Crook County Bank Building - History

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 Depression, 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.