Gorgeous Old Bank Building Located in the Heart of the Very Desired Historic District in Saint Francisville! This two-story masonry building was constructed in the year 1905 on the corner of Royal and Prosperity Streets. It is a time capsule of craftsmanship from an earlier era and has been there for more than a century.
When you get closer, you’ll see an elaborate granite corner column that was transported down the Mississippi River from Cincinnati. This column serves as a welcome sign. After that, you will go through some hefty antique wrought iron gates, then step onto a welcome mat composed of mosaic tiles, and finally enter the building through some big convex-curved front doors.
Once you enter, you will discover three stunning fireplaces, original teller counters, and a walk-in bank vault that is currently being used as a museum room to display the history of the antique button jeweler business that has been operating out of this location for many years. Many national publications, including Victoria (1998), Country Living (2013), and Southern Living, which named it one of the “100 Greatest Shops in the South,” have highlighted Grandmother’s Buttons over the years (2019).
In addition, the structure appeared in the Warner Bros. movie “The Reaping,” which starred Hilary Swank (2007). In spite of its long and illustrious past, which is steeped in art and architecture, this structure is essentially a blank canvas with almost unbounded potential.
The lower level, which encompasses close to 5,000 square feet of interior space, is currently being utilised for retail, while the upper level retains the office configuration it had when it was first built. You can, however, grip the hand-hewn handrail and take your imagination up the historic staircase.
You will walk through a magnificent stained glass window depicting Audubon’s flamingo before arriving at a large, open middle room that looks out over the stairs. From this vantage point, you will find yourself surrounded on three sides by seven rooms, each of which offers a unique perspective of the Mississippi River, the courthouse, live oak trees, and historical structures like Temple Sinai and the Julius Freyhan School.
There should be opportunities for both residential and commercial development given the property’s location on two lots and the BMX-zoning allowance of approximately half an acre. This is a really unusual find!
