Bartlett National Bank is Bartlett’s most architecturally significant structure. This beautiful building showcases classic Beaux-Arts architecture’s symmetrical yet lavish design from the Gilded Age. Beaux-Arts was short-lived in the United States, only lasting from the late 1800s to the mid-1920s, which is what makes this bank so unique. Beaux-Arts is characterized by balance, grandiosity, and elaborate ornamentation. Architectural characteristics indicative of this style that you’ll find on the exterior of Bartlett National Bank are grand pilasters with Ionic capitals, remarkable brickwork that includes tooth-like dentilation, intricate cornice work crowning the structure, and the massive eagles perched on the façade.
The Bartlett National Bank has been renovated into a fun vacation rental with historical flair. The original bank office space has been turned into two bedrooms, and bathrooms have been created to fit the history of the building. The study area once served as the bank manager’s office. Visitors will find old letters written in that office in the early 1920s.
The kitchen has been created in what was once the teller station, with the antique teller walls still intact and beautifully preserved. The pantry and wine cellar are in the bank vaults that have been artfully restored to include pennies as the flooring.
The soaring ornate ceilings in the bank lobby turned living room showcase the beauty of Beaux-Arts interiors and the historical significance of this beautiful building.
Due to the size and ostentation of Beaux-Arts style buildings, they are most commonly used for museums, railway stations, libraries, banks, courthouses, and government buildings. This style is seen in many Texas towns, but preserved with such care in Bartlett. We would love for you to visit and experience some Beaux-Arts flair!