Montezuma Valley National Bank - 1908 - Cortez, Colorado - Colorado Historical Markers on Waymarking.com

Completed in 1909, the Montezuma Valley National Bank is a commercial building constructed of native sandstone masonry with Classical Revival sheet metal detailing. The following year a second phase of L-shaped construction created another commercial building along the bank's east wall and an office off the bank's north end. This work was carefully constructed to blend with the original bank with the masonry, coursing, and ornamental trim matching exactly. The buildings occupy two lots at the northeast corner of Main and Market streets in the center of Cortez. Facing south onto Main Street, the bank building and north office [formerly 5MT.11979; listed in the Colorado State Register] sit on lot 12 and the store building [formerly 5MT.11980] occupies lot 11.

The rectangular plan bank building is one story with a raised basement that is partially exposed on its two street elevations; the north office and store building are at-grade. The basement is accessible via a below-grade exterior stairway on the west (Market Street) side. A stone parapet wall conceals a low pitched roof. Classically inspired architectural detailing is composed of pre-fabricated sheet metal backed by wood blocking. This sheet metal forms extensive moldings for a primary and secondary cornice, the parapet cap, and the pediments that mark the corner entry. While the metal trim was historically all one color, it is currently painted in contrasting colors of cream, rust, and green.

The south and west walls of the bank building consist of quarry-faced rectangular ashlar sandstone with dressed edges set in concrete mortar. The stones are approximately 16" thick and laid up in alternating courses of 10" and 6" high blocks of varying widths. This carefully arranged stonework continues across the facade of the store building. The north (rear) wall of both buildings, the east wall of the store, and the original east wall of the bank which now serves as a common interior wall for both buildings are all constructed with irregular sandstone blocks of varying sizes with irregular concrete mortar joints. This was a common practice for walls that would eventually be hidden by neighboring buildings on the block.