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    Morgan County Archives

    4.0 (1 review)
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    Recommended Reviews - Morgan County Archives

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    16 years ago

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    The Old State Bank

    The Old State Bank

    4.7(3 reviews)
    0.2 mi

    Delicious food & great customer service. Healthy options were available. Will be back next time I'm…read morein town.

    In Decatur, there are four buildings that survived the Civil War, including The Old State Bank. I…read morehad really intended on just snapping a picture but it happened to be open late that day for high school seniors taking pictures so the old judge/tour guide ushered me in. Such a neat building and the guide was full of good information. The tour is free, doesn't take long and you get to see the vault used as a hospital in the Civil War, as well as the bankers apartment upstairs. Beautiful house. The second floor apartment area is furnished with antiques from the 1830's, and gives a glimpse into life in the early Tennessee Valley. The coolest part to me was seeing the big dents in the columns out front where canon balls hit and bullet holes from the CIVIL FREAKING WAR! Never would have known that without the guide! This bank was one of three banks authorized by The Alabama General Assembly in 1832. Few structures can boast as varied a past as the Bank. Since its construction, the building has weathered two depressions and a Civil War, and has served as a hospital guardhouse, bank, and dance hall. Named to the National Register of Historical Places in 1972, the Classic Revival architecture of the Bank is symbolic of the period in which it was built. The building is decorated with antique pieces from the Federal and Empire period. It's the oldest standing bank in Alabama. In the early 1800's the settlement of Decatur was virtually unknown. The placement of the state bank in Decatur gave the area a new significance and aided in its transition to established town. In addition to establishing Decatur's importance in the state, the bank also heralded a new era in which banking played an increasingly important role in developing state economy. The decision to locate a branch of the state bank in Decatur was one of the first events in the town's early history to lift Decatur from relative obscurity and give it a special role in the state. Several previous attempts to institute a state banking system had failed, but the legislature would again pass a bill in 1830 to establish a state bank. Branch bank locations were established in Mobile, Montgomery and Decatur; with the Decatur bank opening on July 29, 1833. The Decatur bank reported a profit of $84,028.22 in its first year of operation. A spirit of optimism surrounded the banks and is evidenced by the legislature's decision to run the sate government from the bank profits and abolish direct taxation. Unfortunately, the good times were short-lived, as a nationwide depression in 1837 and other factors contributed to the decline of the state banks. Despite attempts to improve and reform and improve the state banks, the Decatur bank franchise was revoked by 1845. Though the banking experience ended in failure, it showed the importance of banks in a developing state economy, and the need for a safe and stable bank system. On a local basis, the bank would serve as a catalyst for Decatur's transition from "frontier village" to "town." Architecturally, the Old State Bank played a significant role in the influence and development of architectural style in Alabama for several decades. By combining elements of the Federal style with the Greek Revival style, the Old State Bank introduced a new look and influenced building style in Alabama until the Civil War.

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    The Old State Bank
    The Old State Bank
    The Old State Bank

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    Morgan County Archives - landmarks - Updated May 2026

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