Vermont Town Trying to Save Their 1854 Bank

This bank began operating before Lincoln was president and continued to do so until just last year when it closed, a victim of ATMs, online banking, and nearby branch banks. It anchored the small downtown of Jamaica, Vermont, population 946.

However, the townspeople were not going to take the chance of it being torn down. They tried to unsuccessfully to get another bank, and even to get the post office to move into the red brick building, but to no avail.

So. they bought it for $160,000 and are now looking at other uses. The town is a winter ski destination so I'm thinking it could serve as a visitors center.

It opened in 1854 as the West River Bank, and in 1865 became the West River National Bank (what, they even had banks buying banks back then). They even printed their own notes, which are still collected on eBay today. I went to eBay and found three notes for sale, ranging in price from $165 to $300. They must be quite valuable. It's hard to believe that at one time banks printed their own money. I thought that all ended with the US Constitution in 1787. One of the notes was from 1800, so evidently the bank operated in a different building before the 1854.

It was added the the State Register of Historic Places in 1987.

A Jamaica website had a picture of the downtown in 1906, and other than paving the road, and taking down the trees, the town, they say, still looks the same.

I always like to hear of a town preserving its heritage. A tip of the hat to the good folks in Jamaica, Vermont.

Yea Mon, in Jamaica We Have No Problem. --RoadDog


From June 10, 2007 Chicago Tribune "Town tries to save 1854 bank" by John Curran, AP