G. W. Davidson Banking Company

George W. Davidson originally came from Warren County, Kentucky. He was a merchant businessman whose first retail outlet was at Richelieu, North Logan County, KY. He sold this business and moved to Auburn where he opened a dry goods store. At that time, to remain in business, he like other merchants had to give credit to his customers, "until the next fair day," or "when the crops come in."

Since giving credit became so popular he decided to go into the business of giving credit and set up a bank at the back of his store on the south side of the Public Square at Auburn. This building was in a timber framed two story block at the south end of the Square, which has since been replace by a block of single story brick buildings after the big fire in Auburn in the early 1870s. On or about 1878 G. W. Davidson, seeing how successful his little banking business had become, decided to make a full time career of it.

He transferred his banking operation to the brick building, which is now known as 101 Public Square, Auburn. 

This banking company set up by G. W. Davidson was known as the G. W. Davidson Banking Company.

This property was "listed in the National Register of Historic Places on October 29, 1982. The two-story brick commercial building with parapet roof and entrance on the long side facing the square. First home of the G. W. Davidson Banking Company, Auburn's earliest bank."

Just before 1900 Aull & Company, Druggist, moved premises from the corner of East Main Street/Spring Street to the north side of Main Street i.e. the corner of East Main Street/Pearl Street.

From pictures available to us, the new bank building bears no resemblance to the new building. It is obvious that the old Aull building was demolished and in it's place was built the new G. W. Davidson Banking Company building.

This picture on the right above shows a solid inscribed stone, on the front wall, jutting up over roof level. The inscription reads: "G. W. Davidson & Co. Bankers." Also over the door is the inscription "Auburn Banking Co." See the blown versions below.

Today this property is owned by the Auburn City having been previously occupied by Logan Telephone Cooperative. Shortly after the City taking over the building Marie Foley followed up with the City as to what has happened to the stone inscription. Nobody seemed to be sure as to when, how or why it was removed. One theory is that it was removed for safety reasons and is supposed to have crumbled in the process.