Richardsonian Eventually Moves West
While it starts to become clear our origin for the style, it still doesn’t explain how we go from some rich church inspired by styles of years past ... .to some rich bank…….. also inspired by styles of years past. That is fair, which is why as we continue, we understand how it isn’t hard to see how the popularity that began in the northeast started spreading to other regions. Good ole’ H. H. Richardson began working on projects not only for the east coast, but ultimately into the midwest as the Richardsonian style began forming with the rest of the U.S. as a territory. He would begin working on projects in Chicago, like the Marshall Field wholesale Store. In addition, he would even have some projects that were built like the Cincinnati Chamber of Commerce. This, once more, just went to show how recognizable the style had become. With this taking up as a leading style in the 19th Century, combined with the greater expansion west, the pieces were starting to line up as to how we get to our infamous bank. Now, of course around this time, while we continued to see the style reach other growing parts of the expansion from the east, like with the Old Courthouse Museum in South Dakota, or the Ramsdell Building in Michigan, we saw other architects take their spin on the growing rising style. One man was J.C. Holland, the architect behind the Ness County Bank Building. Holland and Richardson……were in no way connected whatsoever. As it would appear, interaction between the two was essentially little to none. The only thing that connects them…is that of the Richardsonian Romanesque Style. This begins to make you wonder, “Why? “How?” “Is there nothing that brings the two together except the style?” “There has to be more than that, some connection surely, right?” In all honesty, it is apparent that if there was some, it was not enough to warrant the existence, or answer the lingering questions of our bank. Like mentioned, the only thing that connects the two architects is just that style, or perhaps more specifically how that style and the timing of the creation of that stinkin’ Bank in Ness county, all played out….
