2019 February Paso Robles Magazine

By Lisa Robinson,
The Redhead Historian
Well, here we are a month already into
2019 and the question is, have you stuck
to any of your New Year's resolutions? It’s not
too late to make another one. I propose everyone
take up this motto: Look up more in
2019! Look up from your phones. Look up
from social media. Look up and take in the all
the history surrounding you.
THE SOUTHWEST CORNER AT
1245 PARK STREET IS THE ORIGINAL
BUILDING OF THE BANK OF ITALY.
Paso Robles is one of the most beautiful
small towns in America. People come from
all over the world to taste our award-winning
wines, experience outstanding hospitality and
make everlasting memories. Take some time to
familiarize yourself with the beauty and historic
culture that our quaint town has to offer.
For starters, if you are on the corner of Park
and 13th Streets desperately trying to find a
parking space, safely look up. The southwest
corner at 1245 Park Street is the original
building of the Bank of Italy. This breathtaking
Renaissance-Revival building was built almost
100 years ago by a Swedish immigrant named
August Nyberg. Towering at three stories, this
brick building was once the tallest building in
Paso Robles, now second to the original almond
grower building Derby Winery presently
occupies on Riverside Avenue.
TOWERING AT THREE STORIES,
THIS BRICK BUILDING WAS ONCE THE
TALLEST BUILDING IN PASO ROBLES,
With mass square footage of 16,800 equally
distributed throughout the three floors,
you will notice unique features such as the
quoin-like corners, semicircular windows on
the second floor that have latticed glass,
brick borders and recessed transoms. A single
plain brick band can be found running the
perimeter of the building above the third-story
casements. It was used mainly as a commerce
building but has worn many hats since. In 1930,
Bank of America acquired all the banks in
36 | pasomagazine.com PASO Magazine, February 2019