127-0381

First National Bank Building

VLR Listing Date

02/26/1982

NRHP Listing Date

04/12/1982

NRHP Reference Number

82004586

Commissioned by the Chesapeake and Ohio Railway Co., the First National Bank Building in the city of Richmond, with its elegant detailing, Corinthian columns, and lofty banking hall, is a potent example of 20th-century Neoclassical Revival architecture. Its architect was Alfred Charles Bossom, an associate with Clinton and Russell of New York. The building was completed in 1913 as the city’s first high-rise building, combining monumental scale with the technological daring of steel-frame skyscraper construction. Bossom stated his approach to the design: “The building externally should look like a BANK and should call attention to itself by substantial and conservative appearance.” In the heart of downtown Richmond’s Main Street financial district, the structure was long the headquarters of the state’s oldest banking institution. The exterior appearance was altered when its Florentine-style cornice was removed. The First National Bank Building was converted to house office condominiums.

Last Updated: January 5, 2024

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Abbreviations:
VLR: Virginia Landmarks Register
NPS: National Park Service
NRHP: National Register of Historic Places
NHL: National Historic Landmark

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