Wheeler Bank

Jerome B. Wheeler opened Manitou Springs' first bank after hiring architect J.L. Nichols and Central City contractor MacFarlane & Co. Wheeler, one of Colorado's great financiers and mining barons, also supported many Manitou Springs civic projects. Built in 1888-1889, the bank was a detached, three-story structure with extensive brick and stonework. On opening day, its ground floor also held a dry goods store, while the second floor contained nine offices with running water. An early tenant was African-American boxer George Philip's school for physical culture. The third floor, with 15-foot ceilings, contained the town's first true opera house, Wheeler Hall, which hosted minor dramatics and balls. During the 1893 Silver Panic, the Wheeler Banking Company defaulted along with many financial institutions. After 1900, the building became a small hotel known first as the Nyoda and then the El Parque. Following many years as apartments, new owners restored and preserved its historic character in 1975, and the Wheeler Block was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1980.

Manitou Springs, Colorado · United States