[1][2] In 1852 Wisconsin passed a referendum in favor of establishing commercial banks under state charter.

Its designer is uncertain, but it was probably George W. Mygatt and Leonhardt A. Schmidtner, given other projects that they did for Cramer.

The building was in Italian Renaissance Revival style - four stories on a raised basement, with a wooden framework clad in limestone from near Joliet, Illinois, with corner quoins, a projecting cornice, and a cast iron entablature.

It was designed by his relative Albert C. Nash very similar to the Bank of Wisconsin next door, but with hoods over the windows.

After a portion of the building collapsed in 1956, the damaged areas were re-built with limestone that had been salvaged from the wreck and cream-colored brick.