San Diego Trust and Savings Bank Building
Why it's listed
Rising thirteen stories above the corner of Broadway and Sixth Avenue in downtown San Diego, this combined bank and office building was designed in 1928 by William Templeton Johnson in the Italian Romanesque Revival style. Its buff exterior combines polished Briar Hill sandstone on the lower floors with matching terra cotta above, set on a Scotch Rose granite base. Because the bank has no thirteenth floor, the top level is called the fourteenth. Inside, the banking hall features pink marble floors, thirty-five marble pillars, nineteen varieties of marble, a coffered plaster ceiling and antique chandeliers. A 1942 mural of Abraham Lincoln by La Jolla artist Walter Kumme remains above a former museum area. The basement holds a circular steel vault door made by the Mosler Safe Company and installed in 1928. Johnson was so pleased with the design that he moved his own practice to the top floor soon after completion. The interior was extensively refurbished in the late 1950s and 1960s, and the building is described as in excellent condition.
Significance in brief: The nomination presents the building as a major work by William Templeton Johnson, one of San Diego's premier architects, who later moved his own practice to its top floor. It is also noted for its sandstone and terra cotta exterior, its marble banking hall and its original vault. The excerpt available does not include the full statement of significance.
Machine-generated summary. This summary was generated by a language model from the official nomination document and has not been reviewed line by line by an editor. It may contain errors. Check the source document before relying on any detail. Source: nomination document (PDF) · National Archives catalog entry. NRHP reference 99001565, listed December 17, 1999. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence medium).
Key facts
| Address | 530-540 Broadway, San Diego |
|---|---|
| County | San Diego County |
| Listed | December 17, 1999 |
| Reference number | 99001565 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Architect / builder | William Templeton Johnson (architect) |
| Architectural style | Italian Romanesque Revival |
| Areas of significance | Architecture |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Described as being in excellent condition; the form lists the current function as vacant/not in use and work in progress. |
| Acreage | 1 |
| Coordinates | 32.71592, -117.15943 (NPS GIS) |
What listing means for this property
For an income-producing building, listing (individually or as a contributing building in a district) is the gateway to the 20% federal rehabilitation tax credit on qualified rehabilitation costs, often stackable with state credits. Work claiming the credit must follow the Secretary of the Interior's Standards and be approved in advance.
Listing does not restrict a private owner acting without federal money or permits; where federal funding or licensing is involved, Section 106 review applies.
Noted as vacant in the nomination. Nomination documents can be decades old; current status may differ. If you are considering buying an empty listed property, read the due-diligence checklist.
General information, not legal or tax advice. Rules change; confirm with your State Historic Preservation Office or a qualified adviser.
Sources and further reading
- National Park Service, National Register of Historic Places database (snapshot May 2026), reference 99001565.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q5818281
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.