Banking Gone By

Recently, my friend Denise and I took a 'random road trip' east of Dallas out toward Tyler, Texas.  There wasn't really a specific goal in mind - just out bumming in the cute little towns.....

Going along with my recent obsession with cute little Texas towns, this post is about the old banking buildings in seemingly all of the towns.  It makes sense that there was at least one major bank in the town square, so it shouldn't be surprising that the remnants of that history are still there.

The building above obviously wasn't a bank, but it was too cute not to include it!  It was a drug store and the date on the top of the building was 1891.  We went inside and found that it is now a quilting store on the ground level (who knows what's upstairs?).  VERY CUTE.

I think these first two buildings were in Kaufman, Texas (as well as the quilting store above).  This is the original "First National Bank" building, but is now a tea room!

 I love re-purposed old buildings and it's especially neat when the renovators keep some of the old charm and built-in pieces of the building's past.

 

 Here's another bank building just across the street from First National Bank (above) - a competing bank!  It must have been a booming town if there were 2 banks right next to each other on the square, huh?

 I just absolutely LOVE the detail on these old buildings!!  I think it's just gorgeous - the brick, stone, carving, etc.  The history, charm, character - AMAZING.  This building was re-purposed into an event facility.  We looked in the windows and it was set up for a wedding reception. 

 Even the buildings that aren't all restored have character and a hint at their decadent past.......

 I have seen many old night deposit slots, but this one was super neat - a big round one on the side of the bank!  Very neat - and I LOVE LOVE LOVE that they kept it there, long after the bank was gone.  It's part of the building/town's history!

 Here's another one, but this is in a different town - I believe this was Mineola, Texas.  It's the First National Bank again - circa 1912 (the year that the Titanic sank in the Atlantic).  WOW!

 Here's the bank building, looking up......

 The ornate detail is incredible - such care was taken to make these bank buildings magnificent.  Just gorgeous.  Maybe I should make a coffee table book of old Texas bank buildings.....hmmmmm..........