Completed in 1911, this two-story, two part bank is located on the northeast corner of the main intersection in the heart of American Fork's commercial district. The two primary facades of the face Center and Main streets with the narrower and more elaborate of the two facing Main Street. The bank's rectangular plan measures 41 by 94.5 feet, nearly the same as the dimensions of the lot upon which it sits. The bank is Neo-classical in feeling but eclectic in its expression.
Constructed on a concrete foundation, the walls of the main structure are made of iron oxide brick which is dark purple-brown in color. The extensive ornamental trim, including Ionic and Composite capitals, columns, entablature, sills, brackets, and keystones, are made of what appears to be limestone. The trim higher on the building, such as the two cornices and the ornamented ventilation grills, appear to be made of pressed metal. All of the trim is painted white, making exact material identification difficult.
Both front facades are asymmetrical. The Main Street entry is situated along the west side of the south facade and consists of a shallow portico with round, tapered columns and Composite capitals. These support an entablature capped with a crown molding. Flanking the portico area a pair of tall, narrow accent windows, while a large storefront window occupies the eastern half of this lower facade. The upper facade features two set of tripartite windows, the smaller of which has crown molding and dentils. Separating the east and west halves of the facade and creating a sense of verticality are brick wall pilasters topped with modified Ionic capitals.
The west facade is twice as long as the south but similar in architecture. It consists of six bays separated by pilasters. The two northern bays on the street level contain entries, the recessed one on the north leading to a small store while the other one leads to a lobby with a stairway going to the second floor. These flat-arched openings contrast with the four round-arched openings to the south. These feature colonial transoms over fixed storefront windows. Except for the larger north bay which features three tall, narrow windows, the other five second level bays have paired windows, all double-hung sash with six- or nine-over-one lites. The cornices, vents, and bracketed sills repeat those found in the Main Street elevation. The north and east walls face an alley and another building, respectively, and are of plain brick with no trim. Along the rear second floor are tall, double-hung windows.
Cantilevered out from the main, southwest corner of the bank at a 45 degree angle is a [unique object]. All but one (the north) of its faces have been covered but the [redacted]-made [unique object] is otherwise original in appearance. Other exterior alterations are minor, consisting of some poorly placed signs, the replacement of window muntins and the newer, anodized metal storefront door and window assemblies in the two main entryways. The overall architectural sense of the exterior is otherwise very intact.
The interior of the street level floor consists of a large, open retail shop on the south, the lobby and stairway behind it to the north, and on the far north, a narrow, long shop. The ceilings in these spaces have been lowered slightly due to the addition of acoustical tile. The walls are still plastered but some of the square columns have been covered with mirrors. Original lighting has been replaced with fluorescent units and floors have been carpeted. The lobby ceiling is about 15 feet high. A new, substantial stairway trimmed in oak has replaced the former stairs. The second floor consists of a central corridor with small professional offices on either side. Due to the many changes, the bank's interior is much less architecturally significant than its impressive exterior. Beneath the main floor is a full-sized basement, partly finished, albeit modestly.
To claim a "find" on this virtual geocache, please follow these instructions:
- Visit the posted coordinates and observe a unique object (suspended in the air) original to the Bank of American Fork.
- Read the plaque located on the south side of the southwest corner of the building to learn more about the origins of the bank (this is just to educate yourself about the hisotry of the bank, no answers come from this).
- Submit the answers to the following questions through the Message Center or email:
- Who is the manufacturer of the unique object?
- What city and state were the unique object manufactured in?
- Looking at the east face of the unique object, which of the following numbers is closest to the hinges? 1, 3, 6, or 11?
Virtual Rewards 3.0 - 2022-2023
This Virtual Cache is part of a limited release of Virtuals created between March 1, 2022 and March 1, 2023. Only 4,000 cache owners were given the opportunity to hide a Virtual Cache. Learn more about Virtual Rewards 3.0 on the Geocaching Blog.