The centennial of a very special historic building was celebrated on Friday in the dead center of Vernal. Locals at least know the story of the brick-by-mail building that now houses Zions Bank on the corner of Main Street and Vernal Avenue. The Bank of Vernal announced in 1916 that a new building with a brick face had been designed and that the 80,000 bricks would be sent by mail in order to save on freight charges. By having each brick individually packaged, stamped and mailed in 50-pound bundles, the bank could save a significant amount on the proposed freight charges. On the mail route, the bricks made their way on wagons from Salt Lake to Colorado and then back to Utah before finally arriving in Vernal. While there were some hiccups caused by sending the bricks by mail, every brick eventually arrived and 100 years later the brick-by-mail building still stands.Friday’s celebration included brick cookies, classic vehicles setting the vintage mood, and words shared by Zions Bank leadership as well as Senator Kevin Van Tassell who has worked for Zions Bank for 35 years. Van Tassell thanked everyone for coming and commended Zions Bank for being a great organization that has done a lot for the Uintah Basin.
