a series of views of lost area buildings
By John B. Green III
The Bank Of New Bern
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| Photo, ca. 1920, of the Bank of New Bern, 200 block Craven Street, west side. |
The Bank of New Bern was chartered by the state legislature in 1804 and by about 1818 had erected this handsome office on Craven Street. The bank was liquidated in 1835 and the building was later occupied by the Merchants Bank of New Bern. The structure became a private residence following the Civil War and continued as such until it was demolished in 1924. Although replaced by an auto dealership (which was itself later demolished) parts of the Bank of New Bern live on. One handsome mantel was salvaged and incorporated into a home in the Green Springs area near New Bern. The elaborate pedimented front doorway, as well as other architectural details, were taken to Winston-Salem and likewise used in the construction of a new home. The site of the Bank of New Bern is now occupied by a municipal parking lot.
