The Noel State Bank building is located at 1601 North Milwaukee Ave Chicago. The bank was founded in 1905 by Joseph R. Noel.   The bank building was built in 1919 -1921. The builder was Gardner  C. Coughlin. He was also the architect for the building. Construction costs were $400,000.

     The building style was neoclassical. Building exterior is clad entirely in ornamental terra cotta. There are large windows divided by engaged pilasters topped with Corinthian Capitals.  The building featured  the original bank vault

     More recently the building was used by Walgreens Drug Store and Barnes and Noble Book Store

    Key restoration and preservation details for Barnes and Noble

  Coffered Plaster Ceiling

     The coffered plaster ceiling  was meticulously maintained as a center piece of the main floor.

Stained glass skylight

     The large decorative stained glass  window in the center of the ceiling remains fully intact and functional.

Custom shelving

    Due to the building’s distinctive wedge shape and internal columns, the store installed unusually shapes shelves to fit into odd angles and nooks

No cafe

   No cafe is featured in the store.

Restricted Vault access

The basement level,home to the vault is currently closed.to the public and repurposed  as corporate office space.