Walker Center (Salt Lake City, Utah)

 office building, NRHP - National Register of Historic Places, 1912_construction

www.comre.com/walker_center/

When it was completed in 1912, the 16-story Walker Bank Building was the tallest building in the Intermountain West and a source of much pride to Salt Lake City. A three-story observatory crowned by eagles sits atop the building. The two stories beneath the observatory feature elaborate classical ornamentation. Also note the projecting window bays which accentuate the building’s corners.

Walker Bank was founded by the Walker brothers—Samuel, Joseph, David, and Matthew. The brothers immigrated to Utah on foot to join their fellow Mormons. They established a mercantile business in 1859. Although the Walker brothers became disaffected from the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints over the issue of tithing, their mercantile business prospered and took on banking functions as well. Eventually the bank made the Walker brothers some of Utah’s wealthiest men.