Wheeler Bank

Wheeler Bank. . When Jerome B. Wheeler decided to open Manitou Springs' first bank, he hired architect J.L. Nichols and Central City contractor MacFarlane and Co. Wheeler was one of Colorado's great financiers and mining barons and a generous benefactor of many Manitou Springs civic projects. The bank was built 1888-1889 and is a detached, three-story structure with extensive brick and stonework. , On opening day, the bank shared the ground floor with a dry goods store and nine offices on the second floor, all with running water. One early tenant was African-American boxer George Philip's school for physical culture. The third floor with its 15’ ceilings housed the town's first true opera house, Wheeler Hall, which held minor dramatics and balls., During the 1893 Silver Panic, the Wheeler Banking Company defaulted, as did many financial institutions. After 1900, the building was converted into a small hotel and was known as the Nyoda and then the El Parque. After serving as apartments for many years, new owners restored and preserved its historic character in 1975., The Wheeler Block was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1980., (photo caption) , The Wheeler Bank Building cost $25,000 to construct in 1888-89, making it the premier office location in Manitou Springs. Courtesy of Colorado Springs Pioneer's Museum.