Zions First Nation Bank

One of Utah’s Oldest Financial Institutions

Brigham Young founded Zion’s Savings Bank and Trust Company in 1873 to promote thrift and generate savings for investments in the wake of financial panic.  For the first few years the bank operated out of various storefronts on Main Street, but in 1890 it moved to spacious new quarters at this site in the Templeton Building.

The bank successfully weathered the financial difficulties of the Great Depression and in 1957 changed its name to Zions First National Bank when it merged with two other financial institutions.  In 1965 the bank moved into its current quarters when the Kennecott Building replaced the Templeton Building.  Today, the bank has more than 100 branches in Utah and Idaho and is one of the most influential banking institutions in the West.  After a renovation in 2007, the bank’s home office is now known as the Zions Bank Building.

See other historic buildings in Salt Lake City on this page.