St. Charles Bank & Trust to Swap City Names

St. Charles Bank & Trust, which is remodeling a historic Geneva building into a drive-through facility to serve it’s new home right next door will change its name to reflect its change of location.

The a Geneva Historic Preservation Commission on Tuesday supported an application to list the city’s Pure Oil Building on the National Register of Historic Places. The bays of the former service station building are being converted into drive-through lanes for the bank that is moving in next door, 514 W. State St., Geneva.

Until Tuesday, it was unclear which bank might be moving in, but Geneva Mayor Kevin Burns, who was in the audience for the meeting, confirmed that the new property owner is St. Charles Bank & Trust — which he said soon will be renamed Geneva Bank & Trust.

St. Charles Bank & Trust Company, which is moving into 514 W. State St., Geneva,

Geneva Patch reported in November that construction crews started tearing up the concrete around the iconic blue-roofed gas station building, after the Geneva City Council approved the plans for a drive-through bank facility in early September. Plans would preserve much of the building's exterior and use the garage bays for the drive-through of the bank office that will be in the building just to the west. 

The Pure Oil Building has been described the domestic cottage-style structure as “one of the most valuable and iconic buildings in (its) place and time.”

Once scheduled for demolition, the blue-roofed former gas station was saved after the Geneva Historic Preservation Commission took a stand against the bulldozer. The City Council, with public support, upheld the commission’s stance.

Related:

• Nov. 21, 2012: Pure Oil Building Development in Full Swing
• Sept. 5, 2012: Pure Oil Drive-Through Sails Through City Council

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