Atlantic Bank and Trust Company Building

Built in 1929, the Atlantic Bank and Trust Company Building is a significant landmark in Burlington for its architecture as well as its connection to the city's economic development in the 20th century. In terms of design, the building is an excellent example of Art Deco architecture. Designed by noted North Carolina architect Charles C. Hartmann, the building features decorative granite ornamentation on the bottom and top floors and a relatively simple design in the middle floors. At nine stories tall, the building remains the tallest structure in the city and was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1984.

The Atlantic Bank and Trust Company Building was constructed at the end of a prosperous period for the city, which began in the mid-1910s. During this period, the city grew and many buildings were erected. The Atlantic Bank and Trust Company, which was one of the largest banks in the state at the time and based in Greensboro, started building the bank in April 1928. It was completed in late 1929—just one more before the stock market crash that started the Great Depression. Also before construction was finished, the bank merged with another one to form the North Carolina National Bank and Trust Company.

It opened on September 30, 1929. The upper floor office spaces were rented to a variety of tenants including lawyers, dentists, doctors, and accountants. In 1933, the effects of Great Depression forced the bank to reorganized as Security National Bank and close the bank office in the building. Security National Bank opened the office again in 1936 and renovated the building in the 1940s. In 1961, the bank merged with American Commercial Bank to establish the North Carolina National Bank, whose office was housed in the building. As a result, the building is also referred to as the North Carolina National Bank building.

The bank remained in the building until 1982 when it moved to a new location. The other tenants had all relocated as well by this time, leaving the building vacant. It now houses offices of a healthcare company called LabCorp.

Boyd, Walter. "Burlington's Lonely Skyscraper - 83 Year Young." Times-News. December 2, 2012. https://www.thetimesnews.com/article/20121202/News/312029907.

Roberts, Claudia P. "Atlantic Bank and Trust Company Building." National Park Service - National Register of Historic Places Nomination Form. https://files.nc.gov/ncdcr/nr/AM0630.pdf.