Rogers Krajnak Architects, Inc.

The Sullivan Building Interior Restoration and Annex
Newark, OH

The last phase of the decade-long project included the restoration and limited renovation of The Sullivan Building interior and the reconstruction of an adjacent, late-nineteenth-century commercial building, the LeFevre Annex, to serve as the vertical circulation core of The Sullivan Building. Designed in 1914 by Louis Sullivan for The Home Building Association Company of Newark, Ohio, The Old Home Bank is one of Sullivan’s eight “jewel box” community banks that represent what some historians consider to be Sullivan’s best work.

In order to maximize the interior footprint of the historic banking hall as a community gathering space, the adjacent Annex was purchased and vertically expanded while preserving the historic exterior facade. The Annex provides accessibility, via a new elevator and code-compliant stair, to all three floors of The Sullivan Building, including the second-floor offices and lower-level restrooms, vault, storage, and mechanical spaces. Since the Annex was deemed as a contributing building in an historic district, the State Historic Preservation Office directed that the historic south façade of the Annex be saved even though everything beyond the façade would be reconstructed. Saving the historic facade required the installation of shoring, underpinning, complicated steel bracing, and the partial removal and reconstruction of the masonry wall utilizing salvaged brick. New display windows were created in location of the original storefront window of the Annex for Explore Licking County’s promotion of community events and attractions.

In the interior of the Annex, portions of the Sullivan Building’s original exterior stone, brick, and terra cotta are exposed and can be viewed up close by visitors. On the exposed brick wall of The Sullivan Building, RKA designed the custom donor recognition panels as well as the custom exterior signage and interior signage throughout the building.

Inside the front entrance to The Sullivan Building, the missing interior walls were recreated, and the restored ceiling was covered in gold leaf to replicate the original 1915 Vestibule. In the adjacent former Consultation Room, the geometric stencils on the barrel-vaulted ceiling were restored and the walls were finished with new wood paneling and restored locker door panels to create a new Retail Space. New custom light fixtures were designed to fit the character of the space and illuminate the barrel vault.

The restoration of the historic banking hall is stunning as it is bathed with warm daylight from the restored opalescent glass windows and the glow from the gold leaf trim and the conserved and beautifully restored murals on the walls and ceilings. The original serpentine stone panels on the floor and the lower portions of the walls were repaired and cleaned. New serpentine stone panels were quarried, cut, and polished in Vermont and installed where original panels were missing. The footprints of the original teller stations were recreated with new quartz flooring depicting the former counter areas, glass partitions, and cork flooring that had been removed from the building long ago. The corner safe was meticulously restored, although the missing mechanism that lowered the interior of the safe down into the vault below was not reproduced. The ceiling mounted light fixtures include salvaged original and new reproduction light fixture housings, globes, new wiring and LED lamps. A new custom LED light bar was suspended in the room replicating the original position of Sullivan’s light bar that was originally mounted to the glass partitions at the teller stations.

Inspired by the original teller stations, RKA designed custom mobile display units that can be positioned in the original location of the teller counters or repositioned throughout this glorious banking hall which now serves the community as a Welcome Center. Additional mobile display units populate the Lower Level where the Vault has become a unique community meeting room. New restrooms were created in the areas of the original lounges, with repurposed original granite toilet partitions as backsplash panels behind the new sinks. The original mosaic floor tiles were restored and where missing, new mosaic floor tiles were installed to compliment the original tiles.

On the second floor, plaster walls, ceilings, oak trim flooring were refinished and new light fixtures that are faithful reproductions of the original light fixtures were installed. The interiors of the second-floor offices were restored to accommodate office spaces for tourism organization Explore Licking County.