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| Address: • 401 Main St. Little Rock |
| City/County/Congressional District: • Little Rock , Pulaski County ( District 2 ) |
| Location Class: • Commercial |
| Year Built: • 1928 | Year Abandoned: |
| Historic Designation: • National Register of Historic Places 1986 |
| Status: • Abandoned • Endangered |
The Worthen Bank Building was constructed in 1928 at the southeast corner of 4th and Main streets in downtown Little Rock. Founded in 1877, the Worthen Bank Company was Little Rock’s oldest, continuously-operated financial institution until it was acquired by Boatmen’s Bank in 1994. This Neoclassical and Art Deco-style building was completed as the W. B. Worthen Company celebrated 50 years in the banking business. Reflective of the company’s longevity and prominence, its owners chose one of Arkansas’s most distinguished architects, George R. Mann, to design its new building. The Worthen Bank Building’s steel frame was clad in limestone and featured pilasters with stylized capitals and panels with decorative medallions on its western and northern elevations.
Worthen Bank occupied the building until 1969, when it moved to a new tower on West Capitol Avenue. The building was then purchased by KATV, the local ABC affiliate, which adapted the space to serve as a television station. KATV moved out of the building in January 2023, and it is now vacant. The building is located at a prominent corner in the heart of a revitalizing area. A successful save would be the rehabilitation of the facility into offices, housing, or even an urban grocery store.
