Farmers' Bank
Also known as: Petersburg Branch of Farmers' Bank
Why it's listed
Located on Bollingbrook Street in what was once Petersburg's busy commercial district, this nearly square brick building (44 by 46 feet) served as the Petersburg branch of the Farmers' Bank of Virginia. The bank bought the lot in January 1816, and by November 1817 a three-story banking house with a parapet wall was insured, along with a stable, kitchen, smokehouse and guard house. The Federal-style building has Flemish bond brickwork on the facade and east wall, sandstone sills and belt courses, and a pyramidal roof hidden behind a parapet. The banking rooms occupied the first floor, while living quarters above include an open-well stair and some of the finest Federal woodwork in Petersburg. Much of the exterior and the banking interior was reconstructed during a recent restoration after nineteenth-century alterations. Its significance rests on its architecture and on what it shows about Virginia's early branch banking system.
Significance in brief: The nomination presents it as a noteworthy example of fine Federal-style commercial architecture, one of few such structures remaining in what was once Petersburg's busy commercial district. Its history also illustrates the branch banking system of nineteenth-century Virginia, in which each branch held its own capital and issued its own notes.
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 72001515, listed April 13, 1972. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence medium).
Key facts
| Address | NW corner of Bollingbrook St. and Cockade Alley, Petersburg (Independent City) |
|---|---|
| County | Petersburg |
| Listed | April 13, 1972 |
| Reference number | 72001515 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Architectural style | Federal |
| Areas of significance | Commerce, Architecture |
| Level of significance | State |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Described as in good condition and recently restored to its original appearance; the upper floors have been converted into two apartments and the building is listed as occupied, with museum and private residence uses. |
| Acreage | 9 |
| Within district | Petersburg Old Town Historic District (Additional Documentation) |
| Coordinates | 37.23280, -77.40385 (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 72001515.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q5435754
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.