The Bank of Pollock was chartered in January 1907 as a hometown bank. The following year, William Drago, an architect with offices in Monroe and New Orleans, was hired to design a new bank building. The bank and town flourished on the strength of the growing railroad and lumber industries, but a 1925 embezzlement case led to audits and permanent closure. The building subsequently housed, at varying times, a theater, jail, school, telegraph operator, clerk of court, and attorney’s office.

The building has no air conditioning and is heated by a wood-burning stove (which is also used for cooking). The masonry needs repair to address cracks in the structure and deterioration of the mortar; the structure also requires a stormwater diversion to prevent water infiltration and damage. Learn more about the Bank of Pollock and peruse the other worthy structures on the list of Louisiana’s Most Endangered Places at lthp.org.