Farmers State Bank’s new building in Calhan, Colorado, opened for business Jan. 20. The new location on 8th Street, which faces U.S. Highway 24, features architectural measures for energy efficiency and improved customer service, combined with rustic touches and historical artifact displays from the bank’s near-100-year history in El Paso County.ìThe bank started in 1916 in Peyton, when my husband’s father took it over when another gentleman who built it passed away,î said Dorothy Ann ìD.A.î Pieper, as she showed visitors some of the historical artifacts on display. ìMy husband’s father used to ride bicycles moving money between one bank to another.îHandwritten ledgers, mechanical check canceling machines and the bank’s first safe are on display. The bank also features a shotgun secured in a case built out of an original teller window. The shotgun was used to fend off bank robbers in the early days of the bank, said Joan Lawson, president.ìThe building was a chance to mix the old and the new ó our old roots to show where we come from, combined with progressive features to show how we are new as well,î Lawson said.The building’s main floor is about 7,000 square feet, with a 3,000-square-foot lower level under one wing. Construction started in February 2014, after about seven months of design work, said Doug Carr, project manager for James W. Nakai and Associates. ìLike Joan said, we wanted to combine the old with the new,î Carr said. ìWe kept the importance of the history of the bank. It has a strong tradition in this area, but we wanted to make sure visitors knew it was a progressive, modern bank ó both for function and amenities.î The firm used modern light control and heating and cooling systems to conserve energy, Carr said.
