National City Bank Building

When Sandra and I have visited Cleveland, we have stayed at the Holiday Inn Express downtown. The hotel is located in the wonderfully remodeled Guardian Building, formerly the National City Bank Building. The rooms are large and simply yet elegantly furnished. The entrance hall on the first floor is a throwback to an earlier time. You can see exterior images of the 225 foot building at Cleveland Skyscrapers website. On the site, there is a good shot looking from Euclid Avenue and a closeup of the upper floors and cornice.

Originally founded as "The City Bank of Cleveland" in 1845, National City was a survivor and long time fixture in Cleveland. When we visited the city in May, a branch occupied part of the main level of the building. PNC Bank bought the company last year and the name, National City, was retired and dropped from all branches in June this year. I'm curious to see if PNC kept the branch open on Euclid to keep part of National City's history alive.



The Main Lobby

They don't make banks like this any longer. From the marble and ornate fixtures, the bank lobby stands as a monument to the height of American Industry at the turn of the 20th century.



Lifting the Plane of Vision

It really is magnificent. The camera images really don't do the lobby justice. In the low light, not everything is captured in all its splendor. I tried a few photos with more light, but even that is a bit tricky.



Lighting the Column

Cropping the above image, here's a more detailed look of the ceiling and the top of the column.



In Detail

Simply amazing. If the branch is still open and you're near 629 Euclid, stop and take a peek.

Also stop by the Arcade. I made a post with images of that Cleveland landmark back in February. There is lots of wonderfully detailed older architecture in downtown Cleveland. If you enjoy history and craftmanship, visit and see.