Gila Valley Bank and Trust Building - Globe, AZ
Posted by: 
linkys
N 33° 23.845 W 110° 47.282
12S E 519711 N 3695366
In the early 1900's the Gila Valley Bank and Trust was Globe's leading bank and it's new bank building was befitting of that status.
Waymark Code: WMH6B4
Location: Arizona, United States
Date Posted: 05/29/2013
Views: 5
The Gila Valley Bank and Trust Building, built in 1909, is architecturally significant as Globe's most representative example of Neoclassical style architecture, and for its terra cotta exterior sheathing. The building represents the earliest extant, and known, use of glazed terra cotta in the state. Ornamental terra cotta did not come into widespread use in Arizona until the late 1910's. The other comparable facades are the First National Bank of Glendale, 1918, and the Grand Theatre, 1919, in Douglas. The Gila Valley Bank and Trust Building is a notably earlier use of terra cotta, a fact attributable to the economic prominence of Globe at that time and the building having been designed by a Chicago architect. Source
Isadore E. Solomon arrived in Gila Valley in 1876 and began developing a business empire. In 1900, he added the Gila Valley Bank and Trust Company to his store which provided numerous services such as wood cutting and freighting. The bank expanded, opening branches in Morenci and Clifton, and a fourth branch on North Broad Street in Globe.
The Gila Valley Bank on North Broad soon became the leading bank in Globe. This support allowed for a new bank location to be built in 1909. The building was constructed in two distinct architectural styles, the Beaux Arts Neoclassical style and fired bricks and housed offices for trainees and two large vaults. The building was covered in terra cotta blocks decorated with elaborate detail. The building remains in mint condition today, making it one of only four terra cotta buildings west of the Mississippi in good condition.
In 1922, Gila Valley Bank and Trust Company merged with the Valley Bank of Phoenix and formed the Valley National Bank which served Globe until 1952.
On April 25, 1933 the bank was robbed under the management of “Tuck” White. The robbers locked two men in a vault and pushed two tellers into a storage closet. Mr White was told to unlock the vault, and the robbers sped off with $34,000. One of the culprits was caught and his half of the stolen money recovered, but the other robber was never captured.
After the Valley National Bank moved in 1952, the building became the National News Stand then a number of different service and merchandise stores. Partial restoration was done in the 1980s, but it wasn’t until Michael and Sarah Day purchased the building in 1989 that it was fully restored and renovated.
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