First National Bank Building

Introduction

Text-to-speech Audio

John Dobson and John Andersen established the First National Bank in 1919. It was the second bank in town after the Bank of Chandler, operated by Dr. A.J. Chandler. Dobson and Andersen designed the brick building in a Neo Classical style with columns, which makes it unique in Downtown Chandler, where most of the other buildings exhibit characteristics of mission revival style architecture.

Images

First National Bank Building, 1936

Interior of First National Bank, c. 1920

Backstory and Context

Text-to-speech Audio

The First National Bank opened on Boston Street on February 24, 1920. It was the second bank to open in the tiny town of Chandler and cost approximately $20,000 to build.

The bank was organized by John Dobson, who served as President, and John Andersen, who served as Vice President, and it had a capital of $50,000.

When the Great Depression hit, the First National Bank merged with the Bank of Chandler in an effort to remain solvent. The effort failed and the bank closed. In 1936, the Valley

National Bank opened a branch in the First National Bank building and remained there for many years.

In recent years the building has housed a winery and a restaurant. The original bank safe still remains in the back of the restaurant.