JEWEL BOX BANK: Merchant’s National Bank, Grinnell Iowa, designed by Chicago architect Louis Sullivan

Golden griffin flanking entrance to the Merchant's National Bank building, Grinnell, Iowa.

On our recent visit to Grinnell, Iowa, home of Grinnell College, our alma mater, Art and I did a walking tour of the historic downtown. On the corner of 4^th and Broad Streets is the famous Merchant’sNational Bank, designed by Chicago architect Louis Sullivan. It opened to great fanfare on New Year’s Day, 1915. Today the banking business is housed in an addition in the back and the original building is a museum and visitor center.  A sign at the front door beckoned us in.

Welcome sign.

Inside, a helpful Chamber of Commerce representative answered our questions and invited us to look around and help ourselves to the brochures displayed on the counter.

Interior of bank. At the front facing the street are two offices where bank managers could meet with customers.

With the bright light and dark wood paneling, the room almost feels like a church--a monument to commerce. As we looked around and gazed up at the skylight and wall decorations, we certainly felt in awe. Everything inside the bank is carefully chosen and beautifully crafted—from the hand carved wooden check desk and pink marble floors, to the mosaic clock and tall stained-glass windows.

Stained glass windows, 15 feet high and 40 feet wide.

Mosaic clock over the door, inside the bank.

The Merchant’s National Bank is one of eight jewel box banks designed by Sullivan for midwestern towns. The phrase ‘jewel box’ was coined by Sullivan to convey the simplicity of the brick structure—a giant jewel box-- while underscoring the security of the objects stored inside. To quote one of the brochures: “What distinguishes the buildings is Sullivan’s unparalleled ornamentation—from awe-inspiring stained-glass windows, to the majestic griffins standing guard at the entrance to the geometric/organic explosion of terracotta that dominates the façade.”

Louis Sullivan.

Louis Sullivan is known as the father of modern architecture and was a mentor to Frank Lloyd Wright. His work inspired the development of the Prairie School of Architecture. A display about Louis Sullivan and his accomplishments fill one corner of the room.

Ornate facade with stained window inset over the doorway to the bank.

The Merchant’s National Bank is designated as a National Historic Landmark. At the back of the historic chamber glass doors lead to the modern functioning bank, operated by Wells Fargo, housed in a 1974 addition to the building. 

When Art and I were students at the college in the 1960s, Art had an account at Poweshiek County National Bank, the then owner of the bank. (The bank has changed names several times through the years.) As we revisited on our recent trip and signed the visitors' guestbook, it brought back many memories.

Signing the guest book at the check desk. 

For more about the Grinnell's Jewel Box Bank go to  https://www.grinnellchamber.many org/ or https://www.grinnelliowa.gov/103/Louis-Sullivan-Bank .

Click here for the BROCHURE.

Ornament detail.

HOLY FAMILY PAINTING by MERCY ANN LOCKRIDGE: A 6000 Mile Journey from New York to California and Back

The Holy Family by Mercy Ann Lockridge, reproduction of a painting by Raphael.

When I was growing up, a beautiful, large, ornately framed painting hung in the living room of my grandmother’s house in Kenosha, Wisconsin.  It depicted Saints Mary and Elizabeth with the baby Jesus, and a genuflecting Saint John holding a cross of reeds. Jesus, assisted by Saint Elizabeth, appears to be blessing Saint John. In the shadows stands Saint Joseph. We always called it The Holy Family. It was painted by my great-great-grandmother Mercy Ann Lockridge in about 1865, a copy of a famous painting known as the Madonna of Divine Love by the Renaissance artist Raphael in 1516-18.  The original Madonna of Divine Love hangs in the National Museum of Capodimonte in Naples. Italy. The painting that my grandmother made is a copy of a copy of Raphael's original. [See the letter below for the story of how that copy made its way to upstate New York.]

At the time that Mercy Ann painted The Holy Family she was living in Cattaraugus County in Western New York. The painting followed her as she and her family moved west--to Wisconsin, Kansas and finally Chicago. It  then went to my grandmother in Kenosha. A family treasure, the painting has since been passed down to my father, traveling from Kenosha to Minneapolis and San Francisco, and then to me in Los Angeles. It has now made its final journey, back to Cattaraugus County, New York, where it has been donated to the Perrysburg Historical Museum, in the town of  Perrysburg. .

The Holy Family, displayed in the Perrysburg Historical Museum, Perrysburg, NY.

I am pleased to have The Holy Family “back home” where it can be seen and enjoyed in the community and by visitors to the museum. I thank the village of Perrysburg for including it in the town museum and town historian Steve Stockwell for coordinating the exhibit. More about the museum can be found on the Perrysburg History Museum Facebook page.

The story of the Lockridge family is an integral part of the town history and is the subject of a book written by my father, Lester Scheaffer, Lutie and Mercy Ann. A copy of the book is a part of the museum collection and is being posted a chapter at a time on the museum Facebook page.

