National Farmers’ Bank Building, Owatonna, MN
Posted by: 
hykesj
N 44° 05.102 W 093° 13.568
15T E 481895 N 4881342
This building, the first of Louis H. Sullivan’s “Jewel Box” bank designs, was chosen to represent his work on a 1981 postage stamp issue honoring American architecture.
Waymark Code: WM10C2B
Location: Minnesota, United States
Date Posted: 04/11/2019
Views: 6
Where do you go in the United States to see architectural masterpieces? New York? Chicago? How about Owatonna, Minnesota? By the turn of the twentieth century, the formerly successful and highly regarded architect, Louis H. Sullivan had become somewhat of a drunken has-been. Nevertheless, he was up to the task when approached by Carl Bennett in 1906 and asked to design a new, expanded facility for his bank in Owatonna, MN. Sullivan’s unique and ornate design became the first of what would become known as his “Jewel Box” bank buildings. These are all found in small farming communities and are so named because they resemble boxes used for securing jewels and other valuables.
Louis H. Sullivan, who is famous for the phrase “form…follows function,” has been described as the “father of the skyscraper.” He was also an influential mentor to Frank Lloyd Wright. Though known primarily for his steel-framed, high-rise office buildings, it was this bank design that was chosen for the stamp, one in a multi-year series honoring American architecture. The building is equally impressive from the inside as it is from without. (See web link below for a more complete description and a link to a virtual tour.)
Carl Bennett’s bank, the National Farmers’ Bank, went out of business during the Great Depression. The building is now owned by Wells Fargo who still use it as a bank. It is, of course, a National Historic Landmark.
Stamp Issuing Country: United States
Date of Issue: 28-Aug-1981
Denomination: 18c
Color: black & red
Stamp Type: Single Stamp
Relevant Web Site: [Web Link]
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