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THE ANDOVER STATE BANK 

 

Submitted by William A. Greene 

(Photos at bottom of page)

 

  

       The history of the Andover State Bank is closely identified with the progress of Andover and vicinity.  The Burrows National Bank was the only bank in Andover at the time, but during the early 1890’s there was a growing sentiment in favor of an organized bank for Andover to care for the increasing business of the village.

       The first talk of a new Bank was written in the March 28th 1894 Andover Newspaper. There was nothing definite, just talk. 

       On April 11th 1894, the editor of the Wellsville Daily Reporter wrote to the Andover News wanting to know why Andover thought it needed two banks.  Wellsville only had one and that was enough for Andover.  

       Andover’s editor responded with that he simply published a news item, which was warranted by the information at hand.  That was the end of the correspondence. 

       Finally in May of 1894 a charter was issued by the State Banking Department and the Andover State Bank was capitalized for $25,000 and formally opened in the law office of B. C. Brundage on the present site of the Andover Library building.  Stock holders of the new bank elected the following officers:  Pres. – B. C. Brundage, V. P. – James Owen, Cashier – J. M. Brundage.  They would operate out of this location until arrangements could be made for another building. 

 

       By July 4th 1894 they were open for business and already had a nice line of deposits.  By the end of July a new sign hung over the door stating that this was the “Andover State Bank”.

       By Sept. 12th 1894 the directors of the Andover State Bank decided by unanimous vote to erect a building in which to carry on the banking business and a lot was purchased from B. C. Brundage for that purpose. The site selected was on the corner of Main and Greenwood Sts., north of Mr. Brundage’s office building, in which the bank was then located.  The building will be of brick, two stories in height. 

       Work began in early Oct. 1894 with Fred Paine and Ed McLaughlin having the contract for laying the foundation.  H.O. Dorman & Co. of Corning won the contract to erect the new building of the nine companies submitting bids.  All but two of them were companies from out of town.  The building will be of brick, two stories high, and the first floor is to be ready for occupancy on the first of Jan. 1895, and the whole building completed thirty days later.

       The first floor will contain the counting room, business offices and vault, in the rear of which will be the Director’s room. The second floor has been designed for use as offices.  The interior finishing of the structure will be largely in oak and due to the convenience of arrangement, the new building will have no superior in this section.  The whole edifice will be heated from a furnace in the basement, and every room will be well lighted.

       The outside design and ornamentation, while not extravagant, will be sufficiently elaborate to merit the praise of those who admire the beautiful in architecture.

       The contract price for construction of the building, exclusive of vault and inside furnishings, is $4,200.  Dimensions of the building were, 21 x 65 feet.

        By the end of November, bylaws had been drawn up and posted and the brick -work on the outside of the building was finished and the carpenters were busy working on the inside.

       In December an Annual meeting was held of the stockholders of the Andover State Bank for the purpose of electing the Directors and doing other business.

       When January arrived the work on the inside of the building slowed as the inside fixtures could not be delivered at the time the building was to have been completed. Consequently there was no occasion for finishing the edifice at the appointed time.

       February 1895 was a busy month.  First Dr. C. W. O’Donnell leased a suit of rooms in the new bank building and moved his office there in March.  The new furniture arrived and was installed and finally the Andover State Bank opened its doors for business in its new home.  No bank in the country has a neither finer nor better-adapted home than this.

 

       April saw S. M. Proper open a new life & fire insurance agency in with Crayton L. Early’s law office, located upstairs in the new bank building.  Also the new safe arrived and was installed.  It was, without a doubt, one of the most secure places for depositing money and valuables to be found in Western New York at the time.  Its cost was $2,000, almost as much as it cost to build the building.  The total weight was about 15,000 pounds and was built by the Herring Hall – Marvin Co., of New York, under the supervision of J.M. Mossman, a safe expert used by the Federal Government.

       By the end of the first year in business it had deposits of $40,000.  In 1907 they had reached $100,000, 1917 $200,000 and in 1919 they had reached $350,000.  It now had a surplus considerably more than it capital which entitled it to be classed as a “ROLL OF HONOR” bank.

       The only other bank in Andover was the Burrows National Bank that had formed in the mid 1880’s.  In December of 1933 the Burrows National Bank consolidated with the Andover State Bank, forming the Andover National Bank, Andrew Fuller was President and John Lever the cashier.

       After 23 years of successful business, in 1956 the Andover National Bank merged with the Citizens National Bank of Wellsville and became the Citizens National Bank.

       In August of 1961 it was decided the 72-year-old bank needed a little face lifting and remodeling. Improvements were done to the restrooms, new safety deposits, lobby was redone, a new vault, new safety boxes in the vault. A night depository box was installed and a new clock for the outside of the building.  The work was completed in August of 1962 and an open house was held with over 300 guests attending.

       I don’t have a date, but at some point in time the bank name was changed to the Citizens National Bank and Trust Company.

       In 1980 the Citizens National Bank and Trust Company merged with Key Bank and became known as Key Bank Western.

       In 1996 Key Bank closed its doors.  Andover people didn’t know what was going to happen.  Were we to have a bank or have to travel to another village to do our banking?  It wasn’t long when the Steuben Trust Company took over and opened its door to the Andover people and has been here ever since, providing a fine banking service like was started 115 years ago in the same building.

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Brundage Building, where first bank was located is in the front; The new Bank building is in the back.

Below:  Two views just after being built in 1895

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View of 1961-1962 Bank Remodeled; Citizens National Bank of Wellsville, Andover Office

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Info obtained from Andover News

& "Allegany County and Its People: A Centennial Memorial

HISTORY OF ALLEGANY COUNTY,NY" - John S. Minard;

W.A.Fergusson & Co., Alfred,NY, 1896