City Bank Building

Constructed in 1930 in a part of Kansas City known at the time as Midtown, the City Bank building is a landmark of the Crossroads District that blends architectural and economic significance. The bank's construction symbolized the expansion of Kansas City's economic core from the downtown area south, and despite the Great Depression, the area around 18th and Grand would soon grow into a hub of business. The outside of the building has been changed very little since City Bank was first constructed which provides an example of the Commercial and Art Deco styles of architecture that were popular in the 1930s. City Bank was financed by William T. Kemper and led by his son Rufus Crosby Kemper. The business grew to become UMB Bank, so while this historic bank building is now home to the Church of Scientology, it is located across the street from a branch of UMB Bank 

According to R. Crosby Kemper, a member of the banking family that led Old City Bank, the construction of this building was part of the city's southward expansion in the first decades of the twentieth century. With downtown real estate values peaking, many investors and companies turned their attention to a rapidly-developing area around 18th Street known as Midtown. The decision to build City Bank at 18th and Grand was centered on the idea that it would become an anchor of the neighborhood, which turned out to be correct despite the effects of the Great Depression. City Bank was located on a major trolley interchange, and it soon grew into an important commercial center.

The City Bank building was designed by Holden, Ferris, and Barnes, a local architectural firm that built many other structures from 1925 to 1930. While most of the firm's buildings have been lost to time, this former bank survives as an example of the Commercial style of architecture HFB utilized and was popular during the 1920s and 1930s. The design firm made use of Art Deco features throughout the building's exterior, including brickwork that incorporates multiple colors and the stone torch-like fixtures between the windows.

After several decades at 18th and Grand, City Bank accepted a relocation offer in 1972 and moved a mile away to Crown Center. The old building was eventually sold to Howard, Needles, Tammen, and Bergendoff, an engineering firm. HNTB moved to Corporate Woods in Overland Park in the early 1980s, demonstrating the continuity of the city's southward growth throughout the 20th century. The engineering firm sold the former bank building to Republic Bank. The building changed hands in the decades that followed, and today it houses the Church of Scientology's Kansas City location. While the church has made some minor changes to the building's exterior to indicate that it belongs to their organization, "City Bank" is still engraved over the entrance.

Matthews, Mary J. . City Bank Building - National Register of Historic Places Inventory - Nomination Form, National Park Service. January 12th, 1983. Accessed August 29th, 2022. https://catalog.archives.gov/OpaAPI/media/63819202/content/electronic-records/rg-079/NPS_MO/83000996.pdf.

KC Scientology Building Remodeling - Blast Metal Vaults, Blast It Clean. Accessed August 29th, 2022. https://blastitclean.com/featured-projects/kc-scientology-blast-metal-vaults/.

1801 Grand Boulevard, KC History. Accessed August 29th, 2022. https://kchistory.org/image/1801-grand-boulevard.

Thomann, Lauren. What is Art Deco Architecture?, The Spruce. March 4th, 2022. Accessed August 29th, 2022. https://www.thespruce.com/art-deco-architecture-4797589.