Walker Bank Building
Night view of the Walker Center, May 2009
Walker Center is located in Utah
Walker Center
Walker Center is located in the United States
Walker Center
Location175 South Main Street
Salt Lake City, Utah
United States
Coordinates40°45′55″N 111°53′24″W / 40.76528°N 111.89000°W / 40.76528; -111.89000
Built1911
ArchitectEames and Young; Stewart, James & Co.
Architectural styleSkyscraper
NRHP reference No.06000929[1]
Added to NRHPOctober 04, 2006

Walker Center (formerly Walker Bank Building) is a skyscraper in Salt Lake City, Utah, United States.

Description

The Walker Center from 200 South

The building was opened on December 9, 1912, taking a little over a year to be built. At the time of its completion, it stood as the tallest building between Chicago and San Francisco (16 stories, 220 ft/67 m). It was originally constructed as the headquarters for Walker Bank, founded by the Walker brothers: Samuel Sharp, Joseph Robinson, David Frederick, and Matthew Walker, Jr. The basement originally contained the vault for the bank, as well as a barbershop, florist, cigar store, and other shops. The main floor contained the bank, and upper floors were used as office space.[2] It was designed by the St. Louis, Missouri-based architecture firm Eames and Young.[3] It remained the headquarters of Walker Bank until it merged with First Interstate Bancorp in 1981 (it is now part of Wells Fargo).

Weather Tower

The Walker Center is topped by a 64-foot weather tower, which gives a weather forecast based on the color of the lights. The weather tower was taken down in the 1980s due to a city ordinance but replaced in 2008. The meaning of the tower colors are:

  • Blue: clear skies
  • Flashing blue: cloudy skies
  • Red: rain
  • Flashing red: snow[4]

A common mnemonic used by residents to remember the signals given by the tower is "Solid blue: skies are too, flashing blue: clouds are due, solid red: rain ahead, flashing red: snow instead." In December 2021, work began to upgrade the outdated neon glass tubes to GLLS LED Neon Flex. While the weather forecast will still be broadcast, the tower now will have "any color under the rainbow, as well as various animation effects” to engage with the community for various holidays and events.[5]

See also

References

  1. ↑ "National Register Information System". National Register of Historic Places. National Park Service. March 13, 2009.
  2. ↑ Merchants and miners in Utah : the Walker brothers and their bank / Jonathan Bliss.[Salt Lake City, Utah] : Western Epics, c1983.
  3. ↑ "Walker Bank Building for the M. H. Walker Realty Company". Archived from the original on August 20, 2011. Retrieved November 25, 2023.
  4. ↑ "Historic weather tower lights up skyline". KSL. March 21, 2009.
  5. ↑ "Walker Center's new high-tech tower lights up Salt Lake City skyline". KSTU. February 4, 2022. Retrieved February 4, 2022.
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