After all the romantic arches and towers of Victorian public buildings, there was something formal and ponderous - though unmistakably grand - about the Neoclassical fashion of the early 20th century. Architectural details borrowed from ancient Greece and Rome suggested both wealth and stability, a combination especially effective for government buildings and banks.

This robust Neoclassical structure has anchored one of Olympia's busiest corners since 1915. It features an oversized Classical cornice, fluted square pilasters (mock columns) with Corinthian capitals and a spread-winged eagle over the door, all clad in ivory-colored glazed terra cotta tile. "One cannot gaze upon the solid, artistic white tile without a feeling that here is beauty, strength and progressiveness," a local newspaper rhapsodized shortly after the bank was completed. "The building is a classic, both in point of exterior appearance and interior finish and arrangement."

Today this historic building is still in use as a bank. The balustrade that once ran along its flat roofline is gone, but elaborate molded plasterwork and some original furnishings can still be seen inside.

The Olympia National Bank Building is located on the northeast corner of Capitol Way and Fifth Avenue SE. It is listed on both the National and Washington State Registers of Historic Places. The building is open to the public.

Olympia National Bank Building. Olympia Heritage Commission photo.

Olympia National Bank Building. Postcard from a private collection.