Bank of Jakin
Also known as: Jakin Post Office
Why it's listed
Built in 1912 on Pearl Street, the main commercial street of Jakin in southwest Georgia, this one-story brick building was constructed as the Bank of Jakin. It has a flat roof, a stepped parapet with corbeled brick and recessed panels, and tan brick on the front and north sides with red brick at the rear and west. Inside, the plaster walls, beadboard ceiling, wood floors, fireplaces and a Mosler Safe Co. vault door survive. The bank served a lumber-mill town of about 2,000 people and was the only bank in Jakin until it closed in 1923. The post office then moved into the vacant building and stayed until a new facility opened in 1988. After a period of storage use, the city bought it in 2000 for rehabilitation as a city hall. It is recognized for its architecture as a typical small-town bank and for its role in local commerce and communications.
Significance in brief: It is argued to be a good example of an early 20th-century small-town brick commercial building that keeps its original exterior and interior materials (Criterion C). It also served as Jakin's only bank from 1912 to 1923 and as the post office from 1923 to 1988, making it a center of commerce and communications (Criterion A).
Machine-generated summary. This summary was generated by a language model from the official nomination document and has not been reviewed line by line by an editor. It may contain errors. Check the source document before relying on any detail. Source: nomination document (PDF) · National Archives catalog entry. NRHP reference 03000678, listed July 25, 2003. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence high).
Key facts
| Address | 135 S. Pearl St., Jakin |
|---|---|
| County | Early County |
| Listed | July 25, 2003 |
| Reference number | 03000678 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Period of significance | 1912-1953 |
| Architectural style | Early 20th Century Commercial Style |
| Criteria |
|
| Areas of significance | Architecture, Commerce, Communications |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | The city bought the building in 2000 to rehabilitate it as a city hall; the current function is listed as work in progress. |
| Acreage | 0.9 |
| Coordinates | 31.08960, -84.98305 (NPS GIS) |
What listing means for this property
For an income-producing building, listing (individually or as a contributing building in a district) is the gateway to the 20% federal rehabilitation tax credit on qualified rehabilitation costs, often stackable with state credits. Work claiming the credit must follow the Secretary of the Interior's Standards and be approved in advance.
Listing does not restrict a private owner acting without federal money or permits; where federal funding or licensing is involved, Section 106 review applies.
General information, not legal or tax advice. Rules change; confirm with your State Historic Preservation Office or a qualified adviser.
Sources and further reading
- National Park Service, National Register of Historic Places database (snapshot May 2026), reference 03000678.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q38251709
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.