Blanco National Bank management has wanted to update the exterior of the Blanco office for several years but the time was never right. This year rotting wood was discovered in the wood posts and awning in front of the Home Office building next door to the bank. Management decided to bring in architect John Klein to design a new façade for the main building that would also incorporate a replacement awning for the Home Office. Klein, of Stehling Klein Thomas Architects in Fredericksburg, has designed all three branch buildings for the bank.
Besides the small Home Office awning, another awning will run the length of the bank building facing Fourth Street. This, together with benches along the wall and large planters providing additional seating, should make walking the square more pleasant. The sidewalk will also be replaced and there will be a stone entryway into the building, directing visitors through double glass doors that include an automatic opener. During renovation, visitors will enter the bank through a temporary entrance routed through the Home Office.
Klein and bank management obtained approval from the Blanco Historical Committee for this project and have also consulted with the Streetscape Committee in an effort to incorporate its plan into the bank’s design.
Duecker Construction, the Stonewall company that has built the bank’s three branches, is doing the renovations. Construction has begun and is anticipated to last through September.
2 photos attached to this article.
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