First Camden National Bank & Trust - Camden, NJ
N 39° 56.786 W 075° 07.127
18S E 489853 N 4421818
Another bank undergoing rehab. This one was built in 1928 and was an important icon of Camden for decades. The bank is located within Historic Cooper Street, an NRHP site. Currently there are a few other of the stone banks being renovated.
Waymark Code: WM7X16
Location: New Jersey, United States
Date Posted: 12/15/2009
Views: 5
This building has been bought by Rutgers University, as indicated by the great, big banner hanging in the front entrance. The building is gorgeous with so much incredible detail including bronze sconces off to the side, flat columns built into the facade, stone relief work everywhere, and the bank's name emblazoned high along the front. Just above the entrance is the inscription "Founded Anno Domini 1812'. I guess this business was already in existence a full 116 years before this structure was built. On Market Street, about 5 blocks or so away is the Camden National Bank, a relative of this company. A huge, novelty-sized cornerstone can be found on the front, bottom right.
Thanks to Phil Cohen's website, we have a very good historical accounting of all the businesses and structures which make up 19th & 20th century Camden. The following narrative comes from his web site and provides a nice history of the bank. The source can be found in the secondary web site field.
This bank traces is roots back to June 16, 1812 when Camden's first bank was incorporated. It was known as The State Bank at Camden, and retained that name until June 2, 1865, at which time it became a National Bank and its title was made The National State Bank of Camden. This bank did business until the late 1920s at the corner of North 2nd and Market Streets. The National State Bank of Camden merged with the First National Bank under the name First National State Bank on July 1, 1922.
1927 was a significant year in the history of the bank. On July 1, 1927 another merger took place, this time with the Camden National Bank, the new and large institution now being known as First Camden National Bank& Trust Company. The President of the new institution was F. Morse Archer. A contract was awarded December 1927 for the construction of the new bank building for the First Camden National Bank & Trust Company, to be erected at Broadway and Cooper Street, at a cost of approximately $825,000.