First National Bank of Long Beach facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
First National Bank of Long Beach
U.S. National Register of Historic Places
First National Bank building as it appeared in November 2007.
Location in the Los Angeles metropolitan area Show map of the Los Angeles metropolitan area Location in California Show map of California Location in the United States Show map of the United States
Location	101--125 Pine Ave
Nearest city	Long Beach, California
Built	1906
Architect	Train & Williams
NRHP reference No.	90001432
Added to NRHP	September 13, 1990

The First National Bank building is a famous landmark in Long Beach, California. It's also known as the Metropolitan Building or the Enloe Building. This historic building is listed on the National Register of Historic Places, which means it's recognized as an important part of American history.

A Look at the Building's Design

The building you see today was finished in 1906. It was designed by two talented architects from Los Angeles, Robert F. Train and Robert E. Williams. They made sure the building stood out!

The Clock Tower

One of the coolest parts of the building is its unique clock tower. This tower was added in 1907, just a year after the main building was completed. It has a huge clock face that is six feet wide! Imagine telling time on a clock that big.

Architectural Style

The First National Bank building was built in a style called French Renaissance Revival. This means it was designed to look like grand buildings from the French Renaissance period. The architects used special yellow bricks on the sides that face the street. On the other two sides, they used common red bricks. This mix of materials gives the building a very special look.

A Home for Banks

Over the years, many different banks have called this building home. It was a busy place for money and business in Long Beach for a long time.

Pine Street, Long Beach, courtesy, California Historical Society

Here are some of the banks that operated here:

• The First National Bank of Long Beach was the first tenant, from 1906 to 1925.
• Then came The California National Bank of Long Beach, from 1925 to 1929.
• After that, it was the California First National Bank of Long Beach, from 1929 to 1936.
• Finally, Bank of America, National Trust & Savings Association, used the building from 1936 until sometime in the 1960s.

Restoring a Piece of History

In the 1950s, some parts of the building were changed. Many of the original decorations, like the fancy trim along the roof (called a cornice), were taken off or covered up. This was done to make the building look more modern at the time.

However, in the 1980s, there was a big effort to bring the building back to its original glory. People wanted to restore its beautiful historic look. They also worked hard to fix up the famous clock tower.

Today, the ground floor of this historic building is home to a popular Italian restaurant called L'Opera Ristorante. It has been there since 1990, continuing the building's long history as a vibrant part of Long Beach.