HHC Tour Guide

Huntsville
History Tour

Directions

To get to the Bank from the Courthouse:

Turn left on West Side Square.

Continue up the street and stop in front of the Bank Building on your right.

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Site Description

216 West Side Square
Bank Building, ca. 1835

This building, built in 1835 for $76,000, was known as the Marble Palace and has remained in use as a bank since that time.

Architect George Steele's slaves were the trained artisans who built it. The massive columns were transported down the Tennessee River by barge from Baltimore. The basement contained detention cells for slaves who were held for their master's debts.

More Information

216 West Side Square
Historic
Marker
Historic
Marker
Old
Cotton
Row
Postcard
1862
Photo
HABS
Exterior
1934
HABS
Exterior
1934
HABS
Exterior
1934
HABS
Exterior
1934
HABS
Interior
1934
HABS
Interior
1934
HABS
Interior
1934
HABS
Exterior
1934
HABS
Drawing
1934
HABS
Drawing
1934
HABS
Drawing
1934
HABS
Drawing
1934
HABS
Drawing
1934
HABS
Drawing
1934

For more information about
the History and Architecture of Huntsville,
visit

The Huntsville History Collection

or The Heritage Room at the
Huntsville-Madison County Public Library.

About

Huntsville History Tour

Thanks to:
John Malone, Narrator,
Lite 96.9 WRSA
Jacque Reeves, Narrator
Nancy Rohr, Narrator
Nate "Adams" Cholevik, Producer,
Lite 96.9 WRSA
Deane Dayton, App Developer,
Huntsville History Collection

Narration & Tour Design © 2014
Huntsville Madison County
Convention & Visitors Bureau
500 Church Street NW, Suite One
Huntsville, AL 35801
800-Space-4-U (256-772-2348)
Huntsville.org

Web App & Images © 2014
Huntsville History Collection
HuntsvilleHistoryCollection.org
webmaster@huntsvillehistorycollection.org

Tour version 3.0
TourGuide version 1.0

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Historic Marker

FIRST BANK IN ALABAMA
PLANTERS AND MERCHANTS BANK OF HUNTSVILLE

Housed on this site in brick building 44 ft. x 54 ft.

Chartered by Mississippi Territorial Legislature December H. 1816.

Commenced operations October 17, 1817. shortly thereafter made depository for Huntsville Federal Land Office funds. Charter voided by Proclamation of Governor Pickens on February 1, 1825 LeRoy Pope, first and only president.

By: Deane K. Dayton

Rights: Deane K. Dayton

Date: c 2011

Historic Marker

ERECTED in 1835
This building has since been occupied by
The First National Bank of Huntsville
and its predecessors:
The National Bank of Huntsville
1865 - 1889
The Northern Bank of Alabama
1852 - 1865
(Operation suspended 1863 - 1865)
The Branch of the State Bank
of Huntsville
1835 - 1852
George Steele, Architect and Builder

By: Deane K. Dayton

Rights: Deane K. Dayton

Date: c 2011

Old Cotton Row

"First National Bank and old 'Cotton Row' looking north on Jefferson St."

Huntsville-Madison County
Public Library

By: Victor Haagen

Rights: Huntsville-Madison County Public Library

Visit the Huntsville-Madison County Public Library website

Postcard

Front: First National Bank, Huntsville, Ala.

Southpaw Postcards
George & Peg Heeschen

By: Pub. by J. D. Humphrey & Son, Huntsville, Ala.

Rights: From the postcard collection of George and Peg Heeschen, The Southpaw, Huntsville, Alabama

Visit the Southpaw website

1862 Photo

"The Northern Bank of Alabama. Now Regions Bank, the Northern Bank of Alabama bears the Union flag shortly after Huntsville was occupied by Federal troops in 1862. The bank still occupies the south corner of West Side Square."

Huntsville-Madison County
Public Library

Rights: Huntsville-Madison County Public Library

Date: c 1862

Visit the Huntsville-Madison County Public Library website

HABS Exterior 1934

"Historic American Buildings Survey W. N. Manning, Photographer, April 25, 1934. COURTYARD OF SLAVE QUARTERS - N.W. ELEVATION"

Historic American
Buildings Survey

By: Library of Congress; W. N. Manning

Rights: Historical American Buildings Survey

Date: c 1934

HABS Exterior 1934

"Historic American Buildings Survey W. N. Manning, Photographer, March 17, 1934. FRONT VIEW."

Historic American
Buildings Survey

By: Library of Congress; W. N. Manning

Rights: Historical American Buildings Survey

Date: c 1934

HABS Exterior 1934

"Historic American Buildings Survey W. N. Manning, Photographer, March 23, 1934. REAR VIEW"

Historic American
Buildings Survey

By: Library of Congress; W. N. Manning

Rights: Historical American Buildings Survey

Date: c 1934

HABS Exterior 1934

"Historic American Buildings Survey W. N. Manning, Photographer, April 25, 1934. VIEW ACROSS PARK TOWARD CLIFF AND BANK BUILDING."

Historic American
Buildings Survey

By: Library of Congress; W. N. Manning

Rights: Historical American Buildings Survey

Date: c 1934

HABS Interior 1934

"Historic American Buildings Survey W. N. Manning, Photographer, April 25, 1934. CLOSE-UP OF VESTIBULE."

Historic American
Buildings Survey

By: Library of Congress; W. N. Manning

Rights: Historical American Buildings Survey

Date: c 1934

HABS Interior 1934

"Historic American Buildings Survey W. N. Manning, Photographer, April 25, 1934. DETAIL (WINDOW SHUTTER AND WINDOW)"

Historic American
Buildings Survey

By: Library of Congress; W. N. Manning

Rights: Historical American Buildings Survey

Date: c 1934

HABS Interior 1934

"Historic American Buildings Survey W. N. Manning, Photographer, April 25, 1934. DETAIL OF FIREPLACE IN DIRECTOR'S ROOM."

Historic American
Buildings Survey

By: Library of Congress; W. N. Manning

Rights: Historical American Buildings Survey

Date: c 1934

HABS Exterior 1934

"Historic American Buildings Survey W. N. Manning, Photographer, April 25, 1934. SLAVE KEEP - S.E. ELEVATION."

Historic American
Buildings Survey

By: Library of Congress; W. N. Manning

Rights: Historical American Buildings Survey

Date: c 1934


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