First National Bank - Port Arthur, TX - Converted Bank Buildings on Waymarking.com

"The First National Bank of Port Arthur was founded in the earliest years of the city’s existence and its growth paralleled that of the city. The current building dates from 1930. It was here that the bank was an economic anchor for Port Arthur during the depression and World War II, a period of time in which Port Arthur’s petrochemical industry was vital to the country’s war efforts. It also supported a booming post-war economy. The importance of this banking institution is expressed in the confidence and quality of the architecture and the financial investment required to build the bank even at the onset of the Great Depression. Architecturally, it is a very interesting stylistic bridge between the Neoclassical and Art Moderne periods, particularly in Port Arthur.

The First National Bank of Port Arthur was intimately connected with the economy of Port Arthur from the date of its founding on its current site in 1900. The current bank building is the third documented bank structure on this site, beginning with a wood structure constructed in 1900, which replaced by a brick Mission Style building c. 1914. That building was replaced in 1930 with the current one. "