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Looking
taller than its four stories (perhaps because of its 13-foot ceilings),
this stone building was once called "The finest and most imposing
structure west of Topeka." To many, it still is.
Ground limestone was added to the mortar to match the rock, giving
the building the appearance of a structure carved from a single
huge stone.
The 30-room building was furnished with an elevator, a rarity of
the times - seldom seen outside of New York and Chicago
A commissioned oil painting highlights one of four vault doors,
while fixtures and doorknobs sport a sunflower motif.
After the building
housed the Citizen's State Bank, it was bought for back-taxes by
"banker/philanthropist" R.B. Christy. The building has had
other tenants over the years, including the Ness City post office.
The building was added to the national Register in the early 70s
but was unoccupied through the mid 80s.
The Ness County
Bank Building Foundation, Inc., was formed and the building was
stabilized and given a new roof. Federal and local funding also
permitted re-glazing of the windows and re-pointing of the stone.
The Ness City Chamber of Commerce started occupying space in the
building in 1988 and the following year provided lighting to make
the building a tourist destination. Remodeling of the "Great Room"
was completed in the early 1990s and a store selling uniquely Kansas
products was opened in 1994. Proceeds from sales provide further
remodeling and upkeep.
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