Wheeler Bank facts for kids
Quick facts for kids |
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Wheeler Bank
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 Location in Colorado
Location in the United States
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| Location | 717-719 Manitou Avenue, Manitou Springs, Colorado |
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| Architect | MacFarlane & Co. |
| Architectural style | Romanesque and Italian Villa |
| NRHP reference No. | 80000898 |
| Added to NRHP | 1980 |
The Wheeler Bank is a special old building in Manitou Springs, Colorado. It was built by a famous person named Jerome B. Wheeler. This building is so important that it's listed on the National Register of Historic Places. Over the years, it has been many things, like a bank, a place for shows, and even a shop!
The Building's Story
This historic building was finished in 1888. It was built for Jerome B. Wheeler, who was a very rich person from Colorado. He made his money from mining and banking. The Wheeler Bank was the very first bank in Manitou Springs.
The building's design mixes two cool styles: Romanesque Revival and Italian Villa. The front of the building looks a bit different on each side. One part has big, rounded arches with special glass windows. The other part has a shop entrance that is set back a little. In the middle, there's a staircase that leads to the upper floors.
The second and third floors look the same on both sides. They have rows of windows. The entire third floor used to be a big opera house, where people watched plays and shows. Now, it's been changed into an apartment. The outside of the building used to be red brick, but now it's painted a light cream color with red details.
Who Was Jerome B. Wheeler?
Jerome B. Wheeler was a very important person in Manitou Springs. He ran a bank on one side of the first floor of this building. On the other side, there was a dry goods store, which sold things like fabric and household items. The second floor had offices, and the third floor was the "Opera Hall," where many performances took place.
The bank had to close for a short time during a money problem in 1893. But it opened again later and stayed a bank until 1922. After that, a new bank called the Bank of Manitou opened in a different building nearby.
Jerome B. Wheeler was also very generous to the town of Manitou Springs. He gave a lot of money and help for many things:
- He gave $50,000 to help build Manitou Avenue.
- He provided equipment for the town's volunteer firefighters.
- He donated the famous Wheeler Clock, which is still in Manitou Springs today.
- He gave $10,000 to help fix things after a big flood in 1913.
