Empire National Bank Building

Empire National Bank Building
U.S. Historic district Contributing property
Empire Bank Building, Clarksburg, WV
Location	406 W. Main St., Clarksburg, WV, U.S.
Built	1907
Architect	Holmboe & Lafferty
Architectural style	Renaissance Revival
Part of	Clarksburg Downtown Historic District (ID82004794)
Designated CP	February 17, 1982

The Empire National Bank Building is a building located in the downtown of Clarksburg, West Virginia. It was designed by Ernest C. S. Holmboe of Holmboe & Lafferty the area's largest architecture firm. The building is part of the Clarksburg Downtown Historic District on the National Register of Historic Places. The building resembles the Flatiron building in New York.

Design

Commissioned in 1907 by Virgil Highland, president of the Empire National Bank, this seven-story structure navigates intersecting streets with a trapezoidal form. Rusticated brownstone anchors the base, while warm brick ascends to an emphatic cornice adorned with oversized brackets. It has two entrances, each graced with white terra-cotta Corinthian frontispieces topped by female busts. A departure from its architects' usual conservative style, this Renaissance Revival design stands as a testament to Highland's vision.

Empire Building 1911

The interior retains significant elements of its early 1900s bank heritage, including an original spiral staircase and intricate lobby details. The building's 25,000 square feet encompass numerous offices, alongside lounges, libraries, and conference rooms.

On August 25, 2023, the building was auctioned for $231,000 to an online investor who asked to remain anonymous.