First National Bank of Mason City explained

First National Bank of Mason City
Nrhp Type:indcp
Nocat:yes
Partof Refnum:05000956
Coordinates:43.1521°N -93.2008°W
Built:1911
Builder:C.E. Atkinson
Added:May 2, 1997
Area:less than one acre
Refnum:97000392

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.[1] 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.[1] 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, and as a contributing property in the Mason City Downtown Historic District in 2005.[2] City Center of Mason City Inc. bought the building in 1995, and remodeled it into apartments and offices.[3]

Notes and References

  1. Web site: [{{NRHP url|id=97000392}} First National Bank of Mason City]. National Park Service. 2016-12-09. William C. Page. with
  2. Web site: [{{NRHP url|id=05000956}} Mason City Downtown Historic District]. National Park Service. 2016-12-09. Alexa McDowell. with
  3. Web site: First National Bank Building. Iowa GenWeb. 2016-12-09.