California, Santa Cruz County, Santa Cruz
![]()
Civic Renaissance Center
The Great Fire of 1894 left 3 blocks of destruction around the 1866 Cooper St. Civic Center. The Civic reconstruction promoted Renaissance designs to show “Culture” had arrived in Santa Cruz, and surrounding businesses picked up the theme. Annual “Venetian Water Carnivals” were begun on the river to celebrate the reconstruction. Due to the Cooper Street “Renaissance Center” Santa Cruz was promoted as “The Florence of the West”.
1895 Santa Cruz County Bank The county’s pioneer banking institution of 1870 relocated to this site after the fire of 1894. The building originally has a domed tower over the corner entrance, and a raised main floor to accommodate basement level shops. The dome was removed in the expansion of 1910, when the main floor was lowered to street level, and the entrance was place on Pacific Ave. Architect Clarence Ward came from the firm of Burnham & Root. The 1979 expansion used terra cotta made from the original Gladding McBean mold. The landmark was placed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1982.
After the 1989 earthquake, Pacific Western Bank preserved the building’s historic facade, and Barry Swenson Builder conducted the reconstruction. For a building so often remodeled, the faithful facade restoration by Barry Swenson Builder has helped preserve this exceptional part of the Downtown’s rich heritage.
1895 Architect: Van Sickle & Haynes
Enlarged 1910 & 1920: Ward & Blohme, Architects
Enlarged 1979; Terra Cotta, Gladding McBean: Sandstone Ashlar, Lafayette Mfg. Co, 1993 Restoration: Barry Swenson Builder, with project manager, Jesse L. Nickell III
Thacher & Thompson, Arch., with project manager Robert Scheren
People Assoc., Structural Engineer, with project manager Chris Tapin
(Industry & Commerce • Notable Buildings) Includes location, directions, 5 photos, GPS coordinates, map.
Civic Renaissance Center
The Great Fire of 1894 left 3 blocks of destruction around the 1866 Cooper St. Civic Center. The Civic reconstruction promoted Renaissance designs to show “Culture” had arrived in Santa Cruz, and surrounding businesses picked up the theme. Annual “Venetian Water Carnivals” were begun on the river to celebrate the reconstruction. Due to the Cooper Street “Renaissance Center” Santa Cruz was promoted as “The Florence of the West”.1895 Santa Cruz County Bank The county’s pioneer banking institution of 1870 relocated to this site after the fire of 1894. The building originally has a domed tower over the corner entrance, and a raised main floor to accommodate basement level shops. The dome was removed in the expansion of 1910, when the main floor was lowered to street level, and the entrance was place on Pacific Ave. Architect Clarence Ward came from the firm of Burnham & Root. The 1979 expansion used terra cotta made from the original Gladding McBean mold. The landmark was placed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1982.
After the 1989 earthquake, Pacific Western Bank preserved the building’s historic facade, and Barry Swenson Builder conducted the reconstruction. For a building so often remodeled, the faithful facade restoration by Barry Swenson Builder has helped preserve this exceptional part of the Downtown’s rich heritage.
1895 Architect: Van Sickle & Haynes
Enlarged 1910 & 1920: Ward & Blohme, Architects
Enlarged 1979; Terra Cotta, Gladding McBean: Sandstone Ashlar, Lafayette Mfg. Co, 1993 Restoration: Barry Swenson Builder, with project manager, Jesse L. Nickell III
Thacher & Thompson, Arch., with project manager Robert Scheren
People Assoc., Structural Engineer, with project manager Chris Tapin
(Industry & Commerce • Notable Buildings) Includes location, directions, 5 photos, GPS coordinates, map.
