{"nrhp_refnum":"86001903","name":"Bank of Balboa-Bank of America","other_names":["Bank of America"],"category":"building","location":{"address":"611 E. Balboa Blvd.","address_restricted":false,"city":"Newport Beach","county":"Orange County","state":"CA","lat":33.60204390300004,"lon":-117.90065526499995,"geom_source":"nps_gis"},"listed_date":"1986-07-24","is_nhl":false,"nhl_designated_date":null,"areas_of_significance":["Commerce","Architecture"],"significance_levels":["local"],"summary":{"what_it_is":"A two-story, poured concrete bank building at 611 E. Balboa Boulevard on the Balboa Peninsula in Newport Beach, Orange County, California, erected in 1928 for the Bank of Balboa in Mediterranean/Spanish Colonial Revival style.","why_significant":"The nomination argues the building was a long-standing instrument of commerce important to the town's development, and that it is a fine example of eclectic period architecture. It was designed by Morgan, Walls & Clements, a prominent Los Angeles-area firm. It also housed the Bank of America from 1934 through 1984.","narrative":"Built in 1928 on the Balboa Peninsula in Newport Beach, this two-story poured concrete building was constructed as the headquarters of the Bank of Balboa, the town's first bank. Designed by the Los Angeles-area firm Morgan, Walls & Clements and built by contractor W.H. Bowman, it combines Spanish Colonial Revival design with Classical, Gothic and Moderne details. Features include a 25-foot arched entry with scrollwork, gargoyles and a crest with an eagle, a row of seven tall arched windows on the east side, a red tile gabled roof, colorful tile mosaics and terra cotta medallions depicting Balboa. The bank failed in February 1932 during a run on local banks. Bank of America bought the building and operated there from 1934 through 1984, so residents came to know it by that name. The building was listed for its role in local commerce and development, its architecture, and its largely intact exterior within a district of similar scale.","period_of_significance":"1928","architect_builder":"W.H. Bowman/Morgan, Walls, Clements","architectural_style":"Mediterranean/Spanish Colonial Revival","criteria":[],"status_note":"Form marks the property as commercial use, with work in progress; the exterior is described as retaining exceptional integrity and being in good condition.","vacant_flag":null,"machine_generated":true,"model":"claude-sonnet-5-5","prompt_version":"v1.0-2026-10-29","generated_at":"2026-10-29 02:54:26.85643-05","source_pdf":"https://s3.amazonaws.com/NARAprodstorage/lz/electronic-records/rg-079/NPS_CA/86001903.pdf"},"photo":null,"district":null,"sources":{"nps_snapshot_date":"2026-05-22","nara_catalog":"https://catalog.archives.gov/id/123860167","wikipedia":null,"wikidata":null},"indexable":true,"url":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/california/orange-county/bank-of-balboa-bank-of-america-86001903/"}