First National Bank
A piece of local history.
The First National Bank of Shelby, North Carolina, has a long and storied history, playing a pivotal role in shaping Shelby into what it is today. Though referred to as a “National Bank,” it was truly a quintessential local bank. All of its branches were situated in the home county of Cleveland County. This project included renovations and expansions to the main branch, which was originally built in the 1930’s and still stands across from the City and County Court Square. Over the years, the original building has undergone numerous alterations and additions, some of which have not been particularly kind to its character.
When our work began, the most recent renovations had transformed the bank into a building more reflective of the 1970’s style. The stunning fifteen-foot-tall arched wooden windows had been covered up, disappearing from view. Not to mention the green wallpaper covering the tall walls and lay-in acoustical tile ceiling of the bank lobby gave the space a far less historic feel than the building’s original grandeur. The direction from Mrs. Adelaide Craver, the bank’s President and CEO, was to restore the building as closely as possible to its original historic style, while modernizing its functionality. At the time, the bank building spanned 18,800 square feet. Mrs. Craver also requested that we integrate the adjacent 13,380-square-foot-men’s clothing store into the building, ensuring it harmonized with the original structure.
Tax credits.
This building is a contributing structure in the National Historic District of Shelby, North Carolina, and it would qualify for the registry by its own merits if it were not already part of the Historic District. This status made it eligible for national tax credits covering 20% of the construction costs, along with additional state tax credits of 20% in North Carolina. The process is extensive, requiring design work that meets specific standards and navigating a detailed paperwork trail to qualify for the tax credits. Through our design, we were able to qualify the bank for hundreds of thousands of dollars in tax credits, which they recouped over the next five years.
Balancing preservation with modern functionality.
As great as huge tax credits are, the project must still meet the needs of the client. This project shows how redesigning a beautiful historic property can still provide an efficient bank lobby with modern teller lines, up to date security, comfortable conditioning and more.
We uncovered the large window openings and replaced the existing dilapidated windows with new energy efficient windows that looked just like the original windows. The old acoustical tile ceilings were removed, and the original troffer ceilings were exposed and trimmed in cherry wood. We also converted the existing clothing store into 26 offices, a board room, a service center, and a small banquet hall, tying it all together to look like one building.
What does this mean for you?
Upland Architects has the expertise and experience to restore historical buildings to the standards of the United States National Park Service standards and change old buildings into beautiful, efficient, modern work environments.
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