Generations of Banking in the Heart of Acadiana

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Abbeville, Louisiana, is renowned for its rich history as an agricultural community along the Vermilion River. The city was founded by the French Catholic priest Père Antoine Desiré Megrét in 1843. As the town’s population grew and its economy developed, a pressing need arose to establish a banking institution in the heart of the city.

The first bank opened on August 10, 1894, under the name of the Bank of Abbeville. It was situated in the sheriff’s office within the Abbeville courthouse. The Abbeville Meridional reported in 1894, “The new bank has purchased all necessary supplies including a safe and will open up for business about the 10th instant. For the time being the bank will be located in the sheriff’s office in the courthouse.” However, this location was only temporary, and the new bank building was completed in May 1896.

According to the local newspaper, the Bank of Abbeville enjoyed early success. In 1899, The Abbeville Meridional reported, “The bank is in a flourishing condition and has added a large number of depositors to its list and declared a 20 per cent dividend.” The Bank of Abbeville continued to thrive and expand until a devastating fire ravaged parts of the city in 1903. The Concord Street fire occurred on February 19, 1903, destroying the Bank of Abbeville. Consequently, its operations were temporarily relocated to the courthouse. In response, the Abbeville Investment Company was established to acquire land and erect a second bank building. Completed in 1903 by architect George Honold, this new building still stands on the corner of Concord and Jefferson Streets in Abbeville.

The Great Depression inflicted severe hardships on agricultural communities throughout Louisiana, including Abbeville. On February 3, 1932, the Bank of Abbeville was forced to cease operations. However, it reopened six weeks later under the new name Bank of Abbeville and Trust Company. During its reopening, the bank’s president, L.O. Broussard, exchanged telegrams with President Herbert Hoover—each assured cooperation between the bank and the federal government in the wake of the Great Depression. The Bank of Maurice also became a branch of the Abbeville Bank and Trust Company.

Since its recovery from the Depression Era, the Bank of Abbeville and Trust Company has undergone numerous transformations. It has embraced the modernization of banking technology and undergone renovations to both its interior and exterior. Renovations of the building took place in the 1980s, and architect Paul J. Allain renovated the building again in 2015. The main offices of the Bank of Abbeville and Trust Company are still located in the original bank building, with an additional drive-in portion adjacent to it. The original branch in Maurice continues to operate to this day.