Crook County Bank Building
Encyclopedia
The Crook County Bank is a historic bank
building in Prineville
, Oregon
, United States
. It was built in 1910 using stone blocks from a local quarry. The building was first use as a bank and then occupied by title and insurance business until 1971, when ownership was transferred to Crook County
for use as a local history museum. Today, the Crook County Bank building is the home of the A. R. Bowman Memorial Museum
. Because of its importance to the history of Prineville, the Crook County Bank Building is listed on the National Register of Historic Places
.
, the building was purchased by A. R. Bowman for his title and insurance business. Bowman used the building for his various businesses from 1935 until his death in 1970.
In 1971, Bowman’s wife and their two daughters donated the Crook County Bank Building to Crook County for use as a museum. The Crook County Historical Society assumed the responsibility of operating the A. R. Bowman Memorial Museum through a contractual agreement with the county government. Initially, the museum was run by volunteers, with the county paying for utilities. In 1976, 1988 and again in 1998, Crook County voters approved tax levies that helped cover the cost of the museum staff salaries, utilities, insurance, maintenance, and capital investments. This help the museum finance a major building renovation in the 1992. In 2000, the Crook County Historical Society received a grant from Oregon’s State Historic Preservation Office to re-roof the old Crook County Bank building.
The bank is an excellent example of Prineville’s early 20th century development. Because of the its unique architecture and its importance to the history of Prineville, the Crook County Bank Building was listed on the National Register of Historic Places on 19 June 1991.
-style building. It was constructed in 1910 using stone blocks from a local quarry located west of the Ochoco Viewpoint. This is the same quarry that provided the stone used to build the Crook County Courthouse in 1909.
After acquiring the building, the Crook County Historical Society constructed a new staircase to the second floor, replacing an old wooden stairs on the east end of the building. However, the building’s interior has not significantly changed since it was a community bank. The first floor still has the bank’s original bronze teller cages, marble counter tops, etched art-glass, gilt and alabaster chandeliers, and the mahogany paneling that were the trappings of a prestigious banking institution in the first half of the twentieth century.
. The museum is run buy the Crook County Historical Society and highlights the history of Crook County and central Oregon
. The building’s original interior has been maintained and is utilized in the museum’s floor plan. There are major sections on the City of Prineville Railroad, the local timber industry
, and military history
. Other exhibits include furniture, garments, photographs, and pioneer artifacts. The museum’s research room contains approximately 700 reference books on Oregon history. Researchers can investigate pioneer history, the growth of local industries, and many other subjects. The museum’s gift shop has books on local history as well as souvenirs.
Bank
A bank is a financial institution that serves as a financial intermediary. The term "bank" may refer to one of several related types of entities:...
building in Prineville
Prineville, Oregon
Prineville is a city in and the county seat of Crook County, Oregon, United States. It was named for the first merchant located in the present location, Barney Prine. The population was 9,253 at the 2010 census.- History :...
, Oregon
Oregon
Oregon is a state in the Pacific Northwest region of the United States. It is located on the Pacific coast, with Washington to the north, California to the south, Nevada on the southeast and Idaho to the east. The Columbia and Snake rivers delineate much of Oregon's northern and eastern...
, United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. It was built in 1910 using stone blocks from a local quarry. The building was first use as a bank and then occupied by title and insurance business until 1971, when ownership was transferred to Crook County
Crook County, Oregon
-Demographics:As of the census of 2000, there were 19,182 people, 7,354 households, and 5,427 families residing in the county. The population density was 6 people per square mile . There were 8,264 housing units at an average density of 3 per square mile...
for use as a local history museum. Today, the Crook County Bank building is the home of the A. R. Bowman Memorial Museum
A. R. Bowman Memorial Museum
The A. R. Bowman Memorial Museum is a local history museum in Prineville, Oregon, United States. Opened in 1971, the museum is housed in the old Crook County Bank Building which is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. The museum is run by the Crook County Historical Society and...
