Property Record
C. 580 WATER ST
Architecture and History Inventory
| Historic Name: | The Sauk Bank |
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| Other Name: | Sauk Prairie Masonic Temple |
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| Reference Number: | 91392 |
| Location (Address): | C. 580 WATER ST |
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| County: | Sauk |
| City: | Prairie du Sac |
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| Year Built: | 1922 |
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| Additions: | |
| Survey Date: | 19772023 |
| Historic Use: | bank/financial institution |
| Architectural Style: | Prairie School |
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| Wall Material: | Brick |
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| Other Buildings On Site: | |
| Demolished?: | No |
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| National/State Register Listing Name: | Not listed |
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| Additional Information: | A 'site file' exists for this property. It contains additional information such as correspondence, newspaper clippings, or historical information. It is a public record and may be viewed in person at the Wisconsin Historical Society, State Historic Preservation Office. 2023: The two-story Sauk Bank, built in 1922, is a Neoclassical building with Prairie influence and has a rectangular plan, flat roof, and red brick cladding. The front (west) facade has a recessed metal-frame, glass double-door entrance and three one-over-one, double-hung windows with soldier course brick lintels and stone sills. Four capped pilasters are Prairie-esque in style with cast stone ornamentation. A cast stone knee wall, mid-century clock, and dentils on the cornice are also present. The side (north and south) elevations have stepped parapets and window openings infilled with board and batten featuring soldier course brick lintels and stone sills. A brick and concrete-block addition is on the side (south) elevation with a shed roof and metal entrance. Alterations include the infilled windows on the side elevations and replacement windows and entrance. The Clifford Shopell Co. of Evansville, Indiana, designed the bank with Sauk Prairie-based Dresen Brothers providing the general contracting. Three years after its opening, State Banking Commissioner Dwight T. Parker closed the bank in 1925 following a series of fraudulent transactions that allowed an individual to gain a controlling interest in the bank’s assets. The People’s State Bank and the Sauk Bank consolidated under the Bank of Prairie du Sac and maintained offices in the building from 1932 until 1970. It then operated as the Sauk Prairie Masonic Temple beginning in 1970. The facade displays a stone block inscribed with “Sauk Prairie Lodge,” reflecting this association. |
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| Bibliographic References: | American Contractor, vol. 42, May 28, 1921, page 65. Walter G. Doll, "Historical Sketches of Prairie du Sac," pages 25-27. Edward and John Gruber, "90 Years of Banking in Prairie du Sac," pages 7-12. Bozeman-Waters National Bank, National Register Nomination. “N.D. Man Indicted for Shady Transactions; Had Interest.” The Capital Times, January 14, 1925. |
| Wisconsin Architecture and History Inventory, State Historic Preservation Office, Wisconsin Historical Society, Madison, Wisconsin |