Searching Tip – Use the least amount of words necessary, and choose the correct name from the results. (e.g. “Jones,” not “T Jones,” “T. Jones,” “TS Jones,” “T.S. Jones,” “Ted Jones,” etc. – just “Jones.”)
The First Security Bank building, constructed in 1964 for $100,000, was designed by the Boise firm of Hummel, Hummel, and Jones. It features a modernist aesthetic with brick and glass walls, rectilinear massing, louvered vents, and a flat roof supported by laminated beams which overhang the structure on either side. The building boasts a car-centric design which incorporated a drive-thru teller window and a large surface parking lot – a new element which catered to the growing dominance of the personal automobile in downtown Weiser.
Later acquired by Wells Fargo, this Weiser branch has recently been closed – a trend impacting historic bank buildings in smaller downtowns across the state as consumers increasingly rely on mobile and virtual banking services. Like many of its mid-century peers, this striking modernist addition to downtown Weiser is eligible for listing in the National Register of Historic Places.
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Originally Morris Sommer Company -In 1898 opened his first store as a tenant in the IOOF Building – State & Idaho Streets on the Southwest Corner -In 1900 built a new store across West Idaho Street to the North. -Later becameSommer’s Mens Store -The top floor was destroyed by fire on April 27, 1952 -After the fire, Ed Sommers sold the store to VB Christenson, who then in 1953 changed the name toChristy’s Mens Store. -Ed Sommer sold the building to First Security Bank in 1963 -It was then torn down to make way for the “modern drive-in”bank – which it still is today.
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