My father’s book includes a letter written to my grandmother about the origin of the painting that Mercy Ann used as a source for The Holy Family. 

Letter from Maria Parker Chapman to Dorothy L. Gibson, possibly between 1900 and 1902, in response to Dorothy’s inquiry about her grandmother Lockridge’s painting called “The Holy Family”.

My dear Dorothy,

This is the story in detail, and as all good children like the “Once upon a time,” so I will begin mine so.

Once upon a time there lived in the village of Versailles, Cattaraugus Co., State of New York, Hiram Chapman with Maria his wife. They had no children of their own, but had an adopted son, and in their very hospitable home they had gathered about them those that had not homes of their own. [Note that Versailles--pronounced as if it rhymes with "sales"--is a hamlet located in the northeast corner of Perrysburg.]

Mr. Chapman, before his marriage had sailed the Lakes as Captain and often in his quiet home life was called by that title. The incident that I am about to relate occurred forty years ago. – One stormy evening in December when the snow lay deep upon the ground, there came into the little village store a stranger dressed in the garb of a sailor and whose language was that of a Scotchman. – His face was weather-beaten, his large blue eye was tender, and when he made the appeal to the store-keeper—“Is there anyone in this village that ever sailed the waters?” all were interested.

On the corner, one of three stores in Versailles in the 1880s.

He was directed to Capt. Chapman on the hill.—Later in the evening a rap on the kitchen door of the home of Mr. Chapman announced the coming of the wayfarer.

He told his story simply, he was born in Glasgow Scotland and when he was a boy of twelve years, tired of school of restraint, he ran away and hid in the hold of a whaler that was about to put to sea for a five-year voyage. So well did he secrete himself that not till the vessel was far out to sea was he discovered.—

Then when this voyage was over he went again and again till at this time they entered the harbor of New York to remain for the winter.—He gave his name as Edward Gallagher from New York. He made his way across the state to Buffalo thinking when spring came he might get on a boat on the Lakes,--but alas! Ned found bad companions and in a short time he was penniless, then came the tramp of 30 miles across the country to some place he did not know when his wanderings were so aimless. But the little village under the hill close beside the roaring Cattaraugus, ended his wanderings.—Though a man of twenty-four years his education had been sadly neglected. They gave him a home with their accustomed generosity and went to the village school, Mrs. C.—giving him lessons in writing in the evening.—His frank genial nature soon make him a favorite with the village young people and he was always a welcome guest at their merry makings, attended a singing school, and the little wooden church, with the good old-fashioned minister often found in him an attentive listener.

When spring came the smell of the salt water wooed him away and he went to come back the ensuing autumn, for several winters his home was in Versailles, then a longer cruise took him to the blue waters of the Mediterranean, when the second winter came, he with a sailor friend Jim he called him came with the picture of the “Holy Family” secured in a hempen bag, while on the coast of Italy some sailors made a raid on a church and some valuable pictures were taken. Ned bought this and, for the friendship he held Mrs. Chapman in, he with a great deal of trouble in securing it, presented it to her for the unvarying kindness to him she had ever shown him.

Years went by no tidings came from Ned—but at last a letter came from Jim. His shipmate had died in the hospital in New Orleans. The picture is in the old home yet. Though other faces look upon the beauty, the other faces look upon newer and more glorious beauties. Celebrated artists have pronounced it the work of some pupil from one of the old Masters.—We do not know.—Your grandmother while in Fredonia obtained the loan of it for 6 months,--and hers is a beautiful copy.

This is a story dear I am glad to write it.—It all seems so vivid to me as I was of your age now when this all happened.—I love to think of these dear old times and your dear Grandmother knew this Ned Gallagher.—We are all usually well and hope you are, my love to all your friends.—Keep in touch with your Heavenly Father do not get away from Him.

Lovingly M.C.P. Chapman

Detail of The Holy Family painting by Mercy Ann Lockridge..

THE GORDON HOUSE BY FRANK LLOYD WRIGHT (SILVERTON, OREGON) Guest Post by Caroline Hatton

The Gordon House in Silverton, Oregon, designed by Frank Lloyd Wright.

My friend Caroline Hatton, a children’s writer and frequent contributor to this blog, took these photos in April 2025 when she visited the Gordon House in Silverton, Oregon.

The Gordon House.

If you like houses designed by Frank Lloyd Wright (1867-1959), consider visiting the Gordon House the former home of the late Conrad and Evelyn Gordon, which is now a museum. In the above photo, the ground floor window on the right is the same one as the ground floor window on the left in the top photo in this post.

