First National Bank of Martinsville - Martinsville, Indiana - NRHP Historic Districts - Contributing Buildings on Waymarking.com

This notable two-story brick building is faced with fitted Bedford limestone blocks. The front elevation faces east and features six full-height, solid, fluted Ionic columns on square pedestals; the north elevation features five identical columns. At the outside north corner is a square pilaster with Doric capitol. Banding the cornice on the north and east is a limestone balustrade and dentilated entablature. On the front, engraved in the upper wall, is the name of the original financial institution: FIRST NATIONAL BANK MARTINSVILLE. Applied over this name in three-dimensional block letters is the current institution’s name: FIRST NATIONAL BANK. Located between columns, paired upper windows are double hung sash with patterned upper panes and blank lower panes. Full-height first floor windows have been filled with glass block. There originally were two entrances on the front of the building; the southern entrance has since been filled with glass block and fitted with a night deposit box. The remaining front entrance features a limestone pediment with brackets. The side entrance is similar but less adorned.

Partial demolition of an earlier two-story brick commercial building began in July 1915 to make way for the stately new First National Bank building. Limestone was hauled from Bedford, Indiana, and installed as a facade hiding brick walls. According to local folklore, one of the immense fluted columns slipped from the workmen's hands, broke and was buried under Morgan Street. (If this tale is true, the column will be excavated in 1997 as part of the Morgan Street reconstruction project.)

The First National Bank of Martinsville, established in 1860 by Perminter Parks and Milton Hite, crashed during the Depression, taking many area businessmen and women down with it. A second banking institution, the Martinsville Trust Company, shared the Neoclassical building with First National beginning in September 1916 and ending with its own demise during the early 1930s. A third tenant was Home Building Association, the only local financial institution to survive the Depression. In May 1940, the National Bank of Martinsville, chartered in 1932, changed its name to First National Bank of Martinsville. In 1967, the building was purchased and remodeled for sole use by First National. Since 1993, the bank and the building has been owned by First National Bank-Kokomo." - Historic District Nominations Form

The building is now used by the Harris Bank.