Old First National Bank Building in Telluride

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Visit our Tour Destination: Colorado page to see the entire tour of the state’s Save America’s Treasures sites.

The Old First National Bank Building in Telluride in its current state
of restoration and decorated for Christmas!
Photo courtesy of Heart of Telluride.

Old First National Bank Building

West Colorado Avenue

Telluride, CO

The Treasure:  The Old First National Bank Building, also known as the Nugget Building, is a handsome example of the Richardsonian Romanesque style and the grand centerpiece of a renowned historic Colorado town.

Accessibility:  The restored Old First National Bank Building is now home to a number of local businesses including a movie theater, a sunglasses store, and a chocolate shop.

Background:  Located in southwestern Colorado, Telluride is nestled in a picturesque canyon surrounded by steep forested mountains and cliffs. Prospectors arrived in the 1870s, initially coming in search of gold but then staying for the silver. The town’s name of Telluride derives from the telluride ores found in the area, associated with its extensive silver, zinc, lead, and copper deposits.

When the first railroad reached the town in 1890, canny local businessmen realized the time was ripe to capitalize on the area’s significant mining potential. Among them, Lucien Lucius (L.L.) Nunn (1853-1925) was a born entrepreneur who came to Telluride in 1880 and began to build his fortune as he practiced law, sold real estate, and dabbled in gold mining, journalism, and banking.

In 1891, Nunn hired architect James Murdoch to design a respectable building to serve as home to his bank and his power company. Already established as an important architect in the rapidly emerging city of Denver, Murdoch  brought impressive credentials to the job. He proposed a large building made of the native red sandstone, constructed in the Richardsonian Romanesque style known for its 11th-century-style stone masonry, large arches, and medieval-inspired towers. When it was completed, the inside was as impressive as the outside, with stained glass windows, a tin ceiling in the original bank area, and a grand staircase.

Historic photo from before 1910 showing the Old First National Bank
Building with its original tower and balustrade.  These features are
scheduled to be reconstructed in the final phase of the current
restoration project.

The restored red granite columns and stained glass windows at the
original corner entrance of the bank.
Photo courtesy of Heart of Telluride.

Historic photograph of a 75 mule pack train in Telluride with the
Old First National Bank Building visible in the distance.

Historic photo of the Old First National Bank Building, taken sometime
between 1910-1920.  The balustrade and tower were removed for safety
reasons after the 1914 flood which brought 2-3 feet of mud into the building's
first floor, thus destabilizing the foundation.

Today, the Old First National Bank Building has served the town for 120 years. In its early years, it was home to the First National Bank and the Telluride Power Company. At various times, portions of the building have been used as a grocery store, a movie theater, and an Elks Lodge.

But years of deferred maintenance took their toll, particularly on the soft sandstone. By the 1990s, the building looked tired and shabby, even suffering the indignity of having the handsome sandstone on its eastern side crudely buried beneath a façade of purple shotcrete. Even as Telluride enjoyed a fast-growing reputation as a premier tourist town, the Old First National Bank building—once the centerpiece of the town—needed a thorough historic restoration to return it to its former glory.

Before the restoration work began:  The Old First National Bank
Building with its purple shotcrete facade.
Photo courtesy of Heart of Telluride.

The restoration work in progress at the Old First National Bank
Building in Telluride.
Photo courtesy of Heart of Telluride.

Nikola Tesla.
Source: Wikimedia Commons

Notes from the Editor:  Even though he’s lived most of his life in Thomas Edison’s adopted home state of New Jersey, my son Terry is a diehard fan of Nikola Tesla (1856-1943). For him, the turn-of-the-century “War of Currents” waged between George Westinghouse (representing Tesla and his alternating current) and Thomas Edison (with his advocacy of direct current) remains a relevant hot issue. He bristles whenever history books give all the electrical credit to Edison.

Now here’s the connection between the Old First National Bank Building and my son’s hero: In summer 1890, L.L. Nunn asked George Westinghouse if his company could use their new alternating current (AC) technology to provide electricity for Telluride’s Gold King Mine. With L.L. Nunn supplying the money and Tesla supplying the brainpower, the Ames Hydroelectric Generating Plant opened in 1891. It was the world’s first commercial AC power plant.

A year later, Nunn moved ahead with his plans to build the Old First National Bank Building, which housed the Telluride Power Company (that ran the power plant) on its second floor. L.L. Nunn and his brother Paul Nunn continued to collaborate with George Westinghouse on subsequent power plant projects in Utah, Idaho, Montana, Wyoming, Niagara Falls, and Mexico.

While Tesla never actually visited the Ames plant, his connection with the plant continues to be celebrated. Although history books still tend to slight Tesla’s achievements in comparison to Edison’s, it was Tesla’s AC current that ultimately won the “War of Currents” and shaped the power transmission landscape of 20th and 21st century America.

Other Recommended Sites:  The Telluride Historical Museum tells the rich story of this rugged mining-town-now-turned-tourist-mecca. They encourage walking tours of the historic town. You can either explore with their MP3 systems or the more old-fashioned way—utilizing their Telluride’s Victorian Vernacular book which features five self-guided tours of the area.

Located 30 minutes south of Telluride, that original Ames Hydroelectric Generating Plant is still standing in Ophir, Colorado. There’s a plaque outside the small plant that commemorates its international importance: “World’s First Generating Station to Produce and Transmit Electrical Current.”

Special thanks to Katrine Formby and Amy Cook of Heart of Telluride for their invaluable help with compiling the historical information and images for this entry. And their vacation rental units look enchanting!

The Old First National Bank Building in its current state of restoration.
Photo courtesy of Heart of Telluride.

Turn-of-the-century postcard view of Telluride with the Old First
National Bank Building midway down the street on the left.

Tour America's History Itinerary

Friday’s destination:  Naropa Poetics Audio Archive

© 2012 Lee Price