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 The Union Bank of Florida Posted by:  macdonr
N 30° 26.276 W 084° 16.791
16R E 761240 N 3370456
The Union Bank is Florida's oldest surviving bank building. It is located one block east of the State Capitol in Tallahassee.
Waymark Code: WMP3F
Location: Florida, United States
Date Posted: 09/01/2006
Views: 62
THE UNION BANK
OF FLORIDA
Completed in 1841, the Union Bank is Florida's oldest surviving bank
building. The business was chartered in 1833 as a planter's bank
from which plantation owners could borrow against their land and
slave holdings. The bank operated in a private house called "The
Columns" until 1841. With John Gamble as its first and only
president, it served as Florida's major territorial bank. The bank
failed in 1843 because of crop failures, the Second Seminole
War, and unsound banking practices.
After remaining unused for nearly 25 years, the building reopened
in 1868 as the National Freedman's Saving and Trust Company,
serving emancipated slaves and refugees. Starting in 1874, the
building functioned in a variety of ways --- as a church, shoe
factory, beauty shop, and dance studio.
Originally located near the southwest corner of Adams Street
and Park Avenue, the structure was moved to this site in 1971.
The Union Bank building was restored and opened to the public
as a museum in 1984.
The Union Bank now serves as an extension of the Florida A&M University Black Archives, Research Center and Museum. Artifacts and documents reflecting black history and culture are on display, and public programs are provided. The Black Archives is open to the public and to school groups on weekdays between 9:00am and 4:30pm, free of charge. Please phone ahead for additional information: 850.561.2603.
Marker Number: F-391
Date: 1998
County: Leon
Marker Type: Roadside
Sponsored or placed by: The Union Bank Restoration Committee and the Museum of Florida History
Website: [Web Link]
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Visit Instructions:
In your log, please say if you learned something new, and if you took any extra time to explore the area once you stopped at the historic marker waymark.
Please post a photo at the marker location.
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