National State Bank - Camden, NJ
N 39° 56.805 W 075° 07.514
18S E 489301 N 4421854
There are several of these old time banks along Market Street in downtown Camden. A slew of these banks, all with similar architecture & circumstance were simultaneously protected from razing in the early 90's when Camden was being redeveloped.
Waymark Code: WMBWVN
Location: New Jersey, United States
Date Posted: 06/28/2011
Views: 3
The building sits at lonely corner of the intersection of Market & Second Streets and is about the only surviving structure of turn of the century Camden in this area. It is a long building which is not too wide in the front. The entrance is flanked by two pillars built into the front facade. Pleasant relief art is handily worked into the stone about the front entrance. The name of the bank is inscribed in two places, above the front entrance and high atop, along the left side, scrolling toward the rear of the building.
Local resident, Phil Cohen, has made a website which gives an extremely comprehensive history of Camden and its streets. Old pictures, interviews, newspaper stories, first hand accounts and in depth histories have protected and told the story of 19th century Camden, NJ. There is a nice history for this building and bank on the web site as well. it is a bit confusing as most of these NRHP banks merged with each other over the years, giving rise to new NRHP sites. It is all very convoluted and confusing, like trying to trace the lineage of an incestuous family. Read on...
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. SOURCE