A historic masonry building in downtown De Pere is getting national recognition. The State Bank of De Pere building at 127 N. Broadway has been listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
The structure started as a two-story commercial masonry building built in 1877. The State Bank of De Pere bought the property in 1902, then upgraded its street presence in 1904 with a large, elaborate facade designed by Green Bay architect Henry Foeller. The Beaux-Arts design features rusticated stone, a large decorative arch, smooth short columns, and capped pilasters. The pilasters are highlighted by carvings of both sides of a dollar coin.
Inside, the building includes an interior vestibule, tile and wood flooring, marble wainscoting, crown molding, and a beamed ceiling. The bank moved to a larger property a few parcels south on North Broadway in 1933. At the time, De Pere had only a few banks, and the State Bank of De Pere remained the city’s only financial institution until the 1980s.
Today, the building is home to Scotty Dog’s Pub, and key bank-era features still remain, including the original safety deposit boxes and vault space. The property stands as the only Beaux-Arts style example in the city of De Pere and one of two examples in Brown County.
For crews working on buildings with this level of masonry detailing, the takeaway is straightforward: historic facades depend on matching existing materials and profiles. Rusticated stone, decorative arches, columns, and pilasters put extra pressure on repair decisions like mortar selection, joint tooling, and cleaning methods. Interior finishes like marble wainscoting and tile flooring also call for tight dust control and protection when work moves inside.
Earlier this year, the building was added to the State Register of Historic Places.
Read the full, original article from WLUK here.