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Hello. My name is Ed Sauter. It was always my dream to own a building on Main Street in historic Mount Vernon, and this building is one of the key structures in the Commercial Historic District. Former owner Dennis Herrick hired me as an architect to restore the building in 1989. When restoration work began, I was thrilled to find the original windows in tact behind the 1950s-era coverings. I later purchased the building from Mr. Herrick.
H.A. Collins built this fine example of late 19th century commercial architecture as a bank in 1891, and the words “Bank 1891” are still clearly visible in the pressed tin near the top of the facade. Collins died the next year, and the building was quickly bought by Charles Brackett, who reopened it as a clothing store, which he ran until he retired in 1898.
Brackett was a native of New York state who came to Mount Vernon in 1874 to study at Cornell College. Beginning in 1876, Brackett ran a meat business in partnership with his father, James. Charles Brackett was a nephew of William Brackett, a builder who was responsible for the construction of many Mount Vernon buildings, including King Chapel on the Cornell College campus.
In later years Dennis Herrick, then owner of the Mount Vernon Sun newspaper, bought the building for an office. Herrick found very few changes had been made to the building exterior. He discovered the original colored glass windows above the front doors and center window, which had been covered by a false facade and dropped ceiling. They were returned to their original grandeur. The original building also touted an elaborate “wedding cake” cap of limestone and brick at the top. This was once a common feature on many buildings in the downtown. The upper most stones have been removed. And a compatible addition was added to the rear in 2012.
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Cite this Page:
“H.A. Collins Bank-Brackett Building,” Mount Vernon Iowa History Tours.