First National Bank of Morrisville
Also known as: First Trust & Deposit Co. or Key Bank
Why it's listed
Built in 1864, this small brick bank on East Main Street in Morrisville was designed in a Roman classical temple form. Its south facade is dominated by a tetrastyle Corinthian portico with fluted wooden columns, cast-iron bases and capitals, and bead-and-reel and egg-and-dart moldings. Segmentally arched windows with cast-iron lintels hint at the Italianate style. The building later gained a wooden vestibule, a brick ell added in two stages, and a concrete block rear addition from the 1950s. Inside, the banking room keeps its high ceiling, plaster cornice, paneled wainscoting and an early twentieth century vault. The bank was organized under the national banking laws of 1863 and 1864, opened in January 1865, and operated under its original name until 1937, when the First Trust and Deposit Company took over. It is considered significant as a well-preserved, unusually sophisticated small-town bank and a rare central New York survivor of its type. It now houses an insurance office.
Significance in brief: The nomination argues the bank is an unusual, well-preserved example of mid-nineteenth century Roman classical design, notable for its Corinthian portico and extensive use of cast-iron elements. It is also a relatively rare surviving example in central New York of the small local National banks founded after the 1863 and 1864 banking acts. It is described as one of the finest small-town banks of its period in the region and one of the village's most distinguished historic buildings.
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 85002365, listed September 12, 1985. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence high).
Key facts
| Address | Main St., Morrisville |
|---|---|
| County | Madison County |
| Listed | September 12, 1985 |
| Reference number | 85002365 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Period of significance | 1800-1899 |
| Architectural style | Roman classical, temple-form |
| Areas of significance | Commerce, Architecture |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Occupied by an insurance office; the former bank was sold by its last banking owner in 1981. A modern drive-in teller window was recently removed and the opening filled with brick. |
| Acreage | 0.9 |
| Coordinates | 42.89902, -75.64327 (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 85002365.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q5453410
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.