Bank Drive-In, East St. Louis

East St. Louis was still thriving in the 50's and 60's, and these really cool drive-up bank teller windows are evidence of that.

Built along an alley behind the bank, you can imagine cars swinging into these spots, and then heading out into the traffic of a bustling downtown.

Meramec Valley Bank

I thought this bank building in Valley Park deserved mentioning, with its sleek lines and rock wall contrasts.

Bank Building, Corner of Jefferson and Washington

Nicknamed the Building that is Impossible to Photograph, this former bank building is now a government office.Reflecting the changing uses and architecture of the western edge of town, and perhaps replacing one of the structures demolished in the clearance of the Mill Creek Valley, it cuts a unique profile across the intersection.The blue paint may not be original, but I am not sure.

Modernist Bank Re-Skin, Webster Groves

I strongly suspected that this building, a bank, received its arcaded front some time in the 1960's. The brick wall just looked older, or not quite right.Ah ha, looking at the wall facing the alley, you can see a dentilated cornice, that reveals that this bank was once constructed in a different style.

Beaux-Arts Bank Building, Main Street, St. Charles

Washingon, Illinois Town Square

The beautiful town square of Washington, Illinois demonstrates how a walkable downtown can continue to thrive, even with the construction of new buildings in the late Twentieth Century.Correct building frontage is maintained, and there is no surface parking other than metered street parking around the square. The one small parking lot is tucked behind the buildings of the square.Sadly, one must still run willy-nilly across the streets to avoid being run over by cars. Luckily traffic is not nearly as stressed out as in major cities, so the crosswalks are a bit safer.Abraham Lincoln once traveled through this square while living in Illinois.

Champaign, Illinois Details

Hermann Bank Building

Another great Beaux-Arts bank building in downtown Hermann that I could stare at for hours.The attention to detail is so much more amazing that your average piece of crap bank building popping up in true cookie-cutter fashion.