200 Block, West Side of South Central Avenue

200 Block, West Side of South Central Avenue. Circa: 1907-1908. You are currently standing on the same street corner in front of the very same building as this couple who posed for this photo so many years ago. This corner anchor building was originally the First National Bank of Hamlin, and was organized in 1906 by W.S. Whaley. The Hamlin National Bank, organized in 1907 by Hamlin's first mayor W.T. Shannon, would merge with the First National Bank within a few months. This particular banking institution would close in April 1934, with its assets and liabilities being assumed by the Farmers and Merchants National Bank (originally organized as the First State Bank in 1907/once located in our current City Hall). Once the building ceased being a bank, M.T. York and his wife utilized this building as one of two variety stores here in Hamlin for a period of time. The Hamlin telephone exchange and Western Union offices for Hamlin were located in this building, along with housing dental and physician offices. At some point, this building became the Farmers and Merchants National Bank (moving from the City Hall site) for many years, until the new bank building across the street was constructed. The building now serves as the James E. Rodgers CPA firm., Per the 1908 Sanborn map, the outlay of this block going from south to north is as follows:, Bank/Telephone/Dentist offices; Dry goods store; Ezell Drug Store; Millinery Shop; Tailor Shop; Dry Goods; Confectionary/Tailor Shop; Racket Store; and Pool Hall.