Arkansas Business

If not for the vault inside, this tiny building in El Paso (White County) could scarcely be identified for its original purpose, as the town’s only bank.

This stained glass window is one clue to the history of an otherwise mostly featureless building in downtown Augusta (Woodruff County).

Banks built in the early 20th century usually feature prominent Roman or Greek columns, like the former Bank of Searcy (White County).

Though the long-vacant Pines Hotel in Pine Bluff wasn’t built as a financial institution, the after hours depository visible at street level betrays one of its former identities.

One of three old vaults in a former Fordyce (Dallas County) bank is now used for retail storage.

A gift shop now lives in this stately bank building in Fordyce — its Romanesque facade long-since bricked over — but the burglar alarm is still visible on the side.

The facade of the First National Bank of Newport (Jackson County) recalls a different era for the city’s downtown.

The resplendent Crawford County Bank building, center, and the adjacent Citizens Bank represent a bygone competition for Van Buren’s best brickwork.

Though many downtown buildings have changed identities over the years, clues can often be seen in the architecture, like on this former bank in Russellville (Pope County).

Hot Springs’ former Security Bank — now an Italian restaurant — can be identified by the facade’s faded title.