Merchants National Bank

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(McColl Building)

- 366-68 jackson Street -
(at Fifth)
- 1892, Edward P. Bassford -

When the Merchants National Bank opened in 1892, its two-story lobby attracted a great deal of attention. Public appreciation for the warm red stone and lively architectural treatment led to protest when a proposal to widen Jackson Street threatened this jewel of Romanesque Revival design with demolition in 1967.

The diminutive building could easily have been overpowered by Galtier Plaza. However, Lowertown Redevelopment Corporation took up the challenge to develop guidelines for new construction that would complement historical structures. They recommended dropping the height of the new building and adding an arch detail on the Fifth Street facade to echo the bank's design.