The United Bank Building is a historic commercial building at 19–21 Main Street in downtown
New Milford, Connecticut
New Milford is a town in Litchfield County, Connecticut, United States. The town, part of Greater Danbury, as well as the New York Metropolitan Area, has a population of 28,115 as of the 2020 census. New Milford lies north of Danbury on the ...
. Designed by
Wilson Potter and built 1902–04, it is a prominent local example of
Classical Revival architecture
Neoclassical architecture, sometimes referred to as Classical Revival architecture, is an architectural style produced by the Neoclassical movement that began in the mid-18th century in Italy, France and Germany. It became one of the most promin ...
, built to house two banks whose previous buildings had been destroyed in a fire. The building was listed on the
National Register of Historic Places
The National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) is the Federal government of the United States, United States federal government's official United States National Register of Historic Places listings, list of sites, buildings, structures, Hist ...
in 1982,
and is a contributing element of the
New Milford Center Historic District
The New Milford Center Historic District encompasses much of the traditional civic and commercial heart of New Milford, Connecticut.
Description and history
New Milford's town center was originally focused around its town green, a long three-b ...
.
Description and history
The United Bank Building occupies a prominent location in downtown New Milford, at the top end of Bank Street, one of its main commercial streets, where it meets the town common. It is a two-story masonry structure, built out of buff-colored brick with brownstone trim. Its main facade, facing main street and the common, is three bays wide, articulated by broad piers which rise to a multilevel cornice and parapeted roof. The main entrance is in the central bay, recessed in a tall round-arch opening. Above the arch is a recessed panel incised with the building name, with a decorative cartouche above that, flanked by sash windows. The flanking bays each have three-part window groups in both the first and second levels. The interior has a central vestibule and hall, which separate the spaces historically allotted to the two banks that were its initial occupants.
On May 5, 1902, a fire struck the New England House, a locally well known tavern and inn located at the corner of Bank and Main Streets. The conflagration also consumed the adjacent buildings of the New Milford Savings Bank and the New Milford First National Bank, located down Bank Street. The two banks immediately organized to rebuild, quickly agreeing in principle to build a joint facility on the site of the tavern. Their committee accepted a design from Wilson Potter, an architect then based in
New York City
New York, often called New York City (NYC), is the most populous city in the United States, located at the southern tip of New York State on one of the world's largest natural harbors. The city comprises five boroughs, each coextensive w ...
. The large-scale features of the building and its prominent setting on the town common make it an imposing feature of the town's commercial district.
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See also
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References
{{National Register of Historic Places
Commercial buildings on the National Register of Historic Places in Connecticut
National Register of Historic Places in Litchfield County, Connecticut
Neoclassical architecture in Connecticut
Commercial buildings completed in 1902
Buildings and structures in Litchfield County, Connecticut
New Milford, Connecticut
Historic district contributing properties in Connecticut