American National Bank

227 South Summit Street

The bank building at 227 S. Summit St. was built in 1890. It originally was the site of the American National Bank, chartered in March 1889. The site became home to Farmers National Bank in 1891.

In 1907, the bank merged with Citizens State Bank, which moved to 227 S. Summit St. from its previous location at 127 S. Summit St. (now the site of the Union State Bank).

The bank then was known as Citizens & Farmers State Bank.

In December 1908, S.J. Gilbert, president of Security State Bank, purchased the bank building.

In 1915, the bank became Security National Bank, which was later robbed on May 29, 1924. The robbers stole about $12,000 and fled in a Cadillac.

In 1890, the year it was built, the three-story, rusticated stone building housed a bank on the first floor, mezzanine and basement levels.

Other occupants in the early years were the I.O.O.F. (Independent Order of Odd Fellows), on the top level, and a photo studio on the second level.

By 1905, only minor changes in occupation occurred: a barber was in the basement, and the photo studio was replaced with printing and composing offices.

By 1912, the Commercial Club was located on the first level of the west portion, but the lodge hall, bank and barber still were there.

Most of these functions, except for the barber shop, still were in place in 1920.

By 1925, the bank building housed Security National Bank, a printing business, the Mid-Continent Petroleum Corporation on the second floor and the American Legion on the third floor.

In April 1937, Security National Bank merged with Home National Bank and moved into Home National’s building at the northeast corner of Summit Street and Fifth Avenue.

Froelich Shoes opened a store in the 227 S. Summit  St. building in 1947. (The shoe store relocated to 300 S. Summit St. in 1964.)

During the 1970s, a women’s fashion-sportswear store occupied this building. By 2007, Riggs Tax & Financial Services moved into the building; the business later moved out in 2009.

In August 2009, building owner John Sybrant began the task of taking off metal coverings on the building’s upper-story windows and installing windows that reflected the historical character of the building.

After the renovation, the building was sold to Dan Jurkovich, whose Edward Jones financial services firm now occupies the first floor of the building.

One of the key historic buildings in the Downtown Historic District, the Security National Bank building features two architectural styles with grace. Arched window openings at the third-floor roof line area suggest elements of Sullivanesque styling, while its Richardsonian Romanesque and Romanesque Revival influences are seen in the rock-faced finish of the stonework, arcaded block, and use of carved stone featuring gargoyles and plants indigenous to this area.