Bank of Commerce
Description of Historic Place
The old Bank of Commerce is a two-storey Beaux Arts commercial building located on the
north side of 30th Avenue in Vernon. The concrete block building features a symmetrical front
façade faced with brick and four terra cotta pilasters rising to the top of the second storey.
The building also has a central pedimented porch and a centrally located pediment above an
attenuated cornice line.
Heritage Value
Built in 1913-14, the old Bank of Commerce is notable for its impressive and well-detailed
Beaux Arts design. The monumental massing of the building is well suited to its central block
position, giving it a significant presence on the street. The use of two-storey pilasters, high
cornice, and extensive overhanging roofs emphasizes the grandeur of the building and creates
the illusion of size...
...Notable Beaux Arts features of the Vernon branch include the monumental Corinthian
pilasters with finely moulded terra cotta acanthus leaves and flowers, the large modillions
under the extended overhang of the roof, the pedimented central roof containing a terra cotta
medallion, and the central pedimented porch. The broken pediment over the entrance
contains a caduceus, the original insignia of the Bank of Commerce, representing power and
wisdom. The symmetrical rows of windows in the upper and lower storeys, each with a
decorative keystone, add to the classical formality of the design. The interior included two
vaults and staff accommodation upstairs. The Vernon brickyards provided the pressed brick
for the side walls.
The bank is also valued as a symbol of the prosperity which Vernon had achieved by 1914.
The population had tripled to 3000 in the previous decade and the city firmly established as
the business and transportation centre of the Okanagan Valley. Land speculation and
promotion led to a significant influx of new population. A large granite courthouse built in 1914, as well as a stone post office built two years earlier, further emphasized the presence of the Provincial and Federal governments in Vernon...
...Following closely on the construction of a new Bank of Montreal in 1910 and the Winnipeg
Union Bank in 1911, the Bank of Commerce’s new building, initiated in 1913 and completed
the next year, marked the height of Vernon’s economic growth, just before World War I. The
Bank was in the building until 1979, expanding the rear of the building in 1950. The building
was sold to Baron Insurance, which occupied the building for almost twenty-five years. It is
currently a restaurant.
Character-Defining Elements
- the mid-block location on the north side of 30th Avenue
- the monumental form of the building with its two-storey height, symmetrical massing with
central pediment over a central pedimented entry
- Beaux Arts features such as the monumental fluted terra cotta pilasters with finely detailed
Corinthian floral decoration, medallion in the tympanum (originally echoed by another in the
entry porch), brick corner quoins, and the symmetrical arrangement of the windows with
decorative keystones, broad overhanging eaves with large modillions
- use of pressed brick on the front façade
- original bank night deposit box visible on exterior
- interior features including the original vault
From the
City of Vernon Heritage Register, Page 39