Former Bank Building of Giddings & Giddings
Posted by: 
Raven
N 30° 10.007 W 096° 23.884
14R E 750572 N 3340126
A marker and medallion by the former 1872 Giddings & Giddings Bank in downtown Brenham, Washington County. The building is still in use today, as an attorney and mediation office.
Waymark Code: WMNM6R
Location: Texas, United States
Date Posted: 04/02/2015
Views: 7
Per the
Downtown Brenham Historic District Walking Tour pamphlet:
"Built by one of the most influential families in Brenham history, the building housed the first bank in Washington County. The third floor was the meeting place of the local Mason Lodge led by brothers J.D. and D.C. Giddings. The elegant Victorian building represents the high stature of the Giddings family, with an exquisite iron storefront. The columns in front are slender, with fluted shafts, decorative floral motifs and Corinthian capitals."
Below are some additional facts about Jabez Deeming and Dewitt C. Giddings regarding their local influential roles, per the
Texas Historical Commission's Atlas website:
"[...] Washington (renamed Washington-on-the-Brazos after the Civil War) quickly established itself as a prominent supply and transit node and was selected as the first county seat of Washington County in 1836. Rapid population growth in the southern and southwestern areas of the county, combined with the economic decline of Washington, led citizens to petition for a more centrally located county seat. In 1841, Mount Vernon (six miles from present-day Brenham) was selected to replace Washington as a temporary county seat. Mount Vernon residents immediately constructed a temporary log courthouse, but uncertainty over the town's approval as the permanent county seat prevented construction of a more substantial county facility or commercial buildings. Brenham (called Hickory Point or Hickory Grove until 1843), Independence, and Turkey Creek competed with Mount Vernon in the 1843 election to select a county seat. Turkey Creek and Mount Vernon were not able to obtain a sufficient number of votes and both withdrew from the race, leaving Brenham and Independence to contend for the designation. In February 1844, Brenham became the permanent county seat, winning by a margin of only three votes. Brenham's successful bid is largely attributed to the efforts of Jabez Deeming Giddings (1814-1878), who toured the county speaking on behalf of Brenham's resources and advantageous location at the center of the county. [...]
[Brenham's] largest impetus for growth occurred in 1861, with the completion of 21.3 miles of the Washington County Railroad [organized by J.D. Giddings & Dewitt C. Giddings, among others) from Hempstead to Brenham. [...]
J.D. Giddings and D.C. Giddings also established their bank in 1866, which was housed in a new building at 101 East Commerce [and then moved to this current building in 1872]. Giddings and Giddings operated as a privately held bank until 1930, after which they handled only financial transactions related to the Giddings estate. Giddings & Giddings ceased this practice in 1945."