Former First National Bank Building - Brenham, TX
Posted by: 
Raven
N 30° 10.007 W 096° 23.844
14R E 750636 N 3340128
The former 1923 First National Bank building in Brenham, TX in the Brenham Downtown Historic District. It is currently used by commercial jewelers and renamed the JH Faske Company building.
Waymark Code: WMWVPC
Location: Texas, United States
Date Posted: 10/18/2017
Views: 1
"In April 1920, the First National Bank of Brenham, then located [next door] at 112 E. Alamo, authorized the purchase of the adjacent Keber Building (114 E. Alamo). The Keber Building was soon demolished, and the lot was cleared for the construction of a new facility. Sanguinet and Staats, a prestigious architectural firm from Ft. Worth, were hired to design the new bank building. Central Construction Company of Dallas served as the contractor. Construction was completed in 1923, and the First National Bank vacated 112 E. Alamo, authorizing extensive renovations to suit the subsequent tenant, Barnhill Drug.
The First National Bank building, as designed by Sanguinet and Staats, is a three-story, two-part commercial building. This is one of the few unpainted brick buildings in Brenham. The facade is divided into three bays, defined by oversized fluted pilasters with simplified Corinthian capitals that flank the central entry bay, and massive brick pilasters that mark the edges of the building. The entry features an ornate Classically-inspired architrave with an urn and garland frieze, and a row of dentils below. The cornice is dropped just below the third floor, and features a double row of corbelling and molded shamrocks and fretwork. A simpler corbelled stringcourse placed above the third floor accents the projecting parapet. Other details include glass block windows flanking the central bay on the ground floor and a metal deposit box with engravings imbedded in the eastern corner of the building.
The building was remodeled in 1955. Additional banking facilities were added to the basement and the windows of the east facade of the first story were changed. These changes do not significantly affect the integrity of the building. The First National Bank moved its headquarters in 1965, and the building was sold to First Savings Association of Brenham. It is now the home of the J.H. Faske Company."
Source: Brenham Downtown Historic District NRHP nomination form (CBD #5, Property #5), as listed on the
Texas Historical Commission's Atlas website.