Architect Joe Line of Cleburne, who oversaw the remodeling of the First Methodist Church Education Building across
S. Barton Ave. in the 1970s, designed this International-style bank building in 1966. He designed a horizontal splitlevel
composition, built into a hill along W. Washington St. that was created by a naturally formed dry creek bed. The
main entryway is on the upper level at the northeast corner of the building, facing north toward W. Washington St. It
features a plate-glass wall of doors and windows that wraps around the northeast corner of the building under a broad
concrete portico supported by concrete posts. There is a solid wing to the east that accommodated a drive-through
facility. A concrete canopy extends from the east elevation toward S. Barton Ave., supported by two concrete posts.
Under the canopy is a square window. The center of the building projects above the drive-through wing with a ribbon
of clerestory windows along S. Barton Ave. The lower level of the façade along W. Washington St. features another
wall of plate-glass windows with a door topped by a solid concrete upper wall that cantilevers out over the windows.
According to an article in Stephenville Empire-Tribune in 1966, Stephenville Savings and Loan spent $200,000 to
design and construct its new headquarters downtown, three blocks west of the courthouse square. Architect-engineer
Joe Line was quoted as saying that “the most modern and durable materials available” would be used in the
construction. Line designed the building to contain 6,500 square feet on the upper level and 6,000 square feet on the
lower level, which originally included a community meeting room that seated 250 people. About 1,500 residents
attended Stephenville Savings and Loan’s open house for its new building on March 19, 1967. Today, this building is
home to First Methodist Church’s Hutchison Annex and is used as offices.