8567-95 Establishig Historic Landmark Building 1601 Kemble Ave

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The largest part of the building plan is oriented to Kemble Street with a symmetrically balanced entry facade. The Indiana Avenue side once featured a commercial storefront toward the rear of the structure which has been filled in to match the surrounding brick but lacks the terre-cotta detailing. The windows at street level are multiple sash (three windows per aperture in most cases presently visible). The section of the building originally occupied by the bank is articulated with terre-cotta widow hoods and surrounds at each corner of the occupied area. Intervening windows are enhanced by terre-cotta squares at the corners of each window and terre-cotta diamonds in the intervening walls between windows. The second story windows are typically spaced pairs of double hung sash oriented to center on the window groups below. These windows were presumably for office or apartment rooms. The street facades are profusely ornamented with terre-cotta parapet coping, cornice, stringcourse, window sills, relief panels with foliage motifs placed above the above mentioned first floor window hoods, and water table. Where the storefront wall has been filled in, the terre-cotta water table has been imitated in concrete. The main facade is further decorated with a terre-cotta relief panel depicting an eagle at the parapet above the main entry and arch and pilasters surrounding the front doors.[3] HISTORIC DEVELOPMENT The Toth State Bank was organized May 2, 1921, with $50,000 of capital.[4][5] The officers of the bank were: Frank Lassu, President; Toefil Drobny, Vice President, George Toth, Cashier; Wilma Sabo, Assistant Cashier; and Joseph Kovacs, Secretary. The Board of Directors was constituted by Frank Lassu, Toefil Drobny, George Toth, Joseph Kovacs, Steve Gargacz, Steve Toth, and Ferdinand Miholich. Of these, Lassu, the Toths, and Miholich were all native Hungarians who had migrated to South Bend between 1900 and 1920. Drobny had been born in Poland. Gergacz was the only member known to have been born in South Bend.[6] George Toth seems to have been the central figure of this group. He arrived in South Bend in 1919 and married Elizabeth Kovacs who was probably related to (sister of ?) Joseph Kovacs, an attorney who had migrated from Pennsylvania in 1912.[7] Toth listed his residence at 602 Chapin. This may have been an apartment or a commercial location. All that we know about Steven Toth is that he maintained a restaurant in this same vicinity at 544 Chapin. Toth seems to have gathered his associates in a large part from this neighborhood. In 1921 Drobny maintained a Chiropractic practice at 502 Chapin. Gergacz and Miholich were both proprietors of "buffet lunch" establishments at 810 and 1601 Prairie Avenue respectively.[8] In 1921, the year that the bank was formed, there were twelve banks and one loan company listed in the City Directory. The first location of the bank was located at the corner of Chapin and Ford Street which would place it at the 602 Chapin address earlier established as George Toth's residence, directly across the street from the Oliver Chilled Plow Works.[9] The 1922 publication South Bend World Famed states that ". . .all the directors are well and popularly known in banking circles and to the people of all nationalities, especially among the Hungarian, German, and Slav population of the district, who took advantage of the banking facilities offered in their respective neighborhood."