Monroe Bank
Why it's listed
Rising four stories above Main Street in Woodsfield, this 1903 bank building is the largest and most distinctive commercial structure in a small, largely rural county seat. It replaced the original Monroe Bank, which Col. S. L. Mooney founded in 1874 and which was once the only bank in Monroe County. The building has a rock-faced stone first floor, brick upper stories, a curved southwest corner with Corinthian columns at the entrance, terra cotta spandrels and a dentilated cornice. For its time it was technically advanced, with its own power plant for electric, gas and heating systems, vaults with time locks and burglar alarms, and an electric elevator. Its roof baluster is aluminum, an unusual material in 1903. The elevator, two safes from Hall's Safe of Cincinnati, decorative plaster and about twenty-five fireplaces survive in working order. The bank closed in 1928, but the building remains in use as offices.
Significance in brief: The Monroe Bank was founded in 1874 by Col. S. L. Mooney, was once the only bank in Monroe County and the largest in Woodsfield until it closed in 1928. The 1903 building is one of the largest and most architecturally sophisticated structures in the county. It also had early innovations such as its own power plant, time-lock vaults, burglar alarms, an electric elevator and an aluminum roof baluster.
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 80003167, listed March 11, 1980. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence medium).
Key facts
| Address | 117 Main St., Woodsfield |
|---|---|
| County | Monroe County |
| Listed | March 11, 1980 |
| Reference number | 80003167 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Period of significance | 1900- |
| Areas of significance | Economics, Architecture |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Occupied and in good condition; the first floor interior was altered for modern offices, but the original elevator, safes and many decorative features remain and are operable. |
| Acreage | 0.9 |
| Coordinates | 39.76316, -81.11564 (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 80003167.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q6902122
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.