Winona National Bank 1915

Winona National Bank 1915

Winona National Bank downtown building was erected in 1916. Chicago architect George Maher designed the building. Maher was a contemporary of Frank Lloyd Wright. The building is in the Egyptian Revival style with Prairie School influences.

The Monolithic columns are 37’ in height with a diameter of four feet and eight inches. Each one weighs 32 tons. Each column is a single piece of granite. The pillars rest on a granite base that is 5 tons in weight. The granite originates from North Carolina and is polished in Vermont.

Buried Treasure
On October 15, 1915, there was a box buried beneath the south column that was filled with newspapers, bank plans, and various other time-related documents. This is a true time capsule.

Vault
The large vault inside was built by Diebold Safe and Lock Company from Canton, Ohio. The vault is referred to as a mammoth steel vault. Architect Maher made it a point to distinguish the building as a safe and secure place to keep your money because, in 1916, the FDIC did not exist. Banks had to show the pubic that their finances were safe

Stained Glass
The bank features Stained Glass prepared by Tiffany Studios in New York. Tiffany created the stained glass from Maher’s sketches. According to newspaper articles, the smaller stained glass pieces took one artist 24 days to complete.

The building is located at 204 Main Street, Winona, MN