The Merchants National Bank Building is a two-story, red brick building in Lehigh, Oklahoma, located at the southwest corner of Main Street and Railway Street.[2] It was one of two banks that served Lehigh during the town's mining boom.[2] It is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.[3][4] It is historically significant because it represents the economic growth and decline of Lehigh and exemplifies Late Victorian Renaissance architecture.[2]
During the late-19th and early-20th centuries, Lehigh was a prosperous community due to the high demand for coal from mines in Coal County.[2] The Merchants National Bank was founded in 1906.[2] It was the second bank in Lehigh; the Lehigh National Bank, founded in 1898, was the first.[2] Merchants National Bank operated out of a temporary headquarters for the first several months of its operation.[2] On January 29, 1907, it was announced that the constructing contract for the bank's building had been awarded to Faudree Brothers of Atoka, Oklahoma.[2] The new bank was built on the southwest corner of Katy Avenue and Main Street, and it was, architecturally, one of the most striking buildings in town.[2]
The coal boom ended in the 1910s, as railroads switched to cheaper fuel oil to power their trains.[2] In the early 1920s, the railroads closed their mines in Lehigh.[2] Declining crop prices and damage to the cotton crop from boll weevils further weakened the economy.[2] The Merchants National Bank closed in 1923. The building subsequently housed a grocery store.[2] Many of the other buildings on main street were abandoned.[2] As part of New Deal projects during the Great Depression, most of the abandoned buildings on Main Street were torn down.[2] During World War II, there was again a demand for coal in the area, and many of the town's buildings were torn down or moved so the ground underneath them could be readily mined.[2]
By the 1980s, the grocery store in the Merchants National Bank Building had closed, and the building had deteriorated and been damaged by vandals.[2] In the 1980s, the Lehigh Historical Society completed restoration work on the building.[2][6] They replaced most of the windows and repaired the roof, ceilings, and floors.[2] The building is the only remaining commercial building in what was once downtown Lehigh.[2] It was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 2006.[3]
Architectureedit
The building is two stories high and made of red brick with cream brick highlights.[2] It measured 34 by 70 feet, with the short side facing Main Street and the long side facing Railroad Street.[2] It is in the Late Victorian Renaissance style.[2] At the northwest corner, there is a pyramidal tower with a steeply pitched roof and a short, rounded spire.[2] Along the roof of the building, there is a brick parapet on the north and east sides with a sandstone capstone and eight pilasters.[2] The west side of the building has no windows and an unadorned parapet because the west wall was a party wall for the adjacent building.[2] The building has arched windows framed in buff bricks.[2] It has a recessed corner entrance, which is supported by a red granite column on a sandstone pier.[2] The entryway is arch-shaped, and the arch is filled in with decorated wrought iron in a fan-shaped design.[2] The first floor of the building contains the original banking room, which has a pressed tin ceiling, stained oak door and window surrounds, and keystones above the window arches.[2] It has a poured concrete floor, which replaced the original floor, which had been damaged by rot.[2] The plaster walls have been covered by fiberboard.[2]
^ abcdefghijklmnopqrstuvwxyzaaabacadaeafJim Gabbart (October 26, 2006). "National Register of Historic Places Inventory/Nomination: Merchants National Bank Building" (pdf). National Park Service. {{cite journal}}: Cite journal requires |journal= (help) "Accompanying 7 photos, from 2006" (pdf). National Register of Historic Places Inventory.
^ abState Historic Preservation Office: Oklahoma Historical Society.Oklahoma's National Register Handbook. April 1, 2015. Accessed July 2, 2015.
^"State Sites Placed on Register," The Oklahoman, February 17, 2007.
^Morris, John W. Historical Atlas of Oklahoma (Norman: University of Oklahoma, 1986), plate 38.
^Caruthers, Lorene. "Lehigh," Encyclopedia of Oklahoma History and Culture, Oklahoma Historical Society, Accessed July 4, 2015.
