Babington, Thomas M., House - Franklinton, LA - U.S. National Register of Historic Places on Waymarking.com

Large home, located on a busy intersection in Franklinton. Home is now a Citizens Savings Bank, a local Financial instution. I looked and looked for home, did not expect it to be a Bank! Large parking lot and drive up windows now take up the front and side. The front, though still looked like the older pictures I had of home. Was easy to find and photograph. I could not find much info on home, so here is a small history of the owner and his significance to the local economy. Here.

The Thomas M. Babington House is locally significant in the area of commerce because it is associated with the Babington family, whose members played an important role in the economic revitalization of Franklinton in the early years of the twentieth century. Specifically, it was the home of Thomas M. Babington from its construction c.1900 until his death on January 1, 1936. Franklinton is an old community which has experienced distinct periods of growth. The first began in 1819 with the creation of Washington Parish and the temporary designation of a rural spot five miles from Franklinton's current location as parish seat. That same year, John W. Bickham donated to the parish government 30 acres of land at what would become Franklinton's permanent location. A year later, the Louisiana legislature designated the location as the temporary parish seat and in 1821 gave the community its name. However, it appears that parish officials did not relocate the courthouse until a July 4, 1826 election made the town's designation as Washington Parish's seat permanent. A post office was established in 1829, and a brick courthouse had been completed by 1830. The town received a charter in 1861 but apparently its municipal government remained largely inactive. Another charter was issued in 1888. At that time the town's corporate limits encompassed one square mile of land with the courthouse at its center. From this time forward, city fathers actively governed the town. Irish immigrant Robert Babington had arrived in Franklinton and opened a store by 1856. At first, the business was so small that he left his wife in charge of the one room store while he worked in Summit, Mississippi as a clerk. However, the business prospered, as did the family, which grew to include at least two daughters and four sons: W. W., Thomas M., Robert H., and C. S. (Zeke). The senior Babington managed the store until 1881, when he turned daily operations over to Thomas. The firm's name changed to Babington Brothers when Thomas' younger brothers joined the business. By 1899, the company occupied a large two story frame structure and was recognized as the largest mercantile establishment in the parish. A fire destroyed this building later in the year but the brothers soon rebuilt an even larger store. Thus, the Babington family had a major stake in the future of Franklinton. However, by 1900 this future no longer seemed so promising.
Here is a link for the Bank Bank.

Street address: 828 Main St. Franklinton, LA USA 70438 County / Borough / Parish: Washington Year listed: 1995 Historic (Areas of) Significance: Person (Thomas M. Babington) Periods of significance: 1900-1924, 1925-1949 Historic function: Domestic. Sub - Single Dwelling Current function: Bank, Financail Instution Privately owned?: yes Hours of operation: From: 8:30 AM To: 4:00 AM Primary Web Site: [Web Link] Secondary Website 1: [Web Link] Season start / Season finish: Not listed Secondary Website 2: Not listed National Historic Landmark Link: Not listed

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