History of the Citizens National Bank Building
The National Bank of Ashland was organized in 1883 and a building was constructed on the corner of 15th and Silver Streets in Ashland in 1889. The building was designed by I. & I. Hodgson, Jr., Architects of Omaha. They had designed and planned the City Hall of Indianapolis, the Exposition Hall in Minneapolis and had moved to Omaha in 1914 where they designed the United States National Bank Building.
The National Bank building is a 2-story brick and stone structure. When built, there was an outside entrance to a basement barbershop.
The second floor was occupied by the Lincoln Telephone & Telegraph Co. as their local exchange until 1957 when they moved into a new building. At that time the second floor was made into an apartment which is its present status.
The National Bank occupied the main floor offices until 1933.
The Citizens National Bank occupied the building until 1947 when it was purchased by the Farmers & Merchants National Bank and moved across the street. The building was renovated in 1935 at which time the basement exterior stairs were eliminated and the front entrance was enclosed. The basement housed a barber shop until 1930 before it became the Max Carter Photo Studio.
The Olson Insurance Agency and Lutton Law Office moved into the building in 1948. The Insurance Agency changed hands several times and was finally sold to the Ashland Agency who moved to their own building in 1977. The main floor was renovated in 1982 to make offices for Claude and David Lutton who joined his father at Lutton Law Office. It was again renovated in 2016 and 2023 to meet the needs of a growing firm.
Summary originally by Claude D. Lutton
