Bank of Cairo
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Cairo Town Hall (Bank of Cairo)
By 1899. Southeast corner of the intersection of Main St. and the former B&O right-of-way (North Bend Rail Trail)
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Cairo Town Hall (Bank of Cairo) (State Historic Preservation Office, West Virginia Division of Culture and History, Patricia Jenkins)
This debonair little bank illustrates Cairo's aspirations at the turn of the twentieth century. Standing on a tall and rugged sandstone-block foundation, it has two main facades, with brick pilasters separating their bays. The frieze of the entablature above the second story carries period lettering. The longer five-bay side facing the former railroad has room for Bank of Cairo, but the narrower two-bay Main Street frontage can accommodate only the single word Bank. The most remarkable element is the one-story corner entrance. Each side bay contains a semielliptical arch that together form a small entry porch protecting a canted entrance. A single, tall, cast iron column at the corner rather uncomfortably supports the walls above. A drawing in the margin of the 1899 bird's-eye view of Cairo shows that it has always been there. The former bank is now the town hall, but the original fittings, including brass teller's cages, marble counters, oak trim, and pressed metal ceiling, remain.
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