Chemical State Savings Bank Drive-In Branch

2910 Jefferson, Midland, MI

Designed by Alden B. Dow FAIA, 1951.

The Circle Branch of the Chemical State Savings Bank was the first drive-in banking facility in Midland County.  Alden B. Dow prepared the drawings for this brand new structure in September of 1952 while also working on the expansion and remodeling of the bank’s main office downtown on Main Street.  W.R. Collinson served as general contractor for both projects.

Located on Jefferson Street on the south side of Ashman Circle, the grand opening of the drive-in branch coincided with the public celebration of the new main office downtown.  “Drive-in banking offers the maximum in customer convenience,” an article in the Midland Daily News announced.  “Just as the drive-in movie theaters advertise the ‘come as you are’ theme, so now the harried and hurried housewife can jump in her car, pop the kiddies in the back seat, and drive to her bank without waste of time or inconvenience.”

The one-story building had a flat roof over brick exterior walls.  A fluted aluminum frieze wrapped around the upper half of the entire building.  A covered walkway extended from the adjacent parking lot to the main entrance.  Two drive-up windows were on the north side of the building.  The interior featured nine customer check desks on the south side of the lobby, five teller stations opposite, the manager’s office, a vault, and a bookkeeping room.  Consistent with the main office, all the interior fixtures were custom-designed and constructed using pastel yellow and a deep green formica, with a salmon-colored rubber tile floor.  White oak was used for the woodwork.

The building retains its original purpose and currently houses Horizon Bank.