Bank of Florence Museum

The Bank of Florence was a wildcat bank located in Florence, Nebraska Territory. It originally operated for three years in the 1850s, and another bank adopted the name and location in 1904. Today the building that housed the bank is the Bank of Florence Museum. It is listed on the National Register of Historic Places, and is the oldest building in Omaha, Nebraska.[2]

Not to be confused with the Medici Bank or others in Florence, Italy.
Bank of Florence
Bank of Florence Museum is located in Nebraska
Bank of Florence Museum
Bank of Florence Museum is located in the United States
Bank of Florence Museum
Location8502 North 30th Street,
Omaha, Nebraska
Coordinates41°20′14.72″N 95°57′38.01″W
Built1856
Architectural styleGreek Revival
NRHP reference No.69000130 [1]
Significant dates
Added to NRHPOctober 15, 1969
Designated OMALOctober 14, 1980[2]

History

The town of Florence was founded on the ruins of Winter Quarters, with dozens of small buildings still intact from the early Mormon pioneer settlement. A speculator's dream, the town was quickly built.[3]

The Bank of Florence was built as a wildcat bank for speculators to make an easy profit. Many of the early investors included members of the land company that founded the nearby town of Saratoga, as well as local businessmen. When the Panic of 1857 hit, many local townspeople and farmers were financially drained.[4]

The building reopened as the Second Bank of Florence in 1904, and was restored as a landmark in the 1980s.

Today the building has been turned into a museum, which is owned and operated by the Florence Historical Foundation. Visitors can view the main bank floor, the vault, the rooms upstairs that served as the home of the original bank manager, and a restored Florence Telephone Company switchboard. The bank is open on Saturdays and Sundays 11AM-3PM from May through August and on special event days. Tours on other days can be arranged by appointment.

See also

References
  1. "National Register Information System". National Register of Historic Places. National Park Service. January 23, 2007.
  2. "Landmarks Heritage Preservation Commission – Landmarks". Omaha Landmarks Heritage Preservation Commission. Archived from the original on October 16, 2013. Retrieved March 4, 2013.
  3. Reeves, R. (n.d.) "Douglas County History" Archived July 20, 2011, at the Wayback Machine, University of Nebraska
  4. Bristow, D. (1997) A Dirty, Wicked Town: Tale of 19th Century Omaha, Caxton Press.
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