Adventure 051, Site 169 – Bank of Italy, Merced

Capture California, the Game-2012

Adventure: 051, Site 169 – Bank of Italy, Merced

National Registry ID: 2004001135

Team: Thing One, Thing Two

Date:  September 22, 2012

Location:

Latitude: N 37° 18.094

Longitude: W 120° 29.011

Address: 501 West Main Street, Merced, CA

Description:

Date Built: 1928

Architect: Minton, Henry Anthony

As we continued our walk around Merced, our next stop was the Bank of Italy building. The building does not have the old, tired, deteriorated look which the Fresno Bank of Italy building does. This building now houses the administrative offices of UC California, Merced. It gives a feeling of newness and optimism. Still, there was no plaque, just an entry on the National Registry of Historic Places.






From NRHP:
The Bank of Italy building is a good example of commercial and banking architecture during in the 1920s in which buildings draw on Classical architectural features as a representation of the prosperity, growth, pioneering spirit and progress of the people. This theme is particularly well expressed by the Bank of Italy's opening announcement placed in the April 19, 1928 edition of the Merced Sun Star Newspaper, "This new building of the Bank of Italy in Merced, together with its-all inclusive banking-service, is substantial and abiding proof that this great bank is living up to its pledge to work at all times for the greater prosperity of Merced and surrounding community. This living monument marks the shoulder-tc-shoulder progress of both the Merced district and the Bank of

Italy."

References:

• National Registry of Historical Places-Documents and Photos
  
• Waymarking
  

Overall Landmark References:

• National Registry of Historical Places (NRHP)
  
• Historical Marker Database (HMDB)
  
• WayMarking (WAY)