Virginia Department of Historic Resources Virginia Department of Historic Resources
For additional information, read the Nomination Form PDF
VLR Listing Date 02/26/1982
NRHP Listing Date 04/12/1982
NRHP Reference Number 82004586
Commissioned by the Chesapeake and Ohio Railway Co., the First National Bank Building in the city of Richmond, with its elegant detailing, Corinthian columns, and lofty banking hall, is a potent example of 20th-century Neoclassical Revival architecture. Its architect was Alfred Charles Bossom, an associate with Clinton and Russell of New York. The building was completed in 1913 as the city’s first high-rise building, combining monumental scale with the technological daring of steel-frame skyscraper construction. Bossom stated his approach to the design: “The building externally should look like a BANK and should call attention to itself by substantial and conservative appearance.” In the heart of downtown Richmond’s Main Street financial district, the structure was long the headquarters of the state’s oldest banking institution. The exterior appearance was altered when its Florentine-style cornice was removed. The First National Bank Building was converted to house office condominiums.
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 1, 2023
