Roanoke Route Walking Tour Stop 12: Continental State Bank

Continental State Bank, 1910

109 N. Oak St.   

This building originally was the Continental State Bank when it was built circa 1910, with Eliphalet “Lifey” Brand as cashier and president. Mr. Brand later moved to Sweetwater, Texas, and during the Great Depression, as Texas banking commissioner, he was credited with saving Texas banks from failure. In 1936 the main office in Fort Worth deeded the Roanoke building to Claude “Buster” Fanning (mayor of Roanoke from 1946 to 1958), who operated the Roanoke Federal Credit Union in the building until 1959. Old-time residents referred to it as “Buster’s bank.” 

The building is registered as a National Historic site. It is currently owned by Buster’s son, Leon Fanning.   

Eliphalet ‘Lifey’ Brand was the first president of the bank when it was constructed right after the 1910 fire.  

The interior of the bank in August 1912, with John I. Gillespie, cashier; Charles Stone, director; and Henry Clint Yancey. The vault is still visible inside the building today.

Mayor Claude “Buster” Fanning ran the Roanoke Federal Credit Union until 1959.

The building housed several businesses, including the Alabaster Box in the early 2000s, before it became KTS Hair Studio.