Erie County Bank Building
Why it's listed
Standing at the southwest corner of Liberty and Main Streets in the center of downtown Vermilion, Ohio, this two-story bank building dates from about 1913. It is built of brick with stone trim, pilasters, a stone foundation and a flat composition roof. A powerful stone and brick cornice crowns the facade, and large plate glass windows light the ground-floor banking room. The front is three bays wide, and the building is still used as a bank. Inside, a suspended ceiling and modern decor replaced earlier finishes. The survey calls it perhaps Vermilion's most pretentious commercial building and the community's finest example of Neo-Classical architecture. Banks have occupied this corner for a long time, and the building's prominent position makes it a major contributor to the town's visual historic landscape. It was included in a multiple resource listing of Vermilion's Harbour Town area. The community has recently planted street trees in front of it.
Significance in brief: The inventory describes it as perhaps Vermilion's most pretentious commercial building and the finest example of Neo-Classical architecture in the community. The corner has long hosted banking institutions, and the prominent location makes the building a major contributor to the visual historic landscape.
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 79003953, listed November 14, 1979. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence medium).
Key facts
| Address | Jct. of Liberty Ave. and Main St., Vermilion |
|---|---|
| County | Erie County |
| Listed | November 14, 1979 |
| Reference number | 79003953 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Architectural style | Neo Classical |
| Areas of significance | Architecture, Commerce |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Still used as a bank; listed in good interior and exterior condition, with the interior modernized with a suspended ceiling and modern decor. |
| Acreage | 0.9 |
| Coordinates | 41.42171, -82.36520 (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.
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 79003953.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikidata Q137784617
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.