Property Record
126 N LAKE AVE
Architecture and History Inventory
| Historic Name: | BANK OF PHILLIPS |
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| Other Name: | The Sweet Shop and Art Gallery |
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| Reference Number: | 19161 |
| Location (Address): | 126 N LAKE AVE |
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| County: | Price |
| City: | Phillips |
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| Year Built: | 1894 |
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| Additions: | |
| Survey Date: | 19762018 |
| Historic Use: | bank/financial institution |
| Architectural Style: | Romanesque Revival |
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| Wall Material: | Brownstone |
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| Other Buildings On Site: | |
| Demolished?: | No |
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| National/State Register Listing Name: | Not listed |
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| Additional Information: | MOULDED AND BRACKETED CORNICE TOPPED BY PARAPET W/ CARVED PILASTER CAPS ROUGH CUTSTONE WALLS LARGE ROUND ARCH 1ST FLR WINDOWS AND DOOR W/ MASSIVE LINTELSPAIRED ROUND ENGAGED ROMAN COLUMNSROUGH CUT LINTELSWAS 1ST BANK IN PRICE CO [Date Cnst:(PARAPET)] 2018: Constructed in 1894, the State Bank of Phillips is a two-story, Richardsonian Romanesque, commercial building built of brick and clad in a rough-cut Lake Superior brownstone on the facade. A heavy dentil cornice sits under the parapet, which features decorative capstones, and “1894” is carved in the central bay. The entryway is on the northeast corner of the front (east) facade. The door is a modern replacement but mimics the style of the original bank doors. The first story has two square fixed windows with arched transoms. The windows and entryway are bracketed by paired, rounded, engaged columns with decorative caps. The word “BANK” is carved over the central window beneath a prominent cornice. The second story has three, one-over-one, double-hung windows framed by square pilasters with decorative caps. When it opened in the aftermath of the fire that destroyed much of Phillips, the State Bank of Phillips was seen as one of the gems of the downtown area. The bank operated on the main floor of the building, while the basement held a barbershop and the second story held law offices. The bank’s success was seen as a sign of Phillips’s successful commercial recovery after the fire. The State Bank operated out of this building until the 1930s, when it moved to a larger building at 198 N. Lake Avenue (AHI No. 19165). |
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| Bibliographic References: | Take a Walk on Main Street: Historic Walking Tours in Wisconsin's Main Street Communities, Wisconsin Main Street Program, 1998. Phillips Fire Centennial (Park Falls, Wis.: Weber & Sons, Inc., 1994). |
| Wisconsin Architecture and History Inventory, State Historic Preservation Office, Wisconsin Historical Society, Madison, Wisconsin |