First National Bank Building

2-4 N. Vermilion St., Danville, Illinois. County/parish: Vermilion.

Added to the National Register of Historic Places September 13, 2018. NRIS 00001335.

1 contributing building.

Also known as:

  • Bresee Tower
  • Wiai Tower

From Wikipedia:

First National Bank Building (Danville, Illinois)

The First National Bank Building, known locally as the Bresee Tower, was a historic bank building at 2-4 N. Vermilion Street in Danville, Illinois. The building was constructed in 1918 for the First National Bank, which was established in 1857 and had operated in another building at the same site since 1867. Chicago architecture firm Mundie & Jensen designed the building in the Classical Revival style, a popular choice which was also used in several of Danville's other banks. Like many Classical Revival skyscrapers, the twelve-story building was divided into a two-story base, a shaft, and a one-story capital to resemble a Greek column. The entire exterior of the building was clad in terra cotta, and its decorative elements included pilasters, ornate metal entrance surrounds, and a bracketed entablature.

The building was added to the National Register of Historic Places on September 13, 2018.

Demolition of the building began on the morning of May 9, 2025.

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