About the Manlius Historical Society
Our History
A unique aspect of the First State Bank of Manlius is that most of the contents are still intact. It almost looks as though the employees turned off the lights, locked the door, and the bank is still awaiting their return. The teller stations had been removed but some of them have been found inside the bank. They were reconstructed by Ed Behrens in January 2011, using old photographs found in the bank.
With generous donations, fundraisers, drawdowns, and many donations from many people, work inside the First State Bank of Manlius is progressing. The interior painting of the walls is complete. Interior paint was donated by Sherman Williams of Peru and Princeton. Most of the beautiful cherry wood trim and woodworking has been refurbished. Four honor student interns from the Electrical class of Sauk Valley Community College, under the watchful eye of their instructor, Loren Niemeyer, replaced much of the electric wiring system, outlets, etc. They donated their labor for this project. Roger Johnson, a Manlius High School graduate, duplicated and donated the two original small stained glass windows located at the front of the building.
With the help of these people and countless others who have donated their time, knowledge, or financial assistance, the Manlius Historical Society is continuing to preserve and restore the First State Bank of Manlius one dollar at a time. We invite all of you to come see our progress.
Our Goals
- To restore the only commercial building left standing designed by Parker Noble Berry.
- To create a museum to promote this historical landmark and our rich local history.
- To develop educational programs with local history in mind.