Save First Security building?

Now, most visibly a Wells Fargo Bank location, the site has been used for a bank since the 1850s, and the property has strong LDS Church ties.

In 1875, a bank once run by LDS President Brigham Young stood on the northeast corner of Main Street and 100 South, according to a pamphlet put out in 1999 by the Utah Heritage Foundation.

That building was replaced in 1919, and in 1932 the LDS-managed Deseret National Bank merged with Security National Bank.

Today it's commonly known as the First Security building, evidenced by the large sign on its roof, but a plaque on the outside at street level also labels it the Deseret Building, recalling its early incarnation.

In the 1980s, the building was nominated by the Division of State History as a candidate for the National Historic Registry. But a letter from First Security, which wasn't sure at the time about its plans for the building, asked that it not be nominated. Notarianni said the nomination process ended there.

A listing on the registry, he added, can mean certain tax advantages for the building owner. But the designation could also bring some possible restrictions on what modifications can or can't be made to the structure, depending in part on a city ordinance.

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E-mail: sspeckman@desnews.com