Monroe Bank facts for kids
Quick facts for kids |
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Monroe Bank
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The Monroe Bank building in 2009
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 Location in Ohio
Location in the United States
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| Location | 117 Main St., Woodsfield, Ohio |
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| Area | less than one acre |
| Built | 1903 |
| NRHP reference No. | 80003167 |
| Added to NRHP | March 11, 1980 |
The Monroe Bank building is located at 117 Main Street in Woodsfield, Ohio. This historic building was added to the National Register of Historic Places on March 11, 1980. This means it is recognized as an important place in American history.
History of the Monroe Bank Building
The Monroe Bank building was built in 1903. It served as the main office for the Monroe County Bank. This bank was officially started in 1874 by Samuel L. Mooney. It began with $50,000, which was a lot of money back then! For many years, it was the only bank in Monroe County. The beautiful inside of the bank showed how successful it was.
From 1905 to 1917, the bank building also served as the main office for the O.R.&W. Railway company.
When Samuel Mooney passed away in 1916, his son, William C. Mooney, became the bank's president. However, William also passed away in 1918. After that, J.D. Mooney took over as president. He stayed in that job for the rest of the bank's time in business.
The bank was a very important business in Monroe County. It seemed to do well even during the first years of the Great Depression. But by 1931, the bank had to close all its smaller branch locations. Only the main office in Woodsfield stayed open. Sadly, the money problems continued, and the bank was forced to close completely in 1933. Closing the bank and selling its assets took a very long time.
After the bank closed, the building was used for different things. It housed various offices, including some for county officials. It even became an apartment building for a while. Today, the building is owned by Gary Rubel. He has worked hard to fix it up and make it look like its old self. Many of the offices inside are now rented out.
Building Appearance and Design
The Monroe Bank building is a four-story structure. The lower part of the building is made of rough-cut stone blocks. The upper floors are built with red brick. The building has a mostly square shape.
On the ground floor, there are three entrances. Two are on the main front of the building, and the third is on a flattened corner. The entrances on the south side have Ionic columns around them. Above the second-floor windows on the corner entrance, there is a panel that says "1903." There are also fancy stone decorations between the second and third floors.
Above the entrance on the south side, there are two large Corinthian columns. These columns have balconies and a decorative railing, called a balustrade, which also has "1903" on it. This piece was once part of a full balustrade that ran along the roofline.
In 2006, construction started to add an observation deck to the building. This deck offers amazing views of Woodsfield. The room for the observation deck is shaped like an octagon and has many long windows. The roof of this room has a weathervane on top that looks like a locomotive train.
