HISTORY
Timeline
1814:
James Wright Jr. and James Mifflin build this three-story Federalist style townhouse.
1822:
Christian Haldeman purchases the property. Joseph Cottrell and Manus Holbrook open a tavern and hotel, The Mansion House.
1841:
Christian Haldeman dies in the house. The house is purchased by William Atkins for his residence.
1852:
Gerhardt Brandt purchases the property, again, as a hotel: The National House Hotel. Brandt rents the corner of the property to Solomon & Daniel Detwiler. It becomes Detwiler Brothers Bank.
1860:
Solomon Detwiler buys the entire property and moves his residence into the remaining portion.
1864:
As part of the National Bank Law, the Detwilers charter their bank with $100,000 capital. The First National Bank of Columbia becomes the 371st bank chartered in the USA.
1897:
Solomon dies, leaving the property to his wife, Mary Catherine. His son, Horace, assumes management of the bank.
1915:
Mary Catherine dies, leaving the property to the children, Horace and Effie, both remain living in the home.
1917:
FNB of C merges with Columbia National Bank, becoming First-Columbia National Bank. This bank moves up the street to 229 Locust Street.
1925:
Effie offers the Columbia Women’s Club the corner portion of property to establish the new home for The Columbia Free Public Library.
1938:
Horace dies, leaving his share of the property to Effie.
1954:
Effie dies, leaving the property to The Columbia Free Public Library.
1958:
Lloyd & Jean Motter purchase the property from The Columbia Free Public Library.
1961:
The Library moves to its newly built facility on Sixth Street.
1967:
The Motters restore the bank and re-open it as The First National Bank Museum.
1997:
Upon the deaths of Lloyd & Jean Motter, their daughter, Nora, and husband, Michael Stark, purchase the property and, to this day, manage and operate the museum, continuing the restoration.
James Wright Jr. and James Mifflin build this three-story Federalist style townhouse.
1822:
Christian Haldeman purchases the property. Joseph Cottrell and Manus Holbrook open a tavern and hotel, The Mansion House.
1841:
Christian Haldeman dies in the house. The house is purchased by William Atkins for his residence.
1852:
Gerhardt Brandt purchases the property, again, as a hotel: The National House Hotel. Brandt rents the corner of the property to Solomon & Daniel Detwiler. It becomes Detwiler Brothers Bank.
1860:
Solomon Detwiler buys the entire property and moves his residence into the remaining portion.
1864:
As part of the National Bank Law, the Detwilers charter their bank with $100,000 capital. The First National Bank of Columbia becomes the 371st bank chartered in the USA.
1897:
Solomon dies, leaving the property to his wife, Mary Catherine. His son, Horace, assumes management of the bank.
1915:
Mary Catherine dies, leaving the property to the children, Horace and Effie, both remain living in the home.
1917:
FNB of C merges with Columbia National Bank, becoming First-Columbia National Bank. This bank moves up the street to 229 Locust Street.
1925:
Effie offers the Columbia Women’s Club the corner portion of property to establish the new home for The Columbia Free Public Library.
1938:
Horace dies, leaving his share of the property to Effie.
1954:
Effie dies, leaving the property to The Columbia Free Public Library.
1958:
Lloyd & Jean Motter purchase the property from The Columbia Free Public Library.
1961:
The Library moves to its newly built facility on Sixth Street.
1967:
The Motters restore the bank and re-open it as The First National Bank Museum.
1997:
Upon the deaths of Lloyd & Jean Motter, their daughter, Nora, and husband, Michael Stark, purchase the property and, to this day, manage and operate the museum, continuing the restoration.