Planters Bank Building
Why it's listed
Built in 1852 by Jefferson promoter and contractor John Speake, this two-story brick building at 224 East Austin Street began as a warehouse during the years when Jefferson was the main river port in Texas. By 1866 it served as headquarters for the forwarding and commission merchants Patton, Henderson, and Company. From the 1870s it operated as a bank, first under W.M. Harrison, and from 1899 as the National Bank of Jefferson. The structure has brick walls 1 foot 5 inches thick, round-arched openings and French doors with fanlight transoms on the first floor, segmental-arched second-story windows, and a cast-iron balcony railing. Two gable roofs sit behind a brick parapet, and a large open warehouse section extends behind the bank. A 1946 restoration kept the original floor, wrought iron light fixtures, safe, vault, grillwork and doors. It remains one of the few nineteenth-century warehouses still standing in Jefferson and an example of the town's commercial architecture.
Significance in brief: The nomination calls it one of the finest remaining nineteenth-century business buildings in Jefferson and one of the few surviving warehouses from the town's era as the principal river port in Texas. It was an early warehouse serving the booming trade, and later housed banks. Its architecture and its role in commerce are the areas of significance.
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 71000952, listed March 11, 1971. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence medium).
Key facts
| Address | 224 E. Austin St., Jefferson |
|---|---|
| County | Marion County |
| Listed | March 11, 1971 |
| Reference number | 71000952 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Period of significance | 19th Century (specific date 1852) |
| Architect / builder | John Speake, Jefferson promoter, realtor, and contractor (builder) |
| Areas of significance | Commerce, Architecture |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Condition listed as deteriorated on the form; present use given as not used. Restored and renovated after a 1946 purchase, with original floor, fixtures, safe, vault, grillwork and doors retained. |
| Acreage | 0.9 |
| Within district | Jefferson Historic District |
| Coordinates | 32.75738, -94.34514 (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.
Noted as vacant in the nomination. Nomination documents can be decades old; current status may differ. If you are considering buying an empty listed property, read the due-diligence checklist.
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 71000952.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikidata Q107321541
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.