Old Second National Bank facts for kids
Quick facts for kids |
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Old Second National Bank
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Old Second National Bank in 2012
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 Location in Illinois
Location in the United States
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| Location | 37 S. River St Aurora, Kane County, Illinois, United States |
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| Built | 1924 |
| Architect | George Grant Elmslie |
| Architectural style | Prairie School |
| NRHP reference No. | 79000840 |
| Added to NRHP | May 8, 1979 |
The Old Second National Bank of Aurora is a really cool old building in Aurora, Illinois. It was designed by a famous architect named George Grant Elmslie in a special style called Prairie School. This was one of the last big projects he worked on!
A Look Back: The Bank's Story
The Old Second National Bank of Aurora was designed in 1924 by George Grant Elmslie. At this time, the Prairie School style was becoming less popular. Elmslie was getting ready to retire, so he started taking on more jobs for business buildings. He even brought in other talented artists to help him! These included Emil Settler, a sculptor, John W. Norton, who painted murals, and Kristian Schneider, another sculptor.
Unique Design Features
This bank building was different from many of Elmslie's earlier designs. Instead of focusing on flat, horizontal lines, he tried to add more vertical (up-and-down) patterns to the Prairie School style.
The bank is built with special Roman brick on a pink granite base. The roof is shaped like a saddle and has red tiles. Ten brick columns go all the way from the base to the roof. Only the south side of the building has fancy details and decorations on the outside.
The narrow edge at the top of the building is made of terra cotta and follows the roof's shape. Inside, on the north side, John Norton painted a huge mural. It shows scenes of Aurora from the 1830s. The floor inside is made of red tiles, designed to look like a giant oriental rug.
The Old Second National Bank was added to the National Register of Historic Places on May 8, 1979. This means it's an important historical building worth protecting!
