Blast from the past: Central Bank to rebuild Springville structure back to 19th century form
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- A rendering of the new Central Bank building.
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- The original Central Bank built in 1892 is shown.
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- Central Bank is shown Friday, March 21, 2025, in Springville.
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- The H.T. Reynolds building is pictured Friday, March 21, 2025, in Springville.
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- An old window well in the Central Bank building paved over by a sidewalk along Main Street is shown Friday, March 21, 2025, in Springville.
Standing on the corner of Main Street and 200 South, Central Bank has been a fixture of downtown Springville since it was built in 1892.
Now, a plan is in place to turn the aging structure back into its vintage self.
Central Bank announced a construction and revitalization project of its downtown bank, fulfilling a long-held desire to rebuild the bank back into its 19th century form to be a pillar of the city.
“I’m ecstatic,” Central Bank President Mark Packard said. “I’m really excited about being able to take a building back to the way that it looked back in 1892. It’s really a cool thing and we feel blessed to be able to do it.”
The current bank remains the same structure as its original self; however, modifications have rendered its appearance completely different.
An extensive remodel in the 1940s removed the dome off the top of the building, replaced the brick exterior with ceramic tile and removed the rounded windows. The main entrance was also moved away from the street corner.
The new structure will bring everything on the exterior back, Packard said, including brick and stone facing and a dome on the top. The main entrance will be realigned with the street corner. Additionally, a portion of the sidewalk along both Main Street and 200 South will be uncovered, and the bank will have window wells you can peer into from street level to see the basement floor, as was originally the case.
The bank will once again resemble the H.T. Reynolds building across the street, where Magleby’s is. The two structures were built at the same time and acted as sister buildings, according to Packard.
“We need to do it right and we try to do things right with whatever we do,” he said. “We want to pay honor because those buildings back in the day, in 1892, took a lot of sacrifice to build because they were big buildings. We want to make sure that those people that were involved are proud of what we put up.”
Doing so won’t be any easy task, though.
The intricate stone carvings and masonry work of the original building was “just amazing,” Packard said. To replicate it, the architect firm Central Bank enlisted, FFKR, is using old photos to count out how many individual bricks there were and tasking artists with drawing out the detailed stone carvings that were depicted on the building. Those designs will then be recreated through 3D printers.
“As we get more into the project, we learn how detailed the craftsmanship of that time was, which was just phenomenal,” Central Bank Vice President Jeff Simonsen said. “It’s more skilled individuals that built that stuff and today you can’t replicate it.”
As part of the construction project, which will be carried out by Westland Construction, a second building will be built west of the bank, where the current parking lot is.
Ground will break on the second building in “two to three weeks,” Packard said, barring any hold ups from the city. When completed, the bank will move its operations into the new building. The current building will then be deconstructed and rebuilt. Both buildings will ultimately hold banking operations.
“All the people I have talked to are excited about the project,” Packard said. “They’re excited to be able to see the historic nature, see it brought back to the way it was originally.”
