31833°W / 41.75778; -88.31833Coordinates: 41°45′28″N 88°19′6″W / 41.75778°N 88.31833°W / 41.75778; -88.31833
Built	1924
Architect	George Grant Elmslie
Architectural style	Prairie School
Governing body	Old Second National Bank of Aurora Corporation
NRHP Reference #	79000840[1]
Added to NRHP	May 8, 1979

The Old Second National Bank of Aurora is a historic building in Aurora, Illinois. It was designed in the Prairie School style by George Grant Elmslie and was one of his last commissions.

History

The Old Second National Bank of Aurora was designed by George Grant Elmslie in 1924. The Prairie School style of design was, at this point, already a fading trend. Elmslie was nearing the end of his career and began to accept commissions for commercial buildings. Elmslie recruited Emil Settler, John Norton, and Kristian Schneider to assist him with the design.^[2]

The bank building was a departure from previous Elmslie designs. Instead of focusing on horizontal patterns, this building attempted to integrate vertical patterns into a Prairie School design. The bank is built with Roman brick on a pink granite foundation. The building is topped with a saddleback roof with red tile. Ten brick columns rise from the foundation to the roof. Only the south side of the building features exterior details and ornaments. The narrow cornice is terra cotta and follows the gable. John Norton painted a three-panel mural of 1830s Aurora on the north side of the building's interior. A red tile floor was intended to resemble a large oriental rug. The building was added to the National Register of Historic Places on May 8, 1979.^[2]

References