. Because of its importance to the history of Prineville, the Crook County Bank Building is listed on the National Register of Historic Places
National Register of Historic Places
The National Register of Historic Places is the United States government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures, and objects deemed worthy of preservation...
.
History
The Crook County Bank Building was built in 1910 and opened in 1911. It was the home of three different banks. It was first occupied by the Crook County Bank. When the Crook County Bank left in 1923, it was replaced by the Bank of Prineville and later the Prineville National Bank. When that bank became insolvent during the Great DepressionGreat Depression
The Great Depression was a severe worldwide economic depression in the decade preceding World War II. The timing of the Great Depression varied across nations, but in most countries it started in about 1929 and lasted until the late 1930s or early 1940s...
, the building was purchased by A. R. Bowman for his title and insurance business. Bowman used the building for his various businesses from 1935 until his death in 1970.
In 1971, Bowman’s wife and their two daughters donated the Crook County Bank Building to Crook County for use as a museum. The Crook County Historical Society assumed the responsibility of operating the A. R. Bowman Memorial Museum through a contractual agreement with the county government. Initially, the museum was run by volunteers, with the county paying for utilities. In 1976, 1988 and again in 1998, Crook County voters approved tax levies that helped cover the cost of the museum staff salaries, utilities, insurance, maintenance, and capital investments. This help the museum finance a major building renovation in the 1992. In 2000, the Crook County Historical Society received a grant from Oregon’s State Historic Preservation Office to re-roof the old Crook County Bank building.
The bank is an excellent example of Prineville’s early 20th century development. Because of the its unique architecture and its importance to the history of Prineville, the Crook County Bank Building was listed on the National Register of Historic Places on 19 June 1991.
Structure
The Crook County Bank is located on the southeast corner of Third and Main Street in Prineville, Oregon. It is a two-story RomanesqueRomanesque Revival architecture
Romanesque Revival is a style of building employed beginning in the mid 19th century inspired by the 11th and 12th century Romanesque architecture...
-style building. It was constructed in 1910 using stone blocks from a local quarry located west of the Ochoco Viewpoint. This is the same quarry that provided the stone used to build the Crook County Courthouse in 1909.
After acquiring the building, the Crook County Historical Society constructed a new staircase to the second floor, replacing an old wooden stairs on the east end of the building. However, the building’s interior has not significantly changed since it was a community bank. The first floor still has the bank’s original bronze teller cages, marble counter tops, etched art-glass, gilt and alabaster chandeliers, and the mahogany paneling that were the trappings of a prestigious banking institution in the first half of the twentieth century.
Bowman Museum
Today, the old Crook County Bank building houses the A. R. Bowman Memorial MuseumA. R. Bowman Memorial Museum
The A. R. Bowman Memorial Museum is a local history museum in Prineville, Oregon, United States. Opened in 1971, the museum is housed in the old Crook County Bank Building which is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. The museum is run by the Crook County Historical Society and...
. The museum is run buy the Crook County Historical Society and highlights the history of Crook County and central Oregon
Central Oregon
Central Oregon is a geographic region in the U.S. state of Oregon and is traditionally considered to be made up of Deschutes, Jefferson, and Crook counties. Other definitions include larger areas, often encompassing areas to the north towards the Columbia River, eastward towards Burns, or south...
. The building’s original interior has been maintained and is utilized in the museum’s floor plan. There are major sections on the City of Prineville Railroad, the local timber industry
Logging
Logging is the cutting, skidding, on-site processing, and loading of trees or logs onto trucks.In forestry, the term logging is sometimes used in a narrow sense concerning the logistics of moving wood from the stump to somewhere outside the forest, usually a sawmill or a lumber yard...
, and military history
Military history
Military history is a humanities discipline within the scope of general historical recording of armed conflict in the history of humanity, and its impact on the societies, their cultures, economies and changing intra and international relationships....
. Other exhibits include furniture, garments, photographs, and pioneer artifacts. The museum’s research room contains approximately 700 reference books on Oregon history. Researchers can investigate pioneer history, the growth of local industries, and many other subjects. The museum’s gift shop has books on local history as well as souvenirs.