Alabama Penny Savings Bank, Birmingham

The Alabama Penny Savings Bank is one of Birmingham's oldest bank buildings. This building is also known as the Pythian Temple and dates to 1913. The building spans six stories and uses the popular Commercial style of the era when it was constructed, nicely blending in with the other buildings of the Fourth Avenue Historic District.

The bank was Alabama's first Black-owned bank, playing a role in funding Black-owned homes and churches. This building's design has been attributed to Wallace A. Rayfield, one of Birmingham's more important architects who designed many Black-owned buildings in the city.

This bank building has appeared on the National Register of Historic Places since 1980. A projecting cornice, four vertical piers, and the brick exterior help make the building stand out. As an office building constructed during the 2010s, the Alabama Penny Savings Bank building stands out as a stunning example of the era's designs.