The eight bank buildings Louis Sullivan designed later in his career are fondly remembered as his “jewel boxes.” The Old Home Bank in Newark, Ohio, was completed in 1915. It features elaborate hand-stenciled murals by Sullivan, who died not long after it was built. The building was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1973.
In 2013, the Old Home Bank was donated by Stephen Jones, a Newark native, to the Licking County Foundation. Rogers Krajnak Architects (RKA) was hired in 2015 to conduct an assessment study and restore the building to its former glory, so it could host Explore Licking County, a travel and tourism bureau, as reported by AN.
Rogers Krajnak Architects completed the building’s exterior restoration in 2020. The Columbus, Ohio, architecture firm also designed an annex attached to the Sullivan building that connects its three levels with an elevator and ADA compliant stairs. The restoration project is now complete.
Construction initially began in the basement, which extends out beyond the bank’s footprint under the sidewalk. A new structural deck made of steel beams was installed as part of the restoration. SMBH and Karpinski Engineering were the structural and MEP engineers, respectively, and the construction manager was Danis Construction.
Exterior restoration work entailed a new roof, skylight, flashings, and coping repairs. Terra-cotta and mortar joints were cleaned, repaired, and repointed. Badly damaged and missing terra-cotta was replaced. The restoration team referred to original blueprints by Sullivan. Terra cotta-specialist Wiss, Janney, Elstner Associates worked closely with Rogers Krajnak Architects. Conrad Schmitt Studio was the mosaic, leaded glass, and mural restoration specialist.
Missing interior walls were reconstructed and gold leaf was reapplied to the ground floor ceiling. Leaded glass casement windows and opalescent glass awning windows were re-leaded, the architects said. Broken and missing glass was replaced. New reproductions of original exterior doors and of a skylight were designed, fabricated, and installed; as well as new freestanding, architectural lighting.
Restoration work in the historic banking hall faithfully maintained original elements such as Sullivan’s vibrant murals and the serpentine stone paneling that covers the lower parts of the walls and floor. Bank tellers, modeled after the original structures, were redesigned by RKA to function as information displays for Explore Licking County.
Other interior restorations included preservation of the bank’s former safe. The second floor was reconfigured to accommodate office space for the tourism company.
The annex was designed in tandem with the State Historic Preservation Office, which said the south facade needed to be maintained. The Old Home’s south facade can be seen inside the annex fitted with new means of egress.
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