Merchants & Farmers Bank~ THE HEART of Main Street Roanoke, Alabama
The First National Bank in Roanoke, Alabama, was completed October 1921. Still the only three story building in town, the structure continues to hold an important place in the heart of Roanoke’s citizenry. A favorite quote from the weekly paper (still a privately owned family paper today) dated dated January 24, 1923, “This is one of the finest structures of the time in any small city in the country, and is equipped in first class style.” Later renamed the Merchants & Farmers Bank, the structure still represents many things for Roanoke, Alabama. Located on Main Street Roanoke, its the cornerstone of the entire street and the most visible structure remaining. In its heyday, Roanoke was a rural mecca, a small town to which all of the other smaller towns in the area were connected. Roanoke is equidistant from Atlanta, Georgia and Birmingham, Alabama and has the potential to attract young families who are interested in restoring historic homes, retirees and other interested in our "ecotourism" offerings of a vast river system and beautiful lake. As evidenced in the photos submitted with my entry, Main Street Roanoke was THE place to be at one time and with hope, help, hard work and out of the box thinking...can be a beautiful street once again. The townspeople still come out every Veterans Day and to celebrate high school homecoming and Christmas with a street lined full to watch the parades. They work side by side on the smallest of projects and the largest with hospitality and a community feel so many small rural towns offer. When I moved to Roanoke eight years ago I first noticed the beautiful old buildings and was horrified that most were crumbling and unoccupied. Since that time, the local Rotary Club along with many private individuals have begun the slow process of renovation and revitalization. I purchased another old two story building, remodeled it and moved my office to Main Street over two years ago. In transforming the old building I chose to give it a very industrial/ loft appearance so as to expose others to a different way of thinking about the buildings and how they could be renovated using nontraditional and recycled materials. Others have followed suit including a friend who purchased an old cotton mill and has turned it into our one social/art center on Main Street. Rotary Club was recently donated the old theatre on Main Street that burned in the 1980’s and is beginning efforts to turn the space into an amphitheater for plays and community activities. When we purchased the old bank building it had been empty for fifteen years though at one time had housed a jewelry store, variety shop and a law office. I fell in love with the wood floors, huge old safe, the mezzanine level on the first floor and the amazing windows!!! My husband and I immediately began the process of cleaning out old debris and assessing the structural situation. A structural engineer report offered positive findings and we are very pleased that there are no major structural problems which need to be addressed. There are three stories in the bank and luckily all of the old wood windows are inside of the building although they need to be restored. Restoring the original wood windows will be the first order of business and if awarded the $10,000.00 by DWELL, the money will immediately go to the restoration of those windows so that full installation could be complete by Summer 2012. We know the process of renovating the entire structure will be slow, and while we are not wealthy, we continue to be inspired by the possibilities and are committed to seeing the project through. It is my goal that the bank will serve as a good example of mixed use space and hopefully house retail space on the bottom floor, a professional office on the second and a modern/industrial living loft (maybe even with a rooftop garden) on the third floor. If our Main Street in Roanoke is not revitalized NOW, while local citizens show interest, are giving money and investing their energy, I fear all enthusiasm for revitalization will be lost forever and even more people will abandon the town. The economy has been brutal and many plants have shut down, family owned businesses that had been in operation two or three generations have closed and people need something to inspire them, a work of art and of HEART!!! Our town needs this opportunity to remember that our Main Street is crucial to our survival and without it much will be lost! PLEASE help us revitalize, renovate and restore Roanoke, Alabama!!!!
Tweet
