MERRIMAN, Neb. - Construction is underway at a unique new building along Highway 20 in Merriman, Nebraska. The location used to be home to one of the first banks in western Nebraska, originally known as Anchor Bank and then later The Abbott Bank. Leigh Fairheads, who purchased the property, had initially hoped to restore the old stone building.

“The old stone bank was just so unique,” Fairheads said. “The stone from it was quarried at Hot Springs. The guy who built it was from upstate New York and homesteaded at Merriman, and the building had Richardsonian architecture.”

Fairheads said he tried to get help to restore the building from several places, including the State of Nebraska and even This Old House. However, he didn’t have any luck, and realized it wasn’t feasible.

Unable to save the building, he made a new plan: reuse the original stone in a new building. Crews are currently building a fireplace with the salvaged material, and more elements are expected to follow.

“I’m not sure what I want to do with the building though. I’m not really thinking of a restaurant, a bar or a museum,” said Fairheads. “Everybody is curious what I’m doing, but I’m still trying to figure that out.”

With his family being original homesteaders in the area, Fairheads does have a lot of unique historical items, including cabinetry from the old pharmacy in Merriman and an antique cutter sleigh he believes was used by the first doctor in the area. He plans to showcase some of those items in the building.

“Merriman’s history is interesting. At one point Merriman was looking like it was going to be one of the bigger towns in the area,” he said. “When I was a kid, the ranchers retired in Merriman. It was a beautiful town.”

To honor the town’s past, he’s placed a sign outside the project that reads:
“Est. 1885, The largest cattle shipping point between Omaha, NE and Douglas, WY on the Missouri Valley Elkhorn Railroad — now the Cowboy Trail. For all that has struggled and gone forward.”

New building in Merriman
New building in Merriman  

 

Merriman’s population was just 87 at the time of the 2020 census. But over a century ago, the town was growing fast. The bank was built around 1900 by Captain E.M. Fuller. According to USGenNet, Fuller was a descendant of an old colonial family, was born in New York in 1850, and was a sea boat captain before establishing the bank.

“This is America at its best. It’s what nobody expects,” said Fairheads. “I feel like there’s something here to save.”