Herald and news. [volume] (West Randolph, Vt.) 1878-1943, 1892-09-29
NEW BANK BUILDING
Al white River Junction, Vermont.

The National Bank of White River juno
tion was organized in April 1886 tnrougn
the eff. rts OF Geo. w. Smith and leo; "
cafes of White River Junction, and Jonn
BACON. then OF Chelsea. The capital, at 1
first was $50. 900 but TO meet the oemahus
~ 4 RAPIDLY growing business II was IN
Augusf 1857 increased TO 100000 During
The fi-st wear the deposits amounted 70 4 |
sum equal TO the capital and IN July 1927
a dividend Of 3 per cent was oecialeo,
handsome sum being carried 10 the
Mus fund at the same time. -, al
THE first directors were Geo. W. smith,
Geo w. Gates and Geo. W. Barnes OF
White River Junction, Z. Morris OF hart
ford and Wyman Pattee OF Enfield: Geo.
w. Smith was elected President ana JONI JONI
l.. Bacon was made Cashier. In June 1901
Geo. W. Barnes was succeeded by joseph
r Parker Of Ouechee and in December OF
the same year John l.. Bacon was elected
director to fill the vacancy caused oy lne
death of Geo. w. Gates. Mr.. MOTIFS was
at the same time elected Vice President.
From that time until the present the az
rectors and the officers have not oeen
changed. . =,
two rooms on the End floor in Smiths
block and remained there until June ISL
~ the present year. The Directors recog-
nizing the growing needs OF the oanki
more roomy quarters and more cenlfu
location, purchased the corner lot az tne
intersection OF Main and Depot streets,
moved of the old Hanchett & Alexander
hlock and built upon the lot modern
hank building that for stability and com
nleteness Is the equal OF any similar ouho-
Inc in the state 1t is two stories IN
| height, Quilt Of brick and iron and IS o.
feet long by 80 feet deep. Iron beams aIsu
rirders and brick arches are between the
1 two floors. Wire lath was used. IL is
! building OF solid masonry with no WOOD
4 in any part except such as is used IN floors,
| The wainscoting and furnishings. Below
/ the ground floor is deep and roomy base
ment in which is fireproof storage vault
| for books, papers, etc. Inc Dank occuples
! the entire ground floor and the basement.
/ The upper floor is divided into two dou-
/ bic and two single Offices for rental. Inc
/ hnildine is supplied with water closets
and lavatories, throughout and is Lighted
| bv electric lights. IL is heated by Boyn-
4 ton hot water heater put IN by y H. bag
/ lev OF White River Junction.
The interior Of the banking rooms was
finished bv the Andrews Mig. Co. OF New
| York City. The wainscoting ana otner
finish OF the first floor is OF quartereu
I oak the counters and desk are OF antique
oak. on the second floor white wood ana
ash were used. .-,s.
During Office hours the massive OUTSIDE
doors are opened and from the yestibuie
IN and easily when a hand is laid upon
Them. admit the visitor to a large open
I suace To the right is the cashiers room
and in front OF the door IS the teller :
counter, back Of which is the safe Deposil
and bank Vault. This was made by Her
ring a Co.. New York and is Of novel con
strnction. When railroad rails are laid 70
gether. with the tread inward, the foot or
base II each will join forming a nat sur
face on both sides. In the construction OF
this vault steel rails were used and the IN
ter ii es filed with cement. The struc
ture of rails was encased by plates OF weiu
ed High and Low steel with solid corners
and angles OF the same material. inside
there is lining of welded High and Low
steel plates secured TO each other and TO
the rails BY screws of the same material.
This steel vault, six ana one hall incnes
thick. is enclosed by masonry OF hare
brick two feet in thickness. The entrance
is through massive double doors, lne out
er one being five and one half inches IN
thickness constructed Of welded steel and
iron. These plates are both hard TO re-
sist drilling and strong to resist breaking
There j. also a LAYER Of Farelotyn, an ex-
tremely hard metal, superior TO resist
drilling and cutting tools. II Is hard oy
nature and cannot be made soft by heat
ING. IL gives protection against the use Of
{ he blow pipe. an appliance that burglars
. have made use of 10 reduce The temper Of
steel plates The inner door is three and
one-half inches thick and similar IN con-
straction 10 the outer door. Both doors art
provided with offsets and tongues and
grooves which interlock with correspond
ing tongues and grooves in the Jamb. Ihe
Joints are packed making them air-tight
A double or crane hinge IS used by means
| OF which the door is Withdrawn squareis
until free from the tongues and grooves
when il will swing open in the usual way
The bolt work is massive and highly
polished. Each door is locked by large
round bolts and these in turn are checked
bv two Dexter bank locks. These locks
! NAV be used to unlock by the use Of eth
er one or so as 10 require the presence 81
two persons each operating q lock With z
: distinct combination. Attached 10 the
outer door is a triple movement time
lock. A gate OF polished metal ana nana-
some design is provided for use during
business hours.
The vault is divided inside by a Grille
partition with a gate. This provides sepa
rate apartments for the use Of the bans
and for renters of boxes. The Deposit
boxes are varied in size. The locks re-
iouire the use of a master key by the at
PENDANT before the depositor can unlock
. with his private key. For the convenience
4 OF the renter each deposit box is provided
4 with tin box having a lock and key
? The vault also contains a new and improy
ed burglar proof chest protected oy III
\ ple movement time lock This chest L
!. i've inches in thickness and IS made b.
the Damon Safe and Iron Works, Boston
: Seemingly there mas been nothing lett IN
done that would add 10 the security o
; the vault, the deposit boxes or the BANK
strong box and the management IS hk'
. the vault, strong and safe.
The bank and its officers have the con
! fidence Of the entire business community
hence il has had a wonderfully successful
Six years existence dating from its organ
ization. Before the organization II wa
: predicted that hank at this point woul'
. not paw dividend in the first i've year
4 and that the deposits would amount [
4 but a small sum. II has paid semi -annua
dividends OF per cent every SIX month
q since its organization and its, deposit
y have exceeded $4,000 at times. Their
n "a been no time " hen the deposits wer
e not large. Ii has a surplus fund Of 81,
y 600 now About fifteen months ago say
y ing bank department Was established tha
q has had growing business and Is now i