Holt Brothers Banking Company Building
Also known as: First National Bank
Why it's listed
Built in 1898 on the square in downtown Sandersville, this two-story brick commercial building was designed by Charles E. Choate, who also served as its builder. The Holt Brothers, Lewis and Lake B. Holt, bought the corner lot at auction in November 1897 and opened the First National Bank in the new building in 1901. The facade features a rusticated first story, an arched central doorway with a colored glass fanlight, marble ornamentation, and a brick parapet with marble brackets. Inside are a pressed-metal coffered ceiling, a bank vault with carved Ionic pilasters and its original painted decoration, and second-floor offices with beaded wainscoting. The rear roofline has the curved profile Choate used on his commercial buildings. The property is considered significant for architecture as one of the most elaborate commercial works Choate designed in Washington County, and as one of his earliest there. It was later converted to stores and offices, and the first floor now holds shops.
Significance in brief: The building is one of the most elaborate Choate-designed commercial buildings in Washington County and among the most elaborate in Sandersville and Tennille. It is also one of Choate's earliest works in the area. It is a good example of a late 19th-century storefront building and a corner landmark with two significant facades.
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 94000710, listed July 28, 1994. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence high).
Key facts
| Address | 100--106 Malone St., Sandersville |
|---|---|
| County | Washington County |
| Listed | July 28, 1994 |
| Reference number | 94000710 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Period of significance | 1898 |
| Architect / builder | Charles E. Choate, architect |
| Architectural style | Late Victorian: Renaissance; Late Victorian: Italianate |
| Criteria |
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| Areas of significance | Architecture |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | First-floor stores are in use as clothing shops; the second floor remains vacant. |
| Acreage | 0.9 |
| Within district | Sandersville Commercial and Industrial District |
| Coordinates | 32.98390, -82.81094 (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 94000710.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q16995712
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.