The Bank of California Building is a 1908

Greco-Roman The Greco-Roman world , also Greco-Roman civilization, Greco-Roman culture or Greco-Latin culture (spelled Græco-Roman or Graeco-Roman in British English), as understood by modern scholars and writers, includes the geographical regions and co ...

style structure with a

brutalist Brutalist architecture is an architectural style that emerged during the 1950s in the United Kingdom, among the reconstruction projects of the post-war era. Brutalist buildings are characterised by minimalist constructions that showcase the b ...

, , 22-

story Story or stories may refer to: Common uses * Narrative, an account of imaginary or real people and events ** Short story, a piece of prose fiction that typically can be read in one sitting ** News story, an event or topic reported by a news orga ...

tower annexed in 1967 at 400 California Street in the

financial district A financial district is usually a central area in a city where financial services firms such as banks, insurance companies, and other related finance corporations have their headquarters offices. In major cities, financial districts often host ...

San Francisco San Francisco, officially the City and County of San Francisco, is a commercial, Financial District, San Francisco, financial, and Culture of San Francisco, cultural center of Northern California. With a population of 827,526 residents as of ...

California California () is a U.S. state, state in the Western United States that lies on the West Coast of the United States, Pacific Coast. It borders Oregon to the north, Nevada and Arizona to the east, and shares Mexico–United States border, an ...

. Union Bank acquired the building in 1996 as part of its merger with

Bank of California The Bank of California was opened in San Francisco, California, on July 4, 1864, by William Chapman Ralston and Darius Ogden Mills. It was the first commercial bank in the Western United States, and considered instrumental in developing the Amer ...

. It was one of the first commercial buildings to be completed following the

1906 San Francisco earthquake At 05:12 AM Pacific Time Zone, Pacific Standard Time on Wednesday, April 18, 1906, the coast of Northern California was struck by a major earthquake with an estimated Moment magnitude scale, moment magnitude of 7.9 and a maximum Mercalli inte ...

, leading to a rebirth of the city's financial district. Construction was based on the

Knickerbocker Trust Company The Knickerbocker Trust was a bank based in New York City that was, at one time, among the largest banks in the United States. It was a central player in the Panic of 1907. History The bank was chartered in 1884 by Frederick G. Eldridge, a ...

building in

New York City New York, often called New York City (NYC), is the most populous city in the United States, located at the southern tip of New York State on one of the world's largest natural harbors. The city comprises five boroughs, each coextensive w ...

History

The Bank of California, a key financial institution in the West, was founded by

William Chapman Ralston William Chapman Ralston (January 12, 1826 – August 27, 1875) was a San Francisco businessman and financier, and the founder of the Bank of California. Biography William Chapman Ralston was born at Wellsville, Ohio, son of Robert Ralston III ...

on July 5, 1864. As the bank rapidly expanded, it soon outgrew its original location. Renowned architects

Walter Danforth Bliss Walter Danforth Bliss (1874-1956) was an American architect from California. Many of his buildings are listed on the National Register of Historic Places. Biography Early life Walter Danforth Bliss was born in Nevada in 1874. His parents were D ...

and

William Baker Faville William Baker Faville (1866–1946) was an American architect. He was born in California, did some growing up in western New York State, studied Massachusetts Institute of Technology. He met Walter Danforth Bliss, with whom he later partnered, a ...

were commissioned to design a grand new building on the same site. In January 1906, the bank relocated temporarily to prepare for the construction of its impressive new headquarters. However, progress was abruptly halted by the earthquake and fire on April 18, 1906. Despite the setback, work resumed just six weeks later. The new Bank of California building, fondly known as "The Grand Old Lady of California Street," officially opened on September 8, 1908. It was the first commercial building in the Financial District to emerge from the devastation of the earthquake. In 1996, the Bank of California merged with Union Bank, forming Union Bank of California, N.A. On September 8, 2008, the historic building was rededicated on its 100th anniversary by Union Bank of California President and CEO Masakki Tanaka, along with San Francisco Mayor Gavin Newsom.

References

{{Buildings in San Francisco, state=collapsed Office buildings completed in 1908 Office buildings completed in 1967 Landmarks in San Francisco Skyscraper office buildings in San Francisco Bliss and Faville buildings Anshen and Allen buildings Financial District, San Francisco 1908 establishments in California

History

See also

References