Chartered on August 13, 1890, the Sulphur Springs Loan and Building Association is the oldest surviving savings association in Texas. Its charter members included local business leaders Phil H. Foscue, W. F. Henderson, T. F. Gafford, L. H. Avinger, M. G. Miller, O. M. Pate, John D. Williams, S. D. Crittenden, and R. F. Blythe, and T. F. Gafford served as the first managing officer. Originally located in a two-story building southeast of the town square, it responded to economic growth and development in the area brought by the arrival of the railroad. By supporting urban and rural building projects and home construction, it played an important role in Hopkins County history. Many of the area's businesses trace their roots to loans it made in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. It moved to new offices at this site in 1961. Its public contributions have included support for numerous charitable and civic organizations through monetary assistance and the donation of meeting space, and the benefits of its business practices can be seen beyond Hopkins County in a number of northeast Texas communities.