One of Reno's Most Historic Corners

  One thing that can be said about the city of Reno is that it is always changing. A good example of that ongoing evolution is the historic Reno National Bank Building on the corner of South Virginia and East 2nd streets.

  Constructed in 1915, the building was designed in the Beaux-Arts Classical Revival architectural style by famed Reno architect Frederick J. DeLongchamps for influential banker/political fixer George Wingfield (who was once called the “King of Nevada”).

  The four-story structure boasts impressive classical columns and a variety of ornamentations, including friezes of flower and animals.

  It originally housed Wingfield’s Reno National Bank as well as his offices and those of both of the state’s main political parties (who, amazingly, shared a receptionist).

  For most of the 1920s, the second floor of the building, known informally as the “Cave,” served as the nerve center of Wingfield’s operations.

  In 1932, Wingfield, who owned many of the state’s banks, suffered a series of financial setbacks due to the Great Depression, and, in 1935, sold the building to the First National Bank, which continued to use it as a bank and offices (casino owner William Harrah located his executive offices on the fourth floor for many years).

  When First National Bank transitioned into First Interstate Bank of Nevada, the building continued to serve as a financial institution.

  In the early 1990s, First Interstate closed its branch and the venerable structure was acquired by Harrah’s Resorts and radically converted into a restaurant that was part of the Planet Hollywood chain. At the time, brightly-colored pink and green awnings were added to the building exterior, along with palm fronds atop the classic Ionic columns.

  In 2013, the building underwent more changes with the closing of Planet Hollywood and its conversion to the Ichiban Japanese Steak House. At the time, the gaudy striped canopies and palm fronds were removed although more subtle beige ones remained on the building’s south side.

  In 2020, Harrah’s downtown Reno properties were sold to CAI Investments, a Las Vegas-based developer, which announced it planned to convert the 930-room Harrah’s Hotel and adjacent casino/retail/restaurant spaces into a non-gaming development called Reno City Center.

  The new mixed-use development, which is under construction, is to have more than 500 residential units and some 300,000 square feet of office and retail space, which could include a grocery store, shops and restaurants.

  The plans also show that at least the exterior of the historic Reno National Bank Building will remain intact with its still-beautiful columns and ornamentations. But like most things Reno, stay tuned to see how things evolve.

  For more information about the history of the Reno National Bank Building check out Julia Nicoletta’s excellent book, “Buildings of Nevada,” available online or at many local bookstores, or go to: https://renohistorical.org/items/show/111.