Old State Bank

Old State Bank

Morgan County, Decatur, Banks, Old State Bank

Constructed in 1833, the Old State Bank in Decatur, Alabama, served as the Decatur Branch of the State Bank of Alabama. The Alabama General Assembly passed legislation to create the State Bank of Alabama in 1830. Formed in Tuscaloosa, Tuscaloosa County, the bank would have additional branches in Decatur and Mobile. Construction of the bank began the same year, despite the controversy of Decatur being chosen as one of the sites with only 200 residents. The benefit of being close to the Tennessee River helped change that. The bank was designed in the Jeffersonian style with a price of $10,000. Much of the construction was done by enslaved workers from James Fennell's plantation. The bank opened up for business on July 29, 1833, but unfortunately accumulated a debt of more than $1 million dollars by 1840. It remained empty until it was occupied by Federal troops in 1861. The bank served as a headquarters, storehouse, and a field hospital. The thick walls protected most of the soldiers from different forms of projectiles. After the Civil War, the bank served multiple purposes for the citizens of Decatur. It was a doctor's office and a residence. The bank was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1972. It was donated by the American Legion, Post No. 15, to the City of Decatur and became a museum in 1984. The Old State Bank is located at 952 Bank Street NE, in Decatur.

Dylan Tucker, University of North Alabama

"Old State Bank." Encyclopedia of Alabama. Accessed June 1, 2015.

Alabama Cultural Resource Survey

1830s

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