Nestled between a stretch of convenience stores and empty lots on South Street lies an architectural gem built a half century ago that served as one of the first in the area to offer drive-through banking. Originally home of First National Bank, the structure now serves as a house of worship for The Prayer of Deliverance COGIC (Church of God in Christ).

Much of the fenestration and landscaping elements have long since been removed or altered, but the building still stands proudly today in a long neglected corridor just slightly removed from the downtown revival taking place to the East. As the now absent sign in the first photograph shows, it was a “Drive-In” bank – a concept that was just beginning to emerge in the mid 1950s and early 1960s.

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Contrary to semi-popular belief, Harrelson Hall was not designed by an NCSU architecture student who used the cylindrical-based building idea for his senior design project (and received in “F” for it). It was designed by Edward Waugh, a prominent Raleigh Modernist architect who was brought to the area via Henry Kamphoefner, the first dean of the College of Design.

For additional photos and commentary, see the previous post: Harrelson Hall and its Ultimate Demise.

This modest BB&T branch is located on the corner of Oberlin Road and Hillsborough Street. It was built in 1962 by the firm of F. Carter Williams. An effort was made to preserve the existing large trees as well as blend in with the residential nature of the area.