January 01, 1970
merchants, national, bank, building, story, brick, building, lehigh, oklahoma, located, southwest, corner, main, street, railway, street, banks, that, served, lehigh, during, town, mining, boom, listed, national, register, historic, places, historically, signi. The Merchants National Bank Building is a two story red brick building in Lehigh Oklahoma located at the southwest corner of Main Street and Railway Street 2 It was one of two banks that served Lehigh during the town s mining boom 2 It is listed on the National Register of Historic Places 3 4 It is historically significant because it represents the economic growth and decline of Lehigh and exemplifies Late Victorian Renaissance architecture 2 Merchants National Bank BuildingU S National Register of Historic PlacesShow map of OklahomaShow map of the United StatesLocationSW corner of Main and Railway Sts Lehigh OklahomaCoordinates34 28 6 3 N 96 13 26 0 W 34 468417 N 96 223889 W 34 468417 96 223889Arealess than one acreBuilt1907 1907 Built byFaudree BrothersArchitectural styleLate Victorian RenaissanceNRHP reference No 06001112 1 Added to NRHPDecember 6 2006History editDuring the late 19th and early 20th centuries Lehigh was a prosperous community due to the high demand for coal from mines in Coal County 2 The Merchants National Bank was founded in 1906 2 It was the second bank in Lehigh the Lehigh National Bank founded in 1898 was the first 2 Merchants National Bank operated out of a temporary headquarters for the first several months of its operation 2 On January 29 1907 it was announced that the constructing contract for the bank s building had been awarded to Faudree Brothers of Atoka Oklahoma 2 The new bank was built on the southwest corner of Katy Avenue and Main Street and it was architecturally one of the most striking buildings in town 2 At the time it was built the bank was located in Atoka County a part of the Pushmataha District of the Choctaw Nation 5 The coal boom ended in the 1910s as railroads switched to cheaper fuel oil to power their trains 2 In the early 1920s the railroads closed their mines in Lehigh 2 Declining crop prices and damage to the cotton crop from boll weevils further weakened the economy 2 The Merchants National Bank closed in 1923 The building subsequently housed a grocery store 2 Many of the other buildings on main street were abandoned 2 As part of New Deal projects during the Great Depression most of the abandoned buildings on Main Street were torn down 2 During World War II there was again a demand for coal in the area and many of the town s buildings were torn down or moved so the ground underneath them could be readily mined 2 By the 1980s the grocery store in the Merchants National Bank Building had closed and the building had deteriorated and been damaged by vandals 2 In the 1980s the Lehigh Historical Society completed restoration work on the building 2 6 They replaced most of the windows and repaired the roof ceilings and floors 2 The building is the only remaining commercial building in what was once downtown Lehigh 2 It was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 2006 3 Architecture editThe building is two stories high and made of red brick with cream brick highlights 2 It measured 34 by 70 feet with the short side facing Main Street and the long side facing Railroad Street 2 It is in the Late Victorian Renaissance style 2 At the northwest corner there is a pyramidal tower with a steeply pitched roof and a short rounded spire 2 Along the roof of the building there is a brick parapet on the north and east sides with a sandstone capstone and eight pilasters 2 The west side of the building has no windows and an unadorned parapet because the west wall was a party wall for the adjacent building 2 The building has arched windows framed in buff bricks 2 It has a recessed corner entrance which is supported by a red granite column on a sandstone pier 2 The entryway is arch shaped and the arch is filled in with decorated wrought iron in a fan shaped design 2 The first floor of the building contains the original banking room which has a pressed tin ceiling stained oak door and window surrounds and keystones above the window arches 2 It has a poured concrete floor which replaced the original floor which had been damaged by rot 2 The plaster walls have been covered by fiberboard 2 References edit National Register Information System National Register of Historic Places National Park Service July 9 2010 a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t u v w x y z aa ab ac ad ae af Jim Gabbart October 26 2006 National Register of Historic Places Inventory Nomination Merchants National Bank Building pdf National Park Service a href Template Cite journal html title Template Cite journal cite journal a Cite journal requires journal help Accompanying 7 photos from 2006 pdf National Register of Historic Places Inventory a b State Historic Preservation Office Oklahoma Historical Society Oklahoma s National Register Handbook April 1 2015 Accessed July 2 2015 State Sites Placed on Register The Oklahoman February 17 2007 Morris John W Historical Atlas of Oklahoma Norman University of Oklahoma 1986 plate 38 Caruthers Lorene Lehigh Encyclopedia of Oklahoma History and Culture Oklahoma Historical Society Accessed July 4 2015 Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Merchants National Bank Building amp oldid 1097142198, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
