Location Information (for the Hancock Bank) Name: Hancock Bank Address: 100 Beach Boulevard, South City/County: Bay St. Louis, Hancock County Architectural Information Construction Date: c.1899 No. of Stories: 2 Registration Information NR District Name: Old Bay St. Louis (2010)     NR Status: Contributing     Element No.: 89     MPS: Historic Resources of Bay St. Louis Context/Comments The Hancock Bank Building was originally listed on the National Register in 1980 as element #42 in the Beach Boulevard Historic District. Because that historic district was severely ravaged by Hurricane Katrina in 2005, the old district was superseded by the Old Bay St. Louis Historic District, which was placed on the National Register on 8 July 2010. The building is now listed as element #89 in the Old Bay St. Louis Historic District. It is mentioned in "Buildings of Mississippi" (2020) (p. 334, in the listing for Downtown Bay St. Louis, GC2).	Loading
Brief Description Brick, two-story Classical Revival bank building. The door is located at center and is flanked by 2/2 double-hung windows. The building has stucco cladding scored to replicate stone. A molded belt course divides the first and second stories. A full entablature is located at the roof line. The original windows have been replaced with 2/2 and 4/4 vinyl double-hung windows.
Historic Information This building was the first 2-story brick building in Bay St. Louis. The building originally housed the post office, U.S. Customs House, and the Hancock County Bank. The building cost $5,100 to construct. The bank changed its name in 1938 to its current name, Hancock Bank. The bank eventually opened branches in several states including Florida and Louisiana. The establishment and success of this bank exemplifies the growth of Bay St. Louis in the late-nineteenth and early-twentieth century. The rear one-story portion of the structure (049-BSL-0089.2-NRD) was constructed between 1909-1917 and originally housed a post office.