In 1905, the Rio Grande Valley Bank 🏦 operated out of the Buckler Building. However, within four years, they required more space 🏗️ to accommodate their growing operations. On January 26, 1910, the El Paso Herald reported that a 7-story building 🆕🏢 for the bank was nearing completion. The ground floor exterior and interior lobby were adorned with marble 💎, and the bank was outfitted with high-quality fixtures. 💰 The bank moved into its new building in March 1910. Unfortunately, this bank defaulted early in the century. 😔
In 1925, Sam Abdou 💸 purchased the building for $150,000, and it became primarily known as the #AbdouBuilding. That August, his stepson Charles Klink acquired a two-fifths interest. Under Klink's ownership, the American Bank and Trust Company leased the building for 6.5 years with an optional 10-year extension at $125 per month. 📃 They remodeled at a cost of $20,000, adding a 12-inch reinforced concrete vault 🏰 in the basement to increase safety deposit box capacity. The first floor became a lobby 🚪 with teller booths. Architect W.G. Wuchrmann and Anderson Brothers contractors handled the $20,000 renovation. However, this bank also failed 💥 during the Great Depression, after which various retail establishments occupied the space. 🏪
Originally planned for six stories, the top floor was added between the second and sixth floors, not as an extra story above the intended design. 🏗️ The decorative band between the top two floors was not meant to be the cornice. #HistoricBuildings #ElPaso #Banks