Monongahela National Bank Reimagined      

This instance of the Monongahela National Bank was located at 46 Market Street in downtown Brownsville, Pennsylvania.  Struggling to remain solvent during the Depression, the bank ultimately merged with the nearby Second National Bank but this entity also failed and the bank closed its doors in April 1931.  Other banks and businesses occupied the building in later years.  It was home to First National Bank in 1947, followed by First National Bank of Fredericktown, First National Bank of Washington (Pennsylvania), and finally Integra Bank.  The building closed for good in early 1991.

Simply walking past the building today delivers an overwhelming smell of mold.

I was able to capture the entire building from across the street, using my 16mm lens.  Even then, I had to use Photoshop to produce this front-on perspective.  While I was at it, I decided to render the bank as it might have appeared on a 1920s postcard.  I added an optimistic blue sky and replaced nearby buildings and parking lots with trees.  I spent the most time erasing telephone and power lines that crossed in front of the building — as a result, this is probably the only “clean” image of the bank you will find on the internet.  (I did not remove the plywood panels over the windows.)

Apparently, city and county leaders have been trying for years to figure out what to do with the building.  Truthfully, I’m surprised it is not in even worse condition.  I wish the people of Brownsville, and the entire region, the best of luck.