First National Bank of Mason City

The First National Bank of Mason City, also known as Norwest Bank Building and City Center of Mason City, is a historic building located in Mason City, Iowa, United States. It was designed by the Des Moines architectural firm of Liebbe, Nourse & Rasmussen, and it was the only Mason City commission for this firm.[2] Completed in 1911, it was constructed by C.E. Atkinson of Webster City, Iowa who had built several other H.F. Liebbe designs. The 6½-story building follows the Early Commercial style. It features modestly decorated main floor and attic level with five floors of rather plain brick construction in between. The bank occupied most of the first floor and some of the office space above, while the other office space was taken up by professional offices. By the 1960s the bank occupied the whole building. John Dillinger, Baby Face Nelson, John Hamilton and Tommy Carroll robbed the bank on March 13,1934 and stole about $50,000.[2] Dillinger was wounded in an exchange of gunfire during the heist. The building to the north of the bank was torn down in 1982 and a two-story annex to the bank replaced it. The bank building was individually listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1997,[1] and as a contributing property in the Mason City Downtown Historic District in 2005.[3] City Center of Mason City Inc. bought the building in 1995, and remodeled it into apartments and offices.[4]

First National Bank of Mason City
First National Bank of Mason City is located in Iowa
First National Bank of Mason City
First National Bank of Mason City is located in the United States
First National Bank of Mason City
Location5-7 N. Federal Ave.
Mason City, Iowa
Coordinates43°09′07.5″N 93°12′02.7″W / 43.152083°N 93.200750°W / 43.152083; -93.200750
Arealess than one acre
Built1911
Built byC.E. Atkinson
ArchitectLiebbe, Nourse & Rasmussen
Architectural styleEarly Commercial
Part ofMason City Downtown Historic District (ID05000956)
NRHP reference No.97000392[1]
Added to NRHPMay 2, 1997

References

edit
  1. ^ a b "National Register Information System". National Register of Historic Places. National Park Service. July 9, 2010.
  2. ^ a b William C. Page. "First National Bank of Mason City". National Park Service. Retrieved 2016-12-09. with photos
  3. ^ Alexa McDowell. "Mason City Downtown Historic District". National Park Service. Retrieved 2016-12-09. with photos
  4. ^ "First National Bank Building". Iowa GenWeb. Retrieved 2016-12-09.