Scott County, Tennessee
FNB Chronicles

This page was created 20 May 2014

Historic Banking


The old native stone building remained when the First National Bank of Huntsville (formerly the Huntsville Banking Co.) closed its doors as a victim of the Great Depression in 1932. Its history dated back to a March 26, 1909 charter with the following shareholders at its inception: James Foster, J. Hatfield, Phillip Law, L. H. Boshears, R. C. Jones, A. H. Doisy, W. H. Potter, L. Jeffers and J. Chambers. By 1914, it was second largest of the three banks in Scott County: Scott County National Bank (forerunner of The National Bank of Oneida) was No. 1 with assets totaling $187,004.84; The First National Band of Huntsville, with $111,152.89 in total assets; and The Robbins Bank and Trust Co., with assets totaling $53,886.46. Scott County National Bank was the oldest of the three, having been chartered in 1904, while The Robbins Bank and Trust Co. was the second oldest, having been founded in 1907.

The building which had housed the First National Bank of Huntsville was used by the Scott County Health Dept. for several years and then it became the second branch office of First National Bank of Oneida in October 31, 1973 (the Helenwood Office had been opened in January 1966). Officials of First National decided that the historical significance of the building was worth preserving. The original fixtures of the earlier bank, combined with other turn-of-the-century furniture and fixtures that have been added, make this office of the bank truly unique. A drive-in facility with Scott County's first pneumatic (underground) tube transaction carrier was added for customer convenience. And, through the years, other modern banking conveniences have been added without ever altering the historic character of the building.

In the 1980s, through the efforts of County Historian Irene Baker and the Scott County Historical Society, the Huntsville branch office of the First National Bank of Oneida was placed on the National Register of Historic Buildings. So, the term "Historic Banking" has true meaning for our friends and customers in and around the county seat of Huntsville.

FNB Chronicle, Vol. 7, No. 1 – Fall 1995 First National Bank
P.O. Box 4699
Oneida, TN 37841
(p10)

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