Frank L. Smith Bank

Frank L. Smith Bank in downtown Dwight, Illinois, was designed by Frank Lloyd Wright for local businessman Frank L. Smith as a combined bank and real estate office. Planned in 1904, built in 1905, and opened in 1906, it is an early commercial work that applied Wright’s ideas to an everyday small-town business building. Rejecting the temple-like imagery common in bank architecture, Wright created a cut-stone facade meant to convey solidity and simple dignity. He also shaped the interior and furnishings, including its distinctive fireplace. Later remodelings altered and then restored important features, while the building has remained in banking use.

Dwight, Illinois · United States