Decatur’s Old State Bank is thought to be the oldest surviving bank building in Alabama
Teller cages on display at the Old State Bank, Decatur. There is a portrait of Stephen Decatur, Jr. above the fireplace- the namesake of the city. (Erin Harney / Alabama NewsCenter)
Today, the Old State Bank in Decatur, recognized for its architectural significance, celebrates its 45th year on the National Register of Historic Places. The bank and the Somerville Courthouse Building, Alabama’s oldest existing courthouse, were the first Morgan County buildings to be honored.
The Old State Bank was recognized by the National Register of Historic Places for its architectural significance. (Erin Harney / Alabama NewsCenter)
On July 29, 1833, the Decatur branch of the Alabama State Bank opened in downtown Decatur. Thought to be the oldest surviving bank building in the state, it now serves as the Old State Bank Museum, which opened in the early 1980s.
Authorized by the Alabama General Assembly in 1832, the Alabama State Bank opened branches in Mobile, Montgomery and Decatur. The Decatur branch was considered a controversial location because the frontier town had only about 200 residents, compared to nearby Huntsville and surrounding Madison County, which had about 20,000.
Decatur’s location on the Tennessee River, at the future junction of two railroads and surrounded by cotton plantations, helped the bank to thrive during its first year, when it reported a profit of over $84,000. Also in its first year, the bank began to invest in, and thereby create, the Tuscumbia, Courtland and Decatur Railroad, the first railroad west of the Allegheny Mountains.
The Old State Bank building was designed in the Jeffersonian-style, but had unique elements, including two double-door entrances and five front columns. It took less than one year to construct and was built primarily by slave labor provided by a local plantation owner. The cost of the building was $9,482.
David Breland, the museum’s coordinator and Decatur director of Historic Resources and Events, said the building was designed with a residence for the bank manager on the upper level. That helped to secure the bank, as well as provided “after hours” banking services for customers who traveled from as far as the Tennessee, Mississippi and Georgia state lines and from as far south as present-day Birmingham. “This practice of a residence in the bank was common in frontier times,” said Breland. “Unfortunately, few of those style banks still exist.” The first bank manager (cashier) was Washington Keyes, who served as the first postmaster in Mooresville prior to coming to the bank.
For the first few years, the bank’s operations were successful. However, by the early 1840s the bank was in considerable debt and its franchise was revoked in 1842. “Upon learning of its collapse, the bank’s creditors broke into the bank and stole most of the furnishings,” said Breland.
Civil War bullet lodged in the exterior of the building. (Erin Harney / Alabama NewsCenter)
The building sat empty at times and as a residence at times until the Civil War, when it was occupied by Union soldiers as a field headquarters and hospital. Decatur was devastated during the war, with only the Old State Bank and three other buildings surviving. The bank’s brick walls and front columns bear the scars from the battles, with bullets still lodged in some of the bricks.
Photograph of Decatur historic district. Decatur was originally founded as “Rhodes Ferry Landing,” named for Dr. Henry Rhodes, an early land owner and Tennessee River ferry operator. The name was changed to Decatur in 1820/1 following a presidential order by James Monroe. Monroe wished to memorialize Stephen Decatur, Jr., a U.S. naval officer and commodore. Today there are over 20 communities in the U.S. named for Stephen Decatur, Jr. (Erin Harney / Alabama NewsCenter)
Following the war, the building served many uses, including as a bank. The First National Bank of Decatur operated there from 1881-1902 and provided financing that allowed the town to continue to rebuild after Reconstruction. During Reconstruction, two towns emerged – (Old) Decatur and New Decatur. New Decatur was populated primarily by Northerners who had relocated following the war. Due to animosity, in 1916 New Decatur was renamed Albany, after the city in New York. The towns would remain separate until 1927, when the Alabama Legislature controversially merged them into one city of Decatur.
Old Decatur, where the Old State Bank is located, was developed in a more European style with narrow streets that began at the Tennessee River and developed to the south, said Breland. Both the business section of town, along Bank Street, and the residential portion were added to the National Register of Historic Places between 1980 and 1985.
During the early 20th century, the Old State Bank was owned by the family of Dr. F.Y. Cantwell. Then, in the 1930s, it was renovated into a civic meeting space under the Works Progress Administration. After World War II, the building was given to the American Legion and was finally donated to the city in 1976.
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- State Bank of Alabama, Decatur Branch, Bank Street and Wilson Avenue, Decatur, Morgan County. Photograph taken as part of the 1934 Historic American Buildings Survey. (Library of Congress, Prints and Photographs Division)
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- State Bank of Alabama, Decatur Branch, Bank Street and Wilson Avenue, Decatur, Morgan County. Drawing was part of the 1934 Historic American Buildings Survey. (Library of Congress, Prints and Photographs Division)
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- State Bank of Alabama, Decatur Branch, Bank Street and Wilson Avenue, Decatur, Morgan County. Photograph taken as part of the 1934 Historic American Buildings Survey. (Library of Congress, Prints and Photographs Division)
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- State Bank of Alabama, Decatur Branch, Bank Street and Wilson Avenue, Decatur, Morgan County. Drawing was part of the 1934 Historic American Buildings Survey. (Library of Congress, Prints and Photographs Division)
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- State Bank of Alabama, Decatur Branch, Bank Street and Wilson Avenue, Decatur, Morgan County. Photograph of the vault was taken as part of the 1934 Historic American Buildings Survey. (Library of Congress, Prints and Photographs Division)
The building has since undergone a full renovation and has been developed into a historic site museum that represents the original use of the building as the 1830s bank, including the manager’s apartment with period-appropriate furnishings.
Local history and genealogy resources at the Old State Bank. (Erin Harney / Alabama NewsCenter)
The museum opened in the 1980s, and today welcomes thousands of visitors each year for tours and special events. “The museum serves as a hub for the preservation of local history, maintaining an archive and library of local history for genealogists and researchers,” said Breland.
David Breland, the museum’s coordinator and Decatur director of Historic Resources and Events. (Erin Harney / Alabama NewsCenter)
Breland has served as the Old State Bank museum curator since 2013. Previously, Breland served as a Morgan County district judge.
The museum is located at 952 Bank Street Northeast, Decatur, AL 35601. It is open weekdays from 9:30 a.m. to noon and from 1:30 p.m. to 4:30 p.m. For weekend or holiday hours, please call or email Breland at 256-341-4818 or dbreland@decatur-al.gov.
