State Bank
Also known as: Bank of Illinois
Why it's listed
Built in 1839-1840 for the Bank of Illinois, this Greek Revival bank in Old Shawneetown rises from a high sandstone basement, with solid brick walls and a portico of five Doric columns reached by a wide flight of steps. The raised platform likely protected it from Ohio River floods, which reached halfway up the columns in 1937. The odd number of columns is unusual for the Doric order and may have masked an uneven interior plan with two front entrances. Inside, Greek Revival door and fireplace frames and an original ceiling centerpiece survive. The bank was built when Shawneetown was a leading financial center of early Illinois, and it was completed despite widespread bank failures, which the nomination takes as a sign of the bank's strength. Later owners used it for banking, including the First National Bank of Shawneetown from 1865. The nomination called it among the finest buildings in the Midwest and noted that the roof timbers needed repair.
Significance in brief: The nomination calls it the finest building in Illinois south of Vandalia and among the finest in the state and Midwest, notable for its size, durable materials and refined detailing. Its odd-numbered five-column portico is unusual and may have been designed to disguise an asymmetrical interior plan. It also reflects Shawneetown's role as an early financial center and the Bank of Illinois's strength during a period of bank failures.
Machine-generated summary. This summary was generated by a language model from the official nomination document and has not been reviewed line by line by an editor. It may contain errors. Check the source document before relying on any detail. Source: nomination document (PDF) · National Archives catalog entry. NRHP reference 72000459, listed April 19, 1972. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence medium).
Key facts
| Address | Corner of Main St. and IL 13, Old Shawneetown |
|---|---|
| County | Gallatin County |
| Listed | April 19, 1972 |
| Reference number | 72000459 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Period of significance | 19th Century; specific date 1839-1840 |
| Architectural style | Greek Revival |
| Areas of significance | Commerce, Architecture |
| Level of significance | National, State, Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Described as in good condition and altered; the roof and roof timbers needed repair, and the interior main rooms and trim remain largely intact. The property was owned by the State of Illinois and is marked unoccupied. |
| Acreage | 0.7 |
| Coordinates | 37.69661, -88.13522 (NPS GIS) |
What listing means for this property
For an income-producing building, listing (individually or as a contributing building in a district) is the gateway to the 20% federal rehabilitation tax credit on qualified rehabilitation costs, often stackable with state credits. Work claiming the credit must follow the Secretary of the Interior's Standards and be approved in advance.
Listing does not restrict a private owner acting without federal money or permits; where federal funding or licensing is involved, Section 106 review applies.
Noted as vacant in the nomination. Nomination documents can be decades old; current status may differ. If you are considering buying an empty listed property, read the due-diligence checklist.
General information, not legal or tax advice. Rules change; confirm with your State Historic Preservation Office or a qualified adviser.
Sources and further reading
- National Park Service, National Register of Historic Places database (snapshot May 2026), reference 72000459.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q7491576
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.