The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1895-01-20
An HISTORIC BUILDING.
The Old Citizens Bank Will Begin 10
Go Down Tomorrow.

The Building Probably Erected Way
Back in the Twenties Was a Board
ing House, a Residence, and Was
First Used as Bank by the Bank Of
Commerce in 1s57-CoI. Rogers Re
members Spending His First Night in
Savannah Within It's Walls in 1888.
Used as an ONCE by Messrs. Bates &
Conner and Then by the Southern
Bank.
The old building at Bryan and Dray-
ton streets. northwest corner. which has
for several years been occupied by the
I Citizens Bank, has seen its last business
day and viii begin to go down to-mor-
row morning under the hammer and
chisel Of the contractors who are to re-
place it with handsome freproof struc-
ture that will be an ornament to the
city.
There is much interesting history con-
nected with this old structure. which
was erected. perhaps. way back in the
twenties. at least it was SO long ago that
no one can be found who knows just ex-
actly when it was built Col William
/ Rogers has perhaps the earliest recollec-
ton of it. Coming from Fifeshire. Scot
land, to Charleston in 1888. he came direct
to Savannah and his first night in this
/ city was spent within its walls. 1t was
then a boarding house kept by Mrs.
! Robertson, and as we'll as Col. Rogers
/ can remember at that time it did not
/ look as If it were a brand new building.
/ For many years it was boarding house
and sort Of hotel and along in the late
| fortes or early ffties it was occupied
/ by +. W. Buker 1t was in 1857. Mr.
George c. Freeman said, that the build
/ ing was first used for banking purposes.
1t was bought by Col. G. B. Lamar, who
is now living in New York, and the Bank
| Of Commerce was organized and started
there in that year Col. Lamar also
helped to organize the Bank of the Re
public, now the National Bank of the
Republic of New York
The building has always looked the
same, so far as can be remembered by
those who were here in those early years,
| with the exception of the few changes
| that were made when it was occupied by
| the Bank of Commerce. 1t formerly had
| an attic or sort of hip roof, but the walls
were afterward run up straight. making
| three stories. Col. Lamar made some
changes in the lower story, in order to fit
| 1t up for the bank Some change was
made in the arrangement of the rooms on
! the lower floor; plate glass was put in
! the windows and the iron gratings were
| placed around them. Capt. George w.
/ Lamar and Maj A. J.. Hartridge were
In Tr,bf 4 -vf11
! the cashier of the Bank of Commerce.
The Bank of Commerce did a good bust
| ness through the war by the result of
| which 1t was wiped out. 1t was a state
| institution, and during the war was kept
! open during the war as a bank and de-
| pository. As one of the assets Of the
| Institution which was made defunct by
| the process of war. the building went
| to those who held its bills and it was
/ sold under a decree of court.
Shortly after the war the building was
rented by Messrs. Bates 8, Conner, cotton
/ factors, the firm being composed of Mr.
/ Edwin Bates and Mr. H. NJ Conner. the
/ present receiver of the Central railroad
/ They had il for several years, occupy
/ ing the lower floor, and the rooms above
/ were occupied as lawyers offices In
/ fact, they have been used as Offices bv
i lawyers and others since the organization
/ of the Bank of Commerce in 1857.
In 1870 the Southern Bank was organized
! and began business in this building.
/ This institution bought the old building
/ at that time for about $4,000 and occu-
/ pied 1t until 1885, using the entire lower
| floor for its banking purposes, and the
| room now occupied by the turf exchange
| was its directors room. Capt John Elan
/ merry purchased the building from the
/ Southern Bank when it moved into its
/ new quarters in 1886 for about 1850, and
/ just year ago it was purchased from
! Capt. Flannery by the Citizens Bank
for S25 coo.
The Citizens Bank first occupied the
building on Jan. l, 1888, the capital stock
at that time being 500, 900, being increased
in August, 1890 to $500 900. The corner on
which the building stands has always been
money center, and to-day there is a
bank on each corner of the streets which
cross there. The vaults used by the Ciu-
zens Bank in this building are the same
that were placed there in 1857 by the Bank
of Commerce and many millions of
dollars have no doubt been within their
walls since that time.
Messrs. NJ. T. Lewman & Co. of ST
Louis take charge of the building to-mor-
row morning, and will soon begin to re-
place it with handsome and modernIv
equipped fireproof structure designed bv
Mr. G. L. Norman of Atlanta The Citi-
zens Bank will open for business TONER
row in its temporary quarters at Bryan
and AbercOrn streets, in the building for
merly occupied by the Germania Bank.
The new building will probably be ready
to be occupied for business purposes by
the bank about July of this year and
it is expected that it will be entirely com
plete by Sept. l or earlier.
AHEAD OF EVERYTHING.