Virginia Department of Historic Resources Virginia Department of Historic Resources
For additional information, read the Nomination Form PDF
VLR Listing Date 01/17/1984
NRHP Listing Date 02/23/1984
NRHP Reference Number 84003553
Erected in 1909 as the Virginia Bank and Trust Company headquarters, this “Temple of Finance” is one of Virginia’s foremost works of the American Renaissance tradition. The monumentality of these solid and often huge edifices displayed commercial strength and reassured clients of their soundness. This downtown Norfolk work was designed by two firms: Wyatt and Nolting of Baltimore, the principals, and Taylor and Hepburn of Norfolk. With its grandiose scale and giant order, the general form follows McKim, Mead and White’s design for the Knickerbocker Trust and Safe Deposit Company in New York, a work that inspired many bank designs. The building still maintains a powerful presence amid its modern high-rise neighbors. Known as the Auslew Gallery from 1982 to 1992, the Virginia Bank and Trust building was then renovated to house the Virginia Club.
Many properties listed in the registers are private dwellings and are not open to the public, however many are visible from the public right-of-way. Please be respectful of owner privacy.
Abbreviations:
VLR: Virginia Landmarks Register
NPS: National Park Service
NRHP: National Register of Historic Places
NHL: National Historic Landmark
Updated: May 10, 2022
