At 121 N. Tallassee Street stands an old building. Its rainwater-stained red and black bricks have been there for over 120 years. Its architecture is reminiscent of a time before telephones and automobiles.
This building was the Tallapoosa County Bank. It was built in 1894, the first bank in the entire county. The building was constructed by William Gray, a prominent Dadeville businessman who was said to have been the wealthiest man in the county at the time.
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