Built for West Side Bank of Tracy in 1919, this building - with its second floor window arcade, classic pediment and machicolated cornice entrance - is a lovely example of Renaissance Revival architecture typical of small town banks that were once so common on street corners in California.

The locally owned bank played, a significant role in the agriculture, mercantile, building and financial activity of the local area prior to World War I.

Adapted from the NRHP nomination submitted in 1985.

West Side Bank of Tracy opened in 1910.

In 1919, it moved into this building and changed its name to American Bank of Tracy.

In 1921, American Bank of Tracy became a part of the early expansion of A.P. Giannini's Bank of Italy.

In 1928 Bank of Italy merged with the smaller Bank of America based in Los Angeles.

In 1930, Giannini changed the name Bank of Italy to Bank of America.

When we photographed the building in 2009, it was no longer a branch of Bank of America. It was vacant.

The transition of the bank from a locally owned enterprise to a branch of the Bank of America is typical of how, merger by merger, acquisition by acquisition, American financial institutions became too big to fail.