Woman purchases and turns an abandoned bank from 1909 into stunning wedding venue
A woman who bought an abandoned bank in the hopes she could restore it to its former glory has shared her progress with TikTok – and judging by the results, she'll definitely be cashing in.
Kate Dear, 36, from Maryland, bought the former PNC Bank in downtown Frederick, which had been vacant for seven years, for an undisclosed amount in 2021.
Kate, who has previously renovated a car dealership and a brick warehouse, both into ballroom-style wedding venues, was on a roll when she purchased the bank, hoping to unearth more of its period features.
Originally built by the Citizens National Bank in 1886, before being reconstructed in 1909, the bank's high-ceilinged interior boasted real marble walls, mosaic floors and delicate gold finishes, giving it something of an art deco feel.
A woman purchased an old bank from 1909 and has revealed how she transformed it into a gorgeous stunning wedding venue
Kate Dear, 36, from Maryland, purchased the Citizens National Bank in 2021 with a dream to transform it into a stunning wedding venue, a year later, the building is set to host its first wedding and she has over 40 clients
The Maryland local shared her progress in a series of TikTok videos that have since gone viral with users commenting on how 'gorgeous' the venue was
Although Kate said the building was in 'pretty good shape,' she noted that the decorations were extremely 'outdated'
In one TikTok Kate shows herself pouring out the floor stripper in an attempt to revamp the old flooring, her hard work seemed to pay off as she showed her followers the mosaic under the peeled off flooring
The bank has been a hit for couples and wedding guests as they are surrounded in the historic atmosphere which has been completely transformed
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The building's original bank vaults had also been left in-tact. The exterior was outfitted with imposing limestone columns in neoclassical style and a balustrade along a terrace roof.
Sadly, in a bid to modernize the building, many of the original features were almost lost forever.
'It was in pretty good shape, albeit in need of a good cleaning with only some minor water damage in a few spots,' Kate said.
She added: 'It's so solidly built, limestone, marble, bronze finishes that it really held up well to neglect. But it was decorated in a very dated way – mustard yellow and green everywhere.'
Taking on a former working bank also meant cleaning dozens of safe deposit boxes and safes, some of which still had historic artifacts inside – though no money was found.
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Transforming the bank was no easy task, Kate began by scarping the floors to remove the carpet to reveal a tiled floor
Kate was determined that the bank was full of architectural riches and got right to work, she repaired water damage and restored the walls
Kate got on her hands and knees to scrape the floor and when she finished she found a beautiful red and white patterned tile that gave the venue an 'authentic feel'
The 36-year-old woman decided to keep the original staircase from the bank in the newly transformed wedding venue, which made for the perfect photo-op for couples
The entire renovation of the bank had to be done by hand and took a total of around nine months to complete
Although Kate did most of the work herself, she said she was thankful to friends, family members and those she hired for their help
Determined that her bank was full of architectural riches, Kate set to work removing the carpet, repairing water damage and restoring the walls to a pristine white.
She also fitted a new staircase from the mezzanine to the main level, replicating the bank's original staircase as accurately as possible.
Some of the banks original light fixtures have also remained in place, to give it an authentic feel.
Repairing the floor to its original glory was no easy task, and had to be done by hand, with the entire renovation taking around nine months to complete.
Although transforming the bank wasn't easy, it seemed to be all worth it when Kate hosted her first wedding
The bank proved to be the perfect place for a wedding as the open space gave guests plenty of room while also providing the perfect background for photos
When Kate began her transformation of the bank she shared a video to her TikTok with the caption 'restoring history' she also struck her follower's eyes as they stuck with her for the entire nine month process
Kate tried her best to keep the history of the bank alive, however she was forced to replace many of the original features, including the staircase which she replicated to the bank's original staircase
Kate's background seemed to help her while she renovated the bank as she has purchased and transformed a car dealership and brick warehouse into wedding venues in her past
Sharing the floors transformation with her followers on TikTok Kate captioned her clip: 'Restoring history – marble mosaic floors circa 1908.'
In the clip, she pours out a floor stripper and begins scraping away the thick layers of adhesive.
Her hard work paid off as she revealed the pristine mosaic floors underneath the layers of sticky sludge.
In a second video shared to her TikTok, she continues to scrape away, uncovering intricate floor designs in white, red and black.
In her final video she revealed the now unrecognizable floor along with an original period fireplace, and even locals were stunned it was the same location.
Commenting on the transformation one user said: 'Who would cover those beautiful floors... omg.'
'The difference at the end omg amazing!' said another.
'This is in my hometown! This town has a lot of history- I was sad to see that building just sitting there, thank you for giving it the love it needed!' commented one user.
'Oh wow gorgeous! is this the old bank in Frederick?' said another viewer.
Her TikTok followers were quick to run to her comment section to share how amazing the transformation was
'Nothing better than lifting the sheets off of history,' said one person.
Kate said: 'Our most impactful renovation was a fresh coat of white paint. We left the original gold details from the ceiling intact but painted everything else white. We have redone the tile in the main level and mezzanine.
'We are also restoring the original marble mosaic tile in the side rooms on the main level by hand, adding a sprinkler system, redoing the restrooms and getting the building up to code for a venue, which means lots of safety updates.'
The finished venue will include a large white marble ballroom and a number of tile reception rooms for guests to enjoy.
Kate added: 'I'm in absolute love with it. We have more than 40 clients already and they're all very excited to see it finished. '
The former bank is set to host its first wedding this month.
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