Bank of America El Con
Tucson, AZ Photo by RoadsidePeek.com
The Bank of America El Con is considerably more interesting than the usual bank surrounded by a parking lot. A circular glass-walled lobby sits beneath a broad concrete canopy that appears to float overhead. Even after decades of changes around El Con, this futuristic branch remains hard to miss from Broadway. 07-23
Completed in 1972, the bank is sometimes mistakenly dated to 1963. Peruvian-born architect W.A. Sarmiento designed it while working for the Bank Building & Equipment Corporation of America. Sarmiento became known for transforming ordinary financial branches into some of the most adventurous commercial buildings of the postwar era.
Bank of America El Con
Tucson, AZ Photo by RoadsidePeek.com
Here in Tucson, his design combines a sweeping concrete canopy with a transparent, circular lobby. Floor-to-ceiling glass made the interior visible from outside, creating a more open and inviting alternative to the heavy stone banks of earlier generations. The resulting structure looks somewhere between a financial institution and a small airport terminal from the future.
The Arizona Bank was the first institution to occupy the branch. Its location served the rapidly growing neighborhoods and businesses surrounding El Con Mall, part of Tucson’s postwar commercial expansion eastward from downtown. Security Pacific National Bank arrived later, followed eventually by Bank of America.
This is the mid-century modern bank building at the Bank of America El Con located off Broadway in Tucson.
Bank of America El Con
Tucson, AZ Photo by RoadsidePeek.com
Much of the surrounding El Con Mall disappeared during a major redevelopment in 2011. Its enclosed shopping corridors gave way to modern big-box stores, but the freestanding bank escaped the wrecking ball and continued serving its original purpose.
More than 50 years after opening, the oversized canopy and curved glass lobby still provide a strong glimpse of early 1970s commercial architecture along Tucson’s historic Sunshine Mile.
UPDATE: Bank of America continues to operate from the El Con branch. Sarmiento’s distinctive 1972 design remains largely intact beneath its dramatic concrete canopy. 09-26
Bank One
Tucson, AZ Photo by RoadsidePeek.com
Some banks quietly blend into the background. The Bank One building on Broadway went in the opposite direction, with layers of sculpted concrete that earned it the nickname “Wedding Cake Bank.” 07-23
Built for Valley National Bank in 1971, the branch was designed by Don Smith of Friedman and Jobusch. It became Bank One in the 1990s and later Chase following another merger.
UPDATE: Chase Bank remains open in the former Valley National Bank branch. Its distinctive scalloped exterior survives along Tucson’s Sunshine Mile. 09-26
Post Of
Douglas, AZ Photo by RoadsidePeek.com
Douglas Post Office and Customs House has served this Arizona border community since opening in 1917. Its stone facade and classical columns give the building a stately federal appearance. 07-23
The building originally housed the post office, U.S. Customs, and other federal offices. It was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1985.
Douglas celebrated the Post Office’s 100th anniversary in November 2017 with a public ceremony and special commemorative postmark.
UPDATE: The historic Post Office remains open in its original building, with its classical exterior and engraved stonework preserved. 09-26
Ash fork Volunteer Fire Department
Ash Fork, AZ Photo by RoadsidePeek.com
Ash Fork Volunteer Fire Department stands just off old Route 66, continuing a local tradition that began in 1941. The town’s fire station was built in 1946 and remains an active part of the community. 07-23
The department purchased its first motorized fire engine in 1947. Before then, volunteers reportedly answered emergencies with a hand-pushed fire cart. That early fire truck is now displayed outside the Ash Fork Route 66 Historic Museum.
UPDATE: The Ash Fork Volunteer Fire Department remains open and continues protecting the town and surrounding areas. Its original station building and traditional identification markings survive. 09-26
Fire Department
Buckeye, AZ Photo by RoadsidePeek.com
Buckeye Fire Department Station 701 may look relatively nondescript, but it remains an active firehouse serving the city’s original downtown area. The simple concrete-block building houses firefighting and emergency medical equipment rather than much roadside decoration. 07-23
Buckeye’s organized fire service traces its history back to the late 1800s. Crews from this downtown station also responded to the devastating 2001 fire that destroyed the roof of the historic Roxy Theatre nearby.
UPDATE: Station 701 remains open as part of the Buckeye Fire-Medical-Rescue Department, with career firefighters and emergency medical personnel serving the surrounding community. 09-26
Oasis of Hope Church (Buckeye Apostalic Church)
Buckeye, AZ Photo by RoadsidePeek.com
Oasis of Hope Church occupies a modest concrete-block building along Baseline Road in Buckeye. Also known as Buckeye Apostolic Church, the small neighborhood sanctuary has served more than one congregation over the years. 07-23
The building dates to 1954 and was formerly associated with Desert Independent Baptist Church. Today, the Apostolic congregation holds worship services and community programs here, including back-to-school outreach events.
UPDATE: Oasis of Hope remains open as an active house of worship, with its church signage and simple mid-century building intact. 09-26
Bank of America El Con
Bank of America El Con
Bank of America El Con
Bank One
Post Of
Ash fork Volunteer Fire Department
Fire Department
Oasis of Hope Church (Buckeye Apostalic Church)
