Bank of American Fork

Bank of American Fork
U.S. National Register of Historic Places
The historic building
Location	33 E. Main St., American Fork, Utah
Coordinates	40°22′37″N 111°47′51″W / 40.37694°N 111.79750°WCoordinates: 40°22′37″N 111°47′51″W / 40.37694°N 111.79750°W
Area	0.1 acres (0.040 ha)
Built	1911
Architectural style	Classical Revival
NRHP Reference #	93000065[1]
Added to NRHP	March 9, 1993

Bank of American Fork is a bank in American Fork, Utah. Originally called The People's State Bank of American Fork, it officially changed its name to Bank of American Fork in the 1960s. Bank of American Fork recently purchased and is restoring a historical building built in 1911 and was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1993.^[1] The historic building originally housed the original Bank of American Fork that closed after the 1929 stock market crash.

The bank's headquarters is significant as the only surviving bank building and the "most visually impressive" of four surviving intact historic commercial buildings on Main Street.^[2]

History

The Bank of American Fork was established in 1913 as The People's State Bank of American Fork. In its early years, the bank found modest success servicing mostly sheep farmers in Utah County. Key to the bank's success was the leadership by Clifford E. Young, the Bank's manager from 1913 until the mid 1950s.

After the stock market crashed in 1929, the Bank survived with the help of Young and other shareholders who sold and mortgaged personal property. In early 1932, Young decided to temporarily close People's State Bank instead of risking a run on the bank, as had happened to many banks across the country. The bank re-opened later that year.

Orville Gunther, a local businessman, had been serving on the Bank's board of directors for several years when, in the early 1960s, he was given the opportunity to purchase controlling interest in the bank, which he did. Soon after, Gunther shortened the name of the bank by dropping "People's State" so that it became known as simply "Bank of American Fork."

Expansion within Utah began in the 1970s when the Bank's second branch was built in Alpine. The 1990s saw full-service branches constructed in Highland, Orem, Lehi, Pleasant Grove and Spanish Fork. With the new century came new branches in the Salt Lake Valley, including locations in Draper, Sandy, Murray and Riverton. Later, a Saratoga Springs branch opened in Utah Valley and a Layton branch opened in Davis County, bringing the total number of Bank of American Fork branches to 13. In 2014, Bank of American Fork opened a full-service branch in St. George. The bank's holding company is People's Utah Bancorp.

Current Bank of American Fork building, not the historic one (which is still standing but no longer houses the bank)

References

1. National Park Service (2010-07-09). "National Register Information System". National Register of Historic Places. National Park Service.
2. Allen Roberts and Martha S. Bradley (October 1992). "National Register of Historic Places Inventory/Nomination: Bank of American Fork" (PDF). National Park Service. and accompanying photos