Abingdon Bank

Built in the mid-1840s at 225 East Main Street in Abingdon, this building served as both a bank and a home. Robert Preston, the bank's first resident cashier, had it constructed, and his family lived in one part while the bank, counting room and vault occupied the other. A central stairhall separates the two halves. The exterior mixes styles: white plaster window lintels with raised centers resemble designs in Asher Benjamin's pattern books, and the three-piece windows and heavy entablature reflect the early-to-mid nineteenth century, while the brick corbeled cornice and belt course between the first and second floors are later Victorian touches. The bank front has large store windows with iron bars, and the residential door has a transom and sidelights. Interiors, with plain mantels and door trim, are largely unchanged, and rear additions have not obscured the original structure. It was recognized for its well-preserved combination of commercial and residential use and its blend of neo-classical and Victorian details.