Downey Savings Bank
bank building in Cedar County, United States of America
Downey Savings Bank is a historic building located in the unincorporated community of Downey, Iowa, United States. The bank was charted and this building was constructed in 1903. The two-story, brick building is an example of an early twentieth century commercial bank building. At the time it was built the town had several other businesses. The bank continued in operation until 1932 when it was closed during the National Banking Holiday. Because its capital was not large enough to meet the new federal banking regulations it was consolidated with the West Liberty Bank. John Bashor opened a grocery-hardware store in the building in 1935, and operated it here until 1961. The building housed a grocery store from 1961 to 1972. After an attempt to convert it into a pool hall and cabinet shop, it became a pottery in the mid 1970s. The building was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1976.
This brief starts where responsible research should: with the source description of “Downey Savings Bank” as bank building in Cedar County, United States of America. Everything that follows is an evidence route, not borrowed authority.
Why this record matters
The subject matters to the places & architecture register because the source frames it as bank building in Cedar County, United States of America. Its deeper value depends on whether names, dates, institutions and citations support that framing.
Place names and jurisdictional language are key evidence: both can reveal earlier catalogue descriptions and overlooked record series. The source revision retrieved here is dated Sep 4, 2026. The linked authority identifier is Q22033973. Authority coordinates are 41.616, -91.350. 1 of 2 selected statements include explicit references; 0 carry qualifiers and 0 use preferred rank. The first chronological checks are 1903, 1932, 1935 and 1961.
Architectural summaries often privilege surviving fabric and can understate demolished phases, contested use or displaced communities. The lead is largely declarative, so disagreement and counter-evidence require a deliberate search beyond the opening account. Authority statements aid reconciliation but still require their own references, qualifiers and ranks to be checked.
How to read it
Treat names, boundaries and functions as historically changeable. Maps, plans, inventories and administrative records can clarify what the place meant at different dates.
- Historic place names
- Jurisdictional context
- Routes into maps and plans
Contemporary maps, plans, listed-building records, estate papers and the responsible local or national archive.
Three-step research path
- Establish the record: confirm the title “Downey Savings Bank”, its source revision and the description used here.
- Expand the search: follow Downey Savings Bank primary sources, Downey Savings Bank archive and Downey research across catalogues and specialist indexes.
- Test the account: compare the strongest cited source with the responsible institution’s current record and note any disagreement.
Questions for further research
- Which source most directly establishes the central claim about “Downey Savings Bank”?
- Which earlier names or jurisdictions may reveal additional records?
- Which authority defined the place, boundary or structure at the relevant date?
Search terms from this dossier
This entry incorporates text from “Downey Savings Bank” on English Wikipedia. Contributors are listed in the page history. Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 License. Selected authority identifiers and statements are retrieved from Wikidata under CC0; their references and qualifiers remain part of the verification path.