The First National Bank

The First National Bank. . , The First National Bank, with its Queen Ann turret, is a landmark on Main Street. Designed in the Richardsonian style with decorative ramparts and brickwork, it reflected grandeur and permanence, signs of Seneca's growing success in 1889. The cornerstone inscription reminds customers that the bank was originally founded in 1874. Tiffany-inspired windows adorned the banking hall which had ornate wooden cashier counters and a tile floor. Upstairs were apartments and professional offices., During the Great Depression, the bank failed and was sold. New owners later subdivided this grand old building into apartments. A hailstorm broke many of the windows on the west side which were then covered with cedar shakes. Like many Victorian gems in rural Kansas, the building began to deteriorate; it was placed on the Kansas and National Register of Historic Places in 2006, which marked the beginning of preservation efforts., In 2008, the building was purchased by enterprising Senecans who converted it into the Cornerstone Coffe Haus. All the windows with colorful art glass were restored and the building utilities upgraded. Owners also rescued the popular soda fountain from Harsh's Drug Store, which stood on Main opposite the bank, giving it a new life. Today, the restored building is once again thriving - a bright and comfortable meeting place in a re-energized Seneca.