First National Bank Building - Corsicana Commercial Historic District - Corsicana, TX
Posted by: 
WalksfarTX
N 32° 05.557 W 096° 27.790
14S E 739410 N 3553518
Classical Revival temple front commercial building erected in 1915. Architect was Field and Clarkson.
Waymark Code: WMXK48
Location: Texas, United States
Date Posted: 01/22/2018
Views: 0
Texas Historic Site Atlas
Upon the arrival of the H&TC line in 1871, Captain James T. Garitty (1842-1925) and Joseph Huey (1827-1904) established Garitty, Huey & Company. Population growth and the influx of new wealth fostered by rail service ensured the young company's prosperity. Garitty and Huey incorporated their firm in 1886 with assets of $125,000, changing the name to the First National Bank of Corsicana.
Following the discovery of oil in Navarro County in 1894, Corsicana entered a long period of physical and economic expansion. The bank grew along with the city, moving into this Classical Revival temple in 1915 with reported assets of over $1.7 million.
In the subsequent decade, oil production in Corsicana reached its peak of more than 400,000 barrels per day. The institution merged with the Corsicana National Bank in 1931 to consolidate its position as a financial leader in the city. During the Great Depression, Garitty's fiscal policies helped maintain the bank's strength and contributed to a stable local economy. In 1956, the bank moved to its present location at the comer of Main and Collin street.