Laclede Bank: A St. Louis Banking Landmark Reborn
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From Frontier Town to Financial Powerhouse: The Merchants–Laclede National Bank Building and the Hilton Pennywell at the Arch
Laclede Bank: A St. Louis Banking Landmark Reborn is the first edition of DealMaker Day Trips, a 5-page publication from AmeriShop Services LLC exploring the history, people and places of the greater St. Louis region.
The free digital e-reader traces the story of Laclede Bank and the Merchants–Laclede National Bank Building, then turns to the historic property’s later life as the Hilton Pennywell St. Louis at the Arch. Its pages combine a history of downtown banking, details about the building’s architecture and preservation, a timeline, hotel information and a grid of walkable stops nearby.
A Bold New Bank Rises at Fourth and Olive
The publication’s front-page account begins in 1855, when Laclede Bank opened at the prominent corner of Fourth and Olive Streets. Its substantial building, stately stone facade and commanding presence stood as a symbol of St. Louis’ growing influence in trade, commerce and industry.
The issue presents the bank’s opening as a statement of confidence in the city’s future. It also connects Laclede Bank with St. Louis’ transformation into a regional economic hub, describing how capital supported railroads, river trade and industries that would shape the American Midwest.
From Banking to Landmark
The publication’s history page sets the building’s development against the rapid growth of St. Louis in the 1880s. The city rose from the nation’s sixth-largest to fifth by 1890. In fall 1885, Chicago realtor Andrew J. Cooper and New York architect Steven D. Hatch secured a 99-year lease on the southwest corner of Fourth and Olive Streets.
A funding shortfall stalled work at the foundations. In February 1887, the Laclede Building Co. was formed to finish the project, with investors that included officers of Laclede National Bank. The eight-story building opened in mid-1888 with a bank on its ground floor.
Laclede and Merchants banks leased the ground floor, gaining prestige from the building’s commanding presence. Other financial firms followed, and by the turn of the century, Fourth Street had become St. Louis’ Wall Street. In 1895, the two banks consolidated as the Merchants–Laclede National Bank. The bank bought the building in 1905 and remained until its liquidation in 1929. The Merchants–Laclede name endured as law firms and other professionals filled the offices.
Architecture and Preservation
The architecture section describes Hatch, a Vermont-born New York architect, and the building’s composed facade. Granite and red brick piers form a grid crossed by bands of Lake Superior pink sandstone, with ornament reserved for points of structural stress.
Inside, iron framing was fireproofed with hollow tile. The St. Louis firm Scherpe and Koken supplied ironwork, including a seven-story cast-iron staircase with marble treads.
In 1906, St. Louis architects Eames and Young opened up the base of the building. They smoothed the rusticated street-front granite, added plate glass and framed a new Olive Street entrance with fluted Doric columns of Missouri pink granite. The new banking room, finished in white marble and plaster, received two large vaults. The publication notes that most of that interior remained intact in 1998.
Why the Building Matters
The issue describes the Laclede Building as the oldest survivor of St. Louis’ early skyscraper era and one of the few notable commercial works remaining from Hatch’s career. It says the building brought the large, tall, fireproof office block to St. Louis and soon drew imitators.
Its timeline panel follows the project from lease to liquidation:
Fall 1885: Cooper and Hatch lease the corner site.
February 1886: Construction begins.
February 1887: Laclede Building Co. is formed.
Mid-1888: The Laclede Building opens.
1895: Laclede and Merchants banks consolidate.
1905: The bank buys the building.
1906: Eames and Young remodel the building, and vaults are installed.
1929: The bank is liquidated.
The publication credits the National Register of Historic Places Registration Form for the Laclede Building, also known as the Merchants-Laclede Building, prepared by the Landmarks Association of St. Louis in February 1998. It also clarifies that its illustration is an artist’s rendering made at the publisher’s request, not a photograph.
[Image: A St. Louis Banking Landmark Reborn page from DealMaker Day Trips, covering the Merchants–Laclede National Bank Building history and timeline.]
The Merchants–Laclede National Bank Building history and timeline, as printed in the issue.
The Pennywell: The Landmark Reborn
The hotel pages present the Hilton Pennywell St. Louis at the Arch as a modern guest destination within the historic banking property. The publication lists more than 5,000 square feet of event space and seven meeting rooms, ranging from a boardroom to a historic ballroom. It also describes custom menus and an on-site sales and catering team.
The issue lists 195 guest rooms and notes that the hotel is a six-minute walk from the America’s Center Convention Complex. Guest accommodation categories include king, two-queen, two-king, executive suite and mobility-accessible options.
Dining and shopping featured in the hotel pages include Pennydrop Bar + Kitchen, open daily for breakfast, lunch and dinner, and The Vault Marketplace, a gift shop inside the historic bank vault.
The publication’s rooms directory gives the following areas:
The Reserve Ballroom: 1,377 sq ft
Trade: 1,012 sq ft
Treasury: 840 sq ft
Minted: 624 sq ft
Private Dining Space: 600 sq ft
Exchange Boardroom: 400 sq ft
Merchant Boardroom: 260 sq ft
[Image: Meetings and events at the Pennywell, as printed in the issue.]
Meetings and events at the Pennywell, as printed in the issue.
Walkable Stops Near the Pennywell
The publication presents a grid of walkable stops covering landmarks, museums, food and drink, and shopping. Its listed landmarks include Gateway Arch National Park, Old Courthouse and Gateway Arch Riverboats. Other named stops include Busch Stadium, Top Notch Axe Throwing, St. Louis Cardinals Hall of Fame and Museum, Soldiers Memorial Military Museum and Campbell House Museum.
The grid also features Trust, The Cobblestone STL, Odditeas Cafe and Artistic Lounge, Vinciguerra Jewelry, and Baseballism St. Louis. Together, the listings offer readers a selection of nearby places to explore, from museums and local attractions to dining, activities and shopping.
[Image: Walkable stops near the Pennywell, as printed in the issue.]
Walkable stops near the Pennywell, as printed in the issue.
[Image: Guest rooms, suites and dining at the Pennywell, as printed in the issue.]
Guest rooms, suites and dining at the Pennywell, as printed in the issue.
Good to know: The publication says ratings are Google ratings as of October 2026 and can change over time. Descriptions come from each stop's own website or official page. Hours vary, so check before visiting.
An Important Note on Sources
This is a free digital e-reader publication. It credits the National Register of Historic Places Registration Form for the Laclede Building as its historical source. The issue states that its illustration is an artist’s rendering made at the publisher’s request, not a photograph, and that no sponsorship or endorsement is implied by any brand shown.
Hotel details and nearby-stop descriptions are presented as they appear in the publication. Readers should confirm current details directly before relying on them.
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