Tag Archives: Georgia Banks

Tattnall Bank and Other Historic Storefronts Demolished in Reidsville

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What do we think about progress? Last week, the historic Tattnall Bank, which was Reidsville’s most significant remaining commercial building, was slated for demolition, along with other adjacent storefronts, to make way for the construction of a Circle K convenience store. Local leadership embraced this as progress. This is really sad for Reidsville, which has very few historic commercial structures. The loss of these buildings essentially wipes out the historic downtown, after the razing of a row of buildings down the street about a decade ago.

Marble-Front Bank, 1905, Jeffersonville

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This marble-front bank is one of the finest commercial buildings in Jeffersonville. While many are aware of the failure of banks during the Great Depression, there was also a wave of bank failures during the 1900s and 1910s. I’m unsure of the original name of this one, but it’s best known locally as the “Corner Bank”. I believe it now houses an antiques store.

Marble-Front Bank, 1900, Shellman

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This was likely a bank. Most marble and granite clad buildings I’ve documented in Georgia have been banks.

Shellman Historic District, National Register of Historic Places

Empire Bank Building, 1911, Americus

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The Empire Bank Building is the most spectacular Neoclassical Revival structure in the vibrant commercial historic district of Americus, and a landmark of the form. It was built on the site of George Oliver’s store and completed in 1911. I’m still trying to identify the architect. From 1950-1989, it was home to the First Federal Savings and Loan Association. It is presently home to the River Valley Regional Commission and is a great adaptive re-use for an important historic building.


Americus Historic District, National Register of Historic Places

Bank of Metcalfe, 1916

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In December 2008, a large group of concerned citizens attended a rehabilitation meeting initiated by Thomasville Landmarks and the Georgia Trust for Historic Preservation with the purpose of discussing the future of Metcalfe. One of the first efforts was the restoration of this structure, built in 1916 as the Metcalfe Branch of the Commercial Bank of Thomasville and later known as the Bank of Metcalfe.

Metcalfe Historic District, National Register of Historic Places

Granite-Front Bank, Circa 1900s, Tennille

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This has been a landmark of Tennille for well over a century, and in its present derelict state, has been a source of intrigue for many visitors and photographers over the years. The roof has been gone for a long time but the building appears to be relatively stable. I hope it isn’t left too much longer to the elements. It’s a great resource.

Other marble- or granite-front banks that I’ve photographed have generally dated to circa 1900-1920. I believe this example is granite and dates to the early 1900s; it may have only existed as a bank for a few years, as panics and mismanagement spelled doom for many Georgia financial institutions in the years before the Great Depression.

Historic Storefronts, Culloden

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Culloden, the oldest settlement in this area of Georgia, was once a bustling town, where the railroad brought in supplies from Atlanta and other larger cities, and where the economy was mostly centered around cotton until the 1920s. Agriculture remains a large employer to this day.

It’s similar to myriad other small towns across the state in the fact that after the waning of cotton’s prominence, people left in search of non-agricultural jobs, and the buildings that made up the commercial center were eventually abandoned. Most were general stores or offices.

One thing different about Culloden, though, is the fact that they decided to construct a building in the old style in 2005 that houses the city hall, library and emergency services. It’s a nice nod to local history and incorporates old bricks, perhaps recycled from an earlier structure near this site.

The building on the right was the old Bank of Culloden, erected in 1897.

Culloden Historic District, National Register of Historic Places

Roberta, Georgia

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Wright Avenue, the heart of downtown Roberta. The Benjamin Hawkins monument is in the foreground. The two-story building at left was the Crawford County Bank and the Bank of Roberta from 1900-1928 and the post office from 1929-1962.

When the Atlanta & Florida Railway bypassed Knoxville in 1888, opting to build a depot about a mile away, the settlement of Roberta began. It was originally known as New Knoxville, after the county seat. When Hiram David McCrary (1847-1912) and James Mathews gave the right of way for the railroad, McCrary, who was also an active entrepreneur, was allowed to choose a name for it. He chose Roberta, in honor of his daughter*. *-Mattie Roberta McCrary Champion (1881-1977)

General Store, circa 1890s. In 1922, it became the R. E. Bankston Store.

The old Bankston Store is a great example of restoration. It’s located adjacent to the bank/post office building.

Roberta Drugs (I found the photo). This is the oldest operating business in Roberta.

The corner entrance was a popular commercial style in the early 20th century.

East Agency Street, named for the Creek Agency headquartered here in the days of Benjamin Hawkins.

I made these photos a few years ago, so some of these business have been repainted. For a small town, Roberta does a good job of maintaining its historic commercial structures and still uses them all, as best I can see. I don’t encounter that in many places.

West Agency Street

Roberta Historic District, National Register of Historic Places

Corner Entrance Bank, Circa 1910, Godfrey

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The “corner entrance” store was a common style of commercial architecture in early 20th century Georgia. It was also a popular form for banks, and at least one resource survey identifies this as having been a bank early in its history.

Farmers Bank, Wrightsville

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This building has been repainted since I made this photograph circa 2014, but it’s still a landmark of Wrightsville, smack dab in the middle of town, across the intersection of Marcus and Elm Streets from the courthouse. It’s had many tenants over its long history, but is best known as the old Farmers Bank.