Historic Black Wall Street building re-opens for business

DURHAM, N.C. (WTVD) -- The center of Durham's Black Wall Street is once again open for business.

The M&F Bank celebrated 113 years with a ribbon-cutting of the old Mechanics and Farmers Bank building on West Parrish Street in downtown Durham.

The six-story brick building was declared a national historic landmark in 1975.

RELATED: How Black business contributed to Durham's history

The bank formerly served as the headquarters for the North Carolina Mutual Life Insurance Company, a business with a focus on life insurance for African-Americans.

Organized in 1907, the M&F Bank is North Carolina's oldest African-American owned bank; the second oldest in the United States.

In the early 1900s, Black-owned businesses lined Parrish Street, receiving national reputation for entrepreneurship.