300 South Main Street - Palestine Commercial Historic District - Palestine, IL
Posted by: 
YoSam.
N 39° 00.043 W 087° 36.768
16S E 446936 N 4317034
Former bank building. Buildings not numbered in this listing, but are listed by street address in the NRHP. This one was vacant on my visit.
Waymark Code: WMVWBA
Location: Illinois, United States
Date Posted: 06/03/2017
Views: 0
County of building: Crawford County
Location of building: 300 S. Main St. & E. Harrison St., Palestine
Built: 1890s
Original occupant: First National Bank
Occupant at listing: Vacant, then Pioneer Winery
Current Occupant: Belle Vista LLC
300 South Main. Two story brick Classical Revival building, built late 1890s. Contributing.
"First National Bank, (Vacant). The building is a two story red brick, Classical Revival styled building. The parapet has limestone coping with a wide beveled limestone stringcourse around the building just below the coping. About two feet below that is a is a narrow beveled limestone stringcourse around the building parallel to the wide one.
"This two story corner brick building has a 45 degree angled entry with a large main doorway at the street leel [level] and a double-hung window above. The entry is Classical Revival in style with a flat arched shallow porch over the doorway. There are two, smooth, round, limestone pillars with rectangular bases and Doric capitals. The door is a wide paneled wooden door with a large transom and limestone lintel and step.
"The wooden trim of the flat arch is carried on around to the facade over the very large plate glass window that has a limestone lintel and limestone stringcourse at the sill level.
"At the second story is a Palladian window of three double-hung sashes, framed by limestone. To the south of this windows is a narrow double-hung sash with a limestone lintel and sill.
"A narrow garage is attached to the building at the east and back side of the building with a concrete approach running up an incline to the door. Access to the garage is through the back door just west of the garage and through a hallway to the garage door. It is not of the same brick as the bank after close scrutiny, and was built c. early 1920s.
"The garage has a stepped parapet with limestone coping and an intricate pattern of light and dark brick alternating vertically the width of the door and about two feet high. The garage door has six lights across the top. (Photograph #30, and #31)" ~ NRHP Nomination Form
"300 South Main. The First National Bank building was built c. 1900 and the bank closed during the depression in 1929. An appliance store and other businesses have been located here, but it has been vacant for some time. The upstairs was a Saving and Loan Office, and later Dr. Ikemire had his medical practice office there. Part of the building was used for the high school in 1914-1916 before a high school was built. Dr. Ikemire was president of the school board at the time.
"Dr. Illyes had his office here after Dr. Ikemire built a hospital in town in the 1930s. An elevator was installed and there is a fireplace upstairs in the waiting area and an original brass, revolving coat rack, and a glass case. The original bank vault is still intact, which makes three bank buildings in Palestine that contain vaults, in addition to the current Farmer's State bank." ~ NRHP Nomination Form