FNB celebrates preservation of historic bank building

Published 11:00 pm Thursday, December 13, 2012

The First National Bank of Brundidge hosted a celebration of the opening of an annex located in the original FNB building. Community members gathered Thursday night in the 1904 location.

For the First National Bank of Brundidge, Thursday night was a coming home of sorts.

The bank hosted a reception in celebration of the opening of its boardroom and employee training annex located in the original First National Bank circa. 1904.

First National Bank of Brundidge opened Oct. 15, 1904 with J.T. Ramage as president. Shareholders included Fox Henderson, the Bashinskys and the Renfroes of Troy.

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Bank President and CEO Jimmy Ramage, who is the great-grandson of the bank’s founder, said that at the end of the bank’s first month of operation its liquid assets were $50,000.

“First National Bank was our town’s second bank,” Ramage said. “Fletcher Bass opened Brundidge Bank in 1900. That was big deal back then for a town the size of Brundidge to have two banks.”

Ramage said First National Bank actually opened in an old wooden building across the street from the annex.

“Back then, most of the buildings in Brundidge were wood,” he said. “At the opening of First National Bank, the newspaper reported that the bank would move into a brick building that was being built across the street. A new bank, and a brick one, was a huge thing for Brundidge.”

Ramage said his wife, Johnnie, was in charge of overseeing the renovation, which he said he went into with his heart.

“If I’d known that we were going to have to spend a ton of money to get rid of the mold and put on a new roof I might not have listened to my heart,” Ramage said, laughing. “But, this is good meeting place for us and we’re just proud to be able to preserve a building that is where it all began for us.”

Johnnie Ramage said every effort has been made to preserve the architectural integrity of the building.

“The ceiling, the brick wall and the molding are all original,” she said. “I found several pieces of the original marble counter tops under some rubble. It was enough marble to make tops for the three cabinets in the boardroom. We’ve used a lot of the building’s original furniture and we’re using the vault as a focal point of the building.”

The walls are decorated with photographs depicting the history of the building and the bank and artwork from local artists, past and present, is used throughout the building.

The First National Bank relief lettering on the front of the building has been filled in but the impression remains.

“We plan to have the lettering restored as it was originally,” Johnnie Ramage said, and added that old buildings have a uniqueness about them.

“A lot can be done with these older buildings. I’m proud that we had this opportunity.”

The building includes a large boardroom, kitchen area, sitting area and restroom facilities. The historic building is a cornerstone of the city.