In early May 1887, plans and specifications for the First National Bank Building of Pomeroy arrived for inspection by investor C.B. Foot and the bank's board of directors. The $22,000 contract was awarded to masons A.W. Scott and Seed who purchased the brick from the local brickyard about a mile from town. Completed in October, the new bank was touted as being a credit to the town and county, and "will stand as a lasting monument of their enterprise and to adorn the town for generations to come" (East Washingtonian, 3 November 1887). Directors C.A. McCabe, Elmer Scott, and John Brady opened the bank with a capital of $50,000. The bank closed its doors in 1898 after the depression of the mid-1890s. The Pomeroy Savings Bank moved into the building in 1898 and occupied the space until 1905 when the bank erected a new structure on the opposite side of the street to the east.

The western side of the building was used as commercial space, east half as the banking headquarter, and a portion of the north side as a commercial space. Upon completion, the upstairs had a hall and sixteen rooms that were rented as doctor and attorney offices, and to the Masons. A long-time tenant of the west storefront was Darby and Mowery Hardware, both pioneer merchants. Other tenants over the years have included Kuchiers Meat Market and Cold Storage (northern storefront), Pomeroy Grain Growers, the Washington State Liquor Store, and Rauch Flower Shop.

At different times, some of the second story rooms were used as apartments. The building, commonly referred to as the Black Building after long-time owner C.G. Black, was purchased in 1980 for use as the Pomeroy Senior Center. The Senior Center uses the western storefront as a meeting/dining room and rents the eastern storefront to the Aging and Long Term Care. The storefront facing 7th Street is occupied by the kitchen for the Senior Center.

The First National Bank Building, erected in 1887, is a two-story brick building designed with elements of the Gothic Revival and Italianate styles. The building has an ornate brick cornice decorated with raised pilasters, inset cross designs, corbel courses, and peaked parapets over two of the bays. These bays, on the east and south facades, have elongated recessed brick panels above a semicircular arch. All the bays are separated by raised brick pilasters capped with decorative brick elements.

Separated from the upper story by a corbel belt course, the lower story has largestorefront windows, pedestrian entrances, and smaller segmental arch windows. The storefronts on south (front) and east sides are supported by cast-iron columns with bases imprinted with a maker's mark that is imprinted with "Cheery and Parks, Albany, Oregon." The two storefronts on the front facade have transoms (some covered with plywood) recessed central entrances, and wood bulkheads. Raised brick pilasters capped with peaked arches flank the south entrance door to the upper story. The metal fined bank safe has a hand painted scene on the door. The safe was purchased from the W.B. Wilshire and Co. of San Francisco and Portland. Modifications include covering the east side storefront with plywood, addition of a metal canopy over the store fronts on the south facade, alteration of an east side door and window, and the addition of a shed roof garage on the north elevation.

Based on research by Donovan & Associates.