First National Bank of Martinsville - Martinsville, Indiana
Posted by: Groundspeak Charter Member BruceS
N 39° 25.659 W 086° 25.634
16S E 549297 N 4364391
Historic bank building in Martinsville, Indiana.
Waymark Code: WM7BQM
Location: Indiana, United States
Date Posted: 10/01/2009
Published By:Groundspeak Premium Member silverquill
Views: 3

"First National Bank of Martinsville, 89 North Jefferson Street, Neoclassical, 1915.

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.

Name of Historic District (as listed on the NRHP): Martinsville Commercial Historic District

Link to nationalregisterofhistoricplaces.com page with the Historic District: [Web Link]

Address:
89 North Jefferson Street Martinville, Indiana


How did you determine the building to be a contributing structure?: Narrative found on the internet (Link provided below)

Optional link to narrative or database: [Web Link]

NRHP Historic District Waymark (Optional): Not listed

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jcurtis55 visited First National Bank of Martinsville - Martinsville, Indiana 09/14/2013 jcurtis55 visited it