Bank of Tryon Building
Also known as: Tryon Daily Bulletin Building; Hester Building
Why it's listed
Built in the winter of 1907-1908 on Trade Street in Tryon, North Carolina, this two-story brick building was erected for the Bank of Tryon, the first bank established in Polk County. Its Romanesque Revival-inspired front has granite quoins, Palladian-type second-story windows, and a stepped parapet on corbelled yellow-brick brackets. Inside, the pressed-tin ceiling, concrete vault and Mosler safe survive. The bank merged with another institution in 1927 and sold the building, which was then leased to various businesses. In 1935 the Tryon Daily Bulletin, founded by Seth M. Vining in 1928 and known as the world's smallest daily newspaper, moved in, and Vining bought the property in 1959. The building was listed for its link to the county's first bank and the newspaper, and for its architecture. It is one of few commercial buildings on Trade Street to keep a high degree of historic integrity. Its period of significance runs from 1908 to 1957.
Significance in brief: The building is tied to the Bank of Tryon, the first bank in Polk County, and to the Tryon Daily Bulletin, a daily newspaper billed as the world's smallest, which has occupied it since 1935. It is also a good, largely intact example of early Romanesque Revival-inspired commercial architecture in Tryon. It retains more historic integrity than most commercial buildings along Trade Street.
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 07001408, listed January 17, 2008. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence high).
Key facts
| Address | 16 N. Trade St., Tryon |
|---|---|
| County | Polk County |
| Listed | January 17, 2008 |
| Reference number | 07001408 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Period of significance | 1908-1957 |
| Architectural style | Romanesque Revival |
| Criteria |
|
| Areas of significance | Architecture, Commerce |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Still in commercial use as offices and the printing operations of the Tryon Daily Bulletin; the whole building is now occupied by the newspaper operation. |
| Acreage | 0.1 |
| Coordinates | 35.20942, -82.23919 (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 07001408.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q19865627
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.