Designed by Frank Lloyd Wright with supervising architect Burton Goodrich, the house was  completed in 1963 in Wilsonville, Oregon, with a breathtaking view of snowy Mount Hood on one side and of the rushing Willamette River on the opposite side. After the deaths of the Gordons the house had fallen into disrepair before it was rescued from demolition and painstakingly moved 20-some miles to Silverton, Oregon, in 2001.

As the only house in Oregon designed by Frank Lloyd Wright, it offers a nice opportunity to see real life examples of some of his signature architectural concepts, such as horizontal lines stretching smoothly from exterior to interior spaces and an open interior plan (with no physical separation between the living and dining room). This house was his idea of a middle-income family home, Usonian (uniquely of the U.S.), small (yes), built in part from local natural materials (it was), and inexpensive (well… not really).

Helping to distinguish the Gordon House from other Wright designs, its geometry is based on squares (not triangles or hexagons) and 15-degree angles reflecting something personal to late owner Conrad Gordon that is explained during the guided tour.

Living room.

The above photo shows the living room as seen when emerging from the entry. As usual, Wright designed a relatively smaller, darker entry to make people feel compressed before releasing them into the big bright living room where they can’t help but be wowed.

Dining room fretwork and built-in cabinets.

In contrast to the big living room, where floor-to-ceiling glass lets natural light pour in, and the outdoors and indoors don’t feel separate, cozy spots are smaller and dimmer, with sunlight filtered by decorative fretwork of a design unique to the Gordon House and featuring 15-degree angles.

Kitchen.

The docent (in the blue shirt in the photo) giving the guided tour led visitors into the small kitchen. With blinding sunlight flooding straight down, it felt like the bottom of a sinkhole.

Kitchen.

This vintage kitchen was the state of the art in 1963.

Upstairs bedroom.

In addition to the ground floor master bedroom, I got to see the two upstairs bedrooms. Between those two, the staircase landing was owner Evelyn Gordon’s creative space where she weaved the designs and garments she envisioned on her loom. In the bedroom in the photo, the desk predictably triggered in me delusions of grandeur as a writer.

Same bedroom.

In the same bedroom, the docent opened both of the unusual corner glass doors. He then led visitors out onto the roomy L-shaped balcony.

I liked the exterior better than the interior, because on the outside, the simplicity of the horizontal lines makes this small house look supremely serene and elegant. Inside, I didn’t like the floor-to-ceiling windows in the bedrooms, because they prevented the room from feeling cozy to me. This was despite the fact that tight quarters with small spaces (such as the nooks and crannies of built-in desks and shelves) made me feel like a guest welcomed in a mouse house, warm and safe in the perfect spot to read, write (travel blog posts) and hand-craft a miniature (such as a mouse house).

The Gordon House (G) is located at the Oregon Garden in Silverton, Oregon, about an hour-drive south of Portland (P). The guided tour takes a little less than an hour. I especially enjoyed the docent’s many stories about the owners and their interactions with Frank Lloyd Wright.

For more info:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gordon_House_(Silverton,_Oregon)

 

THE BEAUTIFUL BLUE CITY OF MOROCCO, CHEFCHAOUEN: Guest Post by Lucas Gutierrez-Arnold

Chefchaouen, Morocco.

My grandson Lucas, a student at Skidmore College, spent a semester abroad last spring in Madrid, Spain. While there, he and some other students went on a weekend trip to Morocco, flying on RyanAir to Tangiers. (It is easy to forget that Spain is just across the Strait of Gibraltar from North Africa!) While in Tangiers, Lucas did a day-trip to Chefchaouen, the famous blue city where the cobblestone streets are lined with houses painted a bright shade of blue. Accounts vary as to why this tradition began. Chefchaouen, in the mountainous region in northern Morocco, is a two-hour bus ride from Tangiers. Many thanks to Lucas for sharing his photos. Here are some that he took as he walked around the city.

For more about traveling in Morocco, see this post from Susan Kean about her garden tour of Morocco, which included a visit to Chefchaouen. 

TANGIER, HISTORIC PORT AT THE ENTRANCE TO THE MEDITERRANEAN: Guest Post by Lucas Gutierrez-Arnold

Tangier, Morocco.

My grandson Lucas, a student at Skidmore College, spent a semester abroad last spring in Madrid, Spain. While there, he and some other students went on a weekend trip to Morocco, flying on RyanAir to Tangier. (It is easy to forget that Spain is just across the Strait of Gibraltar from North Africa!) Tangier is a port city, bordering both the Mediterranean and the Atlantic Ocean. It has an ancient history dating from Phoenician times in the 10th century BCE. 

Typical white-washed buildings in Tangier.

While in Tangier, Lucas did a day-trip to Chefchaouen, the famous blue city where the cobblestone streets are lined with houses painted a bright shade of blue. (Look for his post about Chefchaouen next week.) Many thanks to Lucas for sharing his photos. Here are his pictures of Tangier.

Map of the Medina (historical center) of Tangier.

View of Tangier at night from the beach.