BTNB Ensley branch
The BTNB Ensley branch was a banking office opened by Birmingham Trust National Bank at 707 20th Street, southwest of the corner of Avenue G in Ensley.
The modern-style building is clad in brown brick with an overhanging roof and contrasting corner trim. The parking lot entrance and recessed front entrance feature double-height glass divided into three arched panels, while the large northwest window facing Avenue G is divided into seven panels. The front corners are set into large round raised planters. The southeast side of building had a two-lane drive-through banking window.
In 1981 BTNB was renamed "SouthTrust Bank". In 2005 SouthTrust was taken over by Charlotte, North Carolina-based Wachovia Bank. Wells Fargo purchased Wachovia in 2009 and closed the Ensley branch. The vacant building was donated to the nonprofit Birmingham Homeownership Center.
In 2023 LEAD Academy, a mentorship program founded by the Mu Psi Lambda chapter of Alpha Phi Alpha fraternity, petitioned to purchase the vacant building from the City of Birmingham for $150,000 as a headquarters for the program.
References
- Hubbard, Russell (May 12, 2010) "Wells Fargo donating Bessemer Super Highway branch and site of fatal shooting." The Birmingham News
- Harksen, Lauren (October 9, 2023) "Birmingham fraternity chapter hoping to purchase and transform Ensley building." WBRC.com
- Martin, Virginia (November 15, 2023) "New Community Center Planned for Old Bank Building in Ensley." BirminghamWatch