Monumental Buildings Constructed in Tuscaloosa, Alabama between 1887 and 1925: A Survey of Building Materials Used in the Designs of the Exterior and Interior Surfaces

The Alabama Territory was admitted into the Union in 1819, to become the twenty-first state. In 1820 the State Assembly organized the State Bank of Alabama and provided funds for the construction of its building in Tuscaloosa, Alabama. During the next hundred years, hundreds of other banks were chartered. They were grouped into eight categories: Territorial, Muggins, Free Charter, Savings, State Bank of Alabama, private, U.S. National, and State (Fitts, 1891). The building materials used in these banking houses, both structural and decorative, reflected various styles that responded to changes in national style trends, traditional use of building materials, new uses of building materials as created by the Industrial Revolution, and by the perceptions of architects toward the appearance of bank buildings.

The purpose of this study was to identify the original architectural style of each banking house and the building materials used to cover and decorate the exterior surface, to identify the original interior design of the public lobby of each building, and the building materials used to decorate the interior space. The researcher's task was also to derive an understanding of the unique likeness and distinct differences of these five buildings, as each of the materials is affected by changes in style, traditional and new uses of building material, and perceptions of architecture appropriate for banking houses.