Pioneer Trust & Savings Bank Building (Former)

“Like Pioneer, most were built during a golden age of bank architecture in America which flourished after the financial panic of 1907 before being abruptly halted by the Great Depression in 1929; a period in which bankers and their architects created monumental bank buildings that would signal to the banking customer the notion that their money would be safe and the bank was here to stay.”

“Like Pioneer, several neighborhood banks retain their original banking halls which typically include expensive, durable, and fireproof finishes, especially marble, terra cotta, decorative plaster and custom architectural metalwork.”

“Four entrance doors leading to the banking hall are located at the center of the portico (the projecting entrance canopy is not historic). The doors are framed with cast-iron surrounds ornamented with thin colonettes, Classical urns, and topped by banding with the words, “Pioneer Trust and Savings Bank.” Above the entrance doors rises a two-story tall arched window framed with carved limestone molding and topped with a cartouche carved with the letter “P”, details which display a very high degree of craftsmanship in carved limestone.”

“Many of Chicago's neighborhood banks were located at similar commercial intersections throughout the city. Unlike other banks in the city, the Pioneer Trust & Savings Bank survived the Great Depression and by the 1960s maintained its position as one of the 300 largest commercial banks in the nation.”

“Pioneer Bank's location at the intersection of two prominent streets is typical of other neighborhood banks which are typically sited near key intersections in commercial districts, often on corners, serving as prominent visual landmarks for residents of those neighborhoods.”

“High-style architecture and expensive materials reinforced this message, and conveyed the perception that the bank was a well-capitalized and cultivated institution. BUILDING DESIGN AND CONSTRUCTION The Pioneer State Bank was founded in 1914 and ten years later it absorbed the Scheubert & Amberg State Bank and the new institution was renamed the Pioneer Trust & Savings Bank.”

“The banking hall retains its original marble check desks, and the original marble and bronze teller counters are located at the perimeter of the banking hall. The Pioneer Bank building was constructed during a major period of development in Humboldt Park which spanned the first three decades of the twentieth century.”

“Described as “Chicago's most beautiful bank” upon completion in 1926, the five-story building cost approximately $650,000. The monumental Classical Revival-style structure is rectangular in plan measuring 83' across its North Avenue (south) elevation and 125’along the Pulaski Avenue (east) elevation.”

“PIONEER TRUST The sculptural panels at the corners of the building depict allegorical scenes of labor including mining (fig. a), construction (fig. b), shipping and trade (fig. d) and blacksmithing (fig. d).”