First National Bank

The story

Behind the sketch.

Traditionally dated to 1835, though probably completed a few years later, the First National Bank building was designed by George Gilliam Steele to inspire institutional confidence. (Steele will prove to be quite influential in Huntsville architecture.) It began as the Huntsville branch of Alabama's state bank, and became several other banks in succession. During the antebellum period, enslaved domestic workers were housed at the bank and there were cells in the basement for enslaved persons who were held as collateral on defaulted loans. This was certainly not Huntsville's finest moment. Later renovations altered the interior, added offices, and placed the old county courthouse weathervane on the roof, putting the bank in a position to still be a viable commercial property today.

Neighborhood

Downtown

Book location

Page 14