9814 Royal St St Francisville, LA 70775

Beautiful Old Bank Building in the Highly Desirable Saint Francisville Historic District! Erected over 100 years ago on the corner of Royal & Prosperity Streets, this circa 1905 masonry constructed, 2-story building is a time capsule of craftsmanship from a bygone era. As you approach, you will be greeted by an ornate granite corner-column that was shipped down the Mississippi river from Cincinnati. Next, you will pass through heavy antique wrought iron gates, before landing onto a welcome mat made of mosaic tiles that will transport you inside through massive convex-curved front doors. Once inside, you will see original teller counters, 3 beautiful fireplaces, and a walk-in bank vault that currently serves as museum space that showcases the history of the antique button jewelry business that has been operating here for decades. Grandmother's Buttons has been featured in many national publications such as Victoria (1998), Country Living (2013), and Southern Living named it one of the “100 Best Stores in the South” (2019). The building was also in the Warner Bros. film “The Reaping”, starring Hilary Swank (2007). Even with such a rich history steeped in art & architecture, this building is a blank canvas with near limitless potential! Totaling nearly 5,000 square feet of interior space, the bottom story is currently being used for retail, and the top story still has it's original office layout. However, you can grab the hand-hewn railing and take your imagination up the antique staircase, past a large stained glass window depicting Audubon's flamingo, before reaching a large, open center room overlooking the stairwell. From here you are flanked on three sides by 7 rooms with varying views of the Mississippi River, the courthouse, live oak trees, and historical buildings such as Temple Sinai and the Julius Freyhan school. Located on 2 lots, with roughly .5 Acres of BMX-Zoning, there should be options for both commercial and/or residential. This is a rare find!