Bank of Italy Building , also known as the Clay-Montgomery Building , is a building in San Francisco , California . This eight-story building became the headquarters of A. P. Giannini 's Bank of Italy ( precursor to the Bank of America ) in 1908 after the 1906 San Francisco earthquake and fire destroyed the original bank building on Montgomery Avenue ( now Columbus Avenue ) in nearby neighborhood of North Beach . The building was designated a National Historic Landmark in 1978 for its association with Giannini , who revolutionized retail banking in the early 20th century
1906 San Francisco earthquake
1906 San Francisco earthquake
Bank of Italy Building (San Francisco)