Central National Bank - Topeka, Kansas - U.S. National Register of Historic Places on Waymarking.com

The Central National Bank building, now the Topeka Bank and Trust Company building, was designed in the Neo-Classical style. It is a two story structure with a basement and measures 50 feet along the Kansas Avenue facade, 150 feet along Seventh Street and is 41 feet high. The building was constructed of re-inforced concrete and steel and faced with a buff colored Bedford stone. The building which faces east and fronts on Kansas Avenue is located in the banking district of Topeka and is on a traditional site. The portico of the east facade is supported by four Ionic columns and two piers on a granite base. The entablature is unorthodox with a decorated frieze; there are rosettes on the half module points on the uppermost cyma recta below which are the ovalo, dentils, cyma reversa and astragal. Above the cornice is a solid balustrade decorated with festoons in relief and a cartouche. A recessed facade stands behind this portico. The main entrance which is located on this facade is centered between the columns. Above the floor is an entablature embellished with a fascia, ovalo, fascia, cyma reversa, and astragal. The entablature is supported by consoles and underneath on the architrave are four rosettes. Surmounting the entablature is a carved stone eagle. There are plate glass windows centered on either side of the door. Above these windows are roundels with the symbols of the two original occupying financial institutions. The three windows on the second story are aligned with the openings on the first floor. Below their sills runs a continuous band of Greek fret moulding.

The north facade on Seventh street has also been finished with the Bedford stone. There is a fairly steep grade on this part of the site, allowing a light well for part of the basement floor. Two wide Doric pilasters indicate the first bay of this facade. A window has been centered in this bay and the moulding details are continued from the east facade of the building in the balustrade and entablature to the end of this bay. The end of this bay is marked by a fluted Roman Doric pilaster which begins a new module. There is a series of seven fluted Doric pilasters separating six large windows on each floor. The balustrade above the cornice reflects this change in the bays with a solid balustrade above the pilaster alternating with balusters above the windows. The final bay of this facade is again defined by two wide pilasters but contains two windows on each floor. There is also an entrance into the basement level in this bay.

The Bedford stone facade continues around the corner to the west facade which backs onto an alley. The stone facade stops after several feet and the wall is continued with a pale yellow brick. The window lintels and sills and an indication of the cornice height are defined with plain, dressed stone. There are three windows on the second story, five on the first and four windows and an entrance on the basement floor. The south facade is a shared wall and has been constructed of brick.