First Bank of Vale
About this property
The First Bank of Vale is a historic building located in Vale, Oregon. It was built in 1901 from completely from locally quarried native stone by local pioneers, the Hope brothers. The compact two story building is vernacular architecture of the Richardson Romanesque style. It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places on 5 March 1992. Vale, Oregon was the first permanent settlement on the Oregon Trail in Malheur County. The early permanent structures in Vale, like the First Bank of Vale, were built of native sandstone at the turn of the 20th century. From 1906 on construction included the use of bricks. The erection of a stone hotel in 1872, now known as the Old Stone House is cited as the beginning of the development of the town. Vale became the permanent county seat of Malheur after three competitive elections and the county courthouse was built there in 1902. The First Bank of Vale was built and occupied in 1901 during the construction of the courthouse. It was the first financial institution in Vale to do business in a permanent building. The bank was built by Milton and Isiah Hope, brothers whose land claims were among the originals in the founding of Vale. The Hope brothers built a home and store of native stone in the 1890s. They were stone masons, merchants and businessmen who were active in the management of the bank and helped fund construction of the courthouse. It is likely one of the brothers was chief builder/architect for the First Bank of Vale building. The First Bank of Vale was incorporated on 17 June 1901 with US$50,000 capital. The bank prospered in the ensuing years, besting a competitor that had come to town, The First National Bank. The First Bank of Vale built a new building in 1908 known as Drexel Hotel which is also listed on the National Register of Historic Places. The original First Bank of Vale building was sold back to the Hope brothers with the opening of the new three story complex (taller than the competitor's 1907 two-story building). The First Bank of Vale building was remodeled inside c. 1906 with the change of ownership and utilization. It was used for office and retail space until the 1930s or 1940s at that time it was used for family apartments. The property changed hands numerous times after that, at one point Fred Burgess began a project to create a museum in the building. At that time it was known at the Burgess Building. After some time as a private residence the property fell into abandonment. At the time of listing on the National Register, the building was privately owned. The building retains much of its original character and material.
Location
Categories
Property data from the National Register of Historic Places, National Park Service (public domain).
Description adapted from Wikipedia under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.
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Questions about this property
When was First Bank of Vale listed on the National Register?
First Bank of Vale was listed on the National Register of Historic Places on March 5, 1992.
What type of historic resource is First Bank of Vale?
First Bank of Vale is classified as a building in the National Register of Historic Places.
What is the period of significance for First Bank of Vale?
The period of significance for First Bank of Vale is recorded as the industrial era.
Can I research the history near First Bank of Vale?
Yes. Aubrey Research reports search National Register listings, battlefield records, land patents, and other primary historical sources within any radius of a US address. A report for an address near First Bank of Vale will include this listing and all other historical records in the area.
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