U.S. Bank Building (Spokane)

Old National Bank of Spokane

Industry	Banking
Founded	1891
Headquarters	Spokane, Washington , United States

The U.S. Bank Building, originally known as the Old National Bank Building, is a high-rise located in Spokane, Washington. Completed in 1910, it holds the distinction of being the first skyscraper constructed in the Inland Northwest. Standing at , it was the tallest structure in Washington state from 1910 until 1911, when Tacoma’s Key Bank Center took the title, followed by Seattle’s Smith Tower in 1914. It remained Spokane’s tallest building until the nearby Paulsen Medical and Dental Building was completed in 1929.

History

Established in 1891, the Old National Bank of Spokane quickly became a leading financial institution in the Inland Northwest. To reflect its growing influence, the bank commissioned a new headquarters in 1910. A nationwide design competition awarded the project to Chicago-based D.H. Burnham & Company, famed for landmark early 20th-century architecture. The building was designed in the Chicago School style, featuring Beaux-Arts details on its façade. This project was the final office building designed by Burnham before his death in 1912. Construction commenced in March 1910 and was completed within eight months, opening its doors in January 1911.

Upon completion, approximately 90% of the space was leased, and local prominent bankers financed the $1.3 million project without incurring any mortgage or financial shortfall. This demonstrated the bank’s fiscal solidity and further cemented its reputation within Spokane’s commercial sector.

Architecture

The structure was built with a fire-resistant steel framework and clad in semi-enamelled Terra Cotta. To highlight the contrast between the white Terra Cotta and windows, wood window frames were painted a deep forest green. The ground floor is adorned with a four-foot Vermont granite cornice, while an arcade extends along the twelfth through fifteenth floors. A rooftop walkway offered panoramic views of Spokane’s growing urban landscape.

The interior design matched the exterior’s impressive quality at the time of opening. Riverside Avenue featured two separate entrances: one grand two-story banking hall with granite Ionic columns supporting a clerestory, and another entrance dedicated to office tenants providing direct access to the elevator lobby. Five Otis Elevator Company elevators efficiently served occupants—two covering floors one to nine, two servicing floors eight to fourteen, and one spanning all floors—designed to optimize tenant movement.

Banking Features

Beyond its architectural significance, the bank incorporated state-of-the-art operational amenities that positioned it as a premier banking facility in the Northwest. Notably, its basement contained the region’s largest private vault—a secure room measuring 27 by 9 feet with a formidable 36-ton door that was 23 inches thick. The vault walls consisted of three layers: laminated steel, Bessemer steel, and chrome steel, each layer measuring 1.5 inches in thickness. Additionally, fire- and burglar-resistant vaults were installed on every floor to enhance client security.

Renovations

Since its original construction in 1910, the building has undergone two significant renovations. In the early 1920s, the clerestory was transformed into a mezzanine overlooking the lobby area. A major interior overhaul took place in late 1963, which included lowering the lobby ceiling to create stacked first and second floors and removing granite Ionic columns. Following these changes, the building received national recognition for its fluorescent-lit exterior that brightened Spokane’s skyline. Today, what was once known as the Old National Bank building serves as offices for US Bank.

References

1. US Bank Building on Emporis
2. US Bank Building featured at SkyscraperPage
3. The American Skyscraper, 1850-1940: A Celebration of Height. Boston: Branden Books, 2008. pp. 291-292.
4. The Spokesman Review, November 6, 1910, Sunday Morning edition: pages 1-12.