Dime Bank Building
Why it's listed
Built on the corner of Spruce Street and Wyoming Avenue in Scranton between 1890 and 1891, the Dime Bank Building is a five-story masonry commercial block with a five-story corner turret. The bank was organized in 1890 as a people's banking company and opened on March 30, 1891. Its name reportedly came from the fact that anyone, even a newspaper boy, could open an account with ten cents. The bank merged several times and was saved from failure after the 1929 crash by a 1930 merger with the First National Bank. The facade uses rough, massive masonry, semicircular arched openings, and bay windows, with a massive ornamental cornice. The building is regarded as an exquisite example of Richardson-like Romanesque commercial design and as a strong contribution to the shape of the surrounding urban space. Its ground floor has been altered by later storefronts.
Significance in brief: The nomination argues the building is an exquisite example of Richardson-like Romanesque commercial architecture and an important contribution to defining the surrounding urban space. It is described as one of the most prominent pieces of real estate in downtown Scranton. The bank was organized for small depositors, and the building has long housed businesses and offices.
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 78002412, listed July 14, 1978. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-haiku-5-5, prompt v1.1-2026-10-29, confidence medium).
Key facts
| Address | Wyoming Ave. and Spruce St., Scranton |
|---|---|
| County | Lackawanna County |
| Listed | July 14, 1978 |
| Reference number | 78002412 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Period of significance | 1890-91 |
| Architectural style | Romanesque |
| Criteria |
|
| Areas of significance | Commerce, Architecture |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Since the 1930s the building has been an office building with stores and shops on the ground floor; the upper floors have housed a health club that was still operating at the time of the nomination. |
| Acreage | 0.8 |
| Within district | Lackawanna Avenue Commercial Historic District |
| Coordinates | 41.40852, -75.66508 (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 78002412.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q5277204
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.