Merchants and Planters Bank Building
From Archiplanet
 | Merchants and Planters Bank Building |
| Designer | Thomas A. Harding |
| Location | Pine Bluff, Arkansas, USA |
| Date | 1892 |
| Building Type | Commerce/Trade |
| Construction System | Granite, Brick, Slate, Terra Cotta, Granite |
| Architectural Style | Victorian-Romanesque |
| Street Address | 100 Main St. Walk Score |
| Notes |
Contents |
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| National Register of Historic Places | |
| Name | Merchants and Planters Bank Building |
| ID Number | 78000600 |
| NRHP Status | Listed In The National Register |
| Certification Date | 08/01/1978 |
| Level of Significance | Local |
| NRHP Documents | Text (pdf) ; Photos (pdf) |
Southern Development Corporation, has unique offices and executve suites available for lease as vacant space and rent as fully equipped business centers. Located at 100 Main Street, on the corner right across Barraque Street from the Jefferson County Courthouse, there is plenty of adjacent free public and reserved parking a half block from the Pine Street intersection with the Martha Mitchell downtown expressway.
[edit] History
Founded on December 1, 1876, the Merchants & Planters Bank occupied the building originally constructed at this location in 1872 by Smart Hudson & Co. It was replaced in 1891 by a new structure which featured a vault containing a safe described as "of the screw lock pattern and having two revolving panels in the door which, on being turned by a crank, made it absolutely burglar proof" (Press-Eagle, 11 Aug. 1891, p. 3). The installation of the vault and safe proved to be a good investment because a fire on January 24, 1892, destroyed the new building and almost everything on the north half of the block between Main and Pine streets. The bank officials immediately employed architect Thomas A. Harding to draw plans for this Romanesque style building. The interior fixtures of polished oak with brass railings were supplied by A. H. Andrews of Chicago, "well known bank outfitters." The bank had a tile floor and the entrance consisted of polished marble columns "supported and arched" by massive Fourche Mountain granite. The building was described as of modem bank architecture and, in regard to exterior and interior adornment, as "one of the handsomest bank buildings in the South" when it was completed on October 31, 1892. After sixty years of continuous operation the bank became insolvent on November 17, 1930 as a result of the Great Depression. After the bank failed Jefferson County took ownership of the property. In 1946 E. W. Hood purchased it from Jefferson County, and then in 1956 it became the property of Jim Hood. For 43 years, until his death in 1999, he and Avis Hood ran Hood & Co. Realty-Insurance and Southern Development Corporation here. The present owner, Southern Development Corporation, maintains the historic fidelity of its exterior. Operating as an office building, today it remains one of Pine Bluffs landmarks to the prosperous 1890s. The Merchants & Planters bank building was placed on the National Register of Historic Places, August 1, 1978.
[edit] Space 1
One room office at the prestigious 100 Main Street address. In this space the the floor and ceiling have been restored to the historic tiles and embossed metal ceiling panels. originally crafted in the late 1800's and early 1900's. Entry to this premium space is the original bank entrance under the granite arches and belvedere tower supported by the granite column. The base rent for this 360 square foot space is $520 per month. A semi-private rest room is included.
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National Register of Historic Places
