Citizens Bank of Vidalia
Why it's listed
Built around 1901, this one-story brick storefront on S.E. Main Street in Vidalia, Georgia, housed the town's first bank. W. T. Jenkins, the founder of Vidalia and a turpentine businessman, organized the Citizens Bank of Vidalia after townspeople kept leaving savings with him. The building is thought to be the first brick structure in town. Its front facade has corbelled brickwork, a central pediment, battlements, segmentally arched display windows, stained-glass transoms and granite trim. Inside, a pressed metal ceiling, heart-pine floors, pine trim and an Eastlake-style fireplace mantel survive. The bank moved to larger quarters in 1913, and the building later held shops, a millinery, credit offices, a campaign headquarters and storage. Its listing recognizes its role in Vidalia's early commercial growth as a railroad town and its value as a well-preserved small-town bank design. A 1988 rehabilitation preserved its character, and it remains a store today.
Significance in brief: It is considered the first bank in Vidalia and presumably the first brick building in the town, tied to the city's early commercial growth as a railroad town. It is also an intact, finely detailed example of Decorated Vernacular Victorian commercial architecture in a small Georgia town.
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 91002004, listed January 22, 1992. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence high).
Key facts
| Address | 117 SE. Main St., Vidalia |
|---|---|
| County | Toombs County |
| Listed | January 22, 1992 |
| Reference number | 91002004 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Period of significance | C. 1901 |
| Architectural style | Late Victorian: Decorated Vernacular Victorian |
| Criteria |
|
| Areas of significance | Community Planning and Development, Commerce, Architecture |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Still in commercial use as a children's clothing store after a rehabilitation completed in March 1988. |
| Acreage | 0.9 |
| Coordinates | 32.21850, -82.41161 (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 91002004.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q29093472
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.