LSB celebrating 175 years

Laconia Savings Bank is celebrating its 175th Anniversary this year. The institution is New Hampshire’s largest independent bank and has grown to 17 offices statewide with more than $850-million in assets since its inception in 1831.

The bank has experienced significant growth in recent years and has recently opened new offices in Bedford, Dover and Gilford.

“We are proud to be New Hampshire’s oldest locally owned bank; success means more than what we see on our balance sheet. It’s what we see on the faces of those we serve every day. That’s been our mission for nearly two centuries and it continues to be our mission to this day,” said Linda Normandin, president and chief executive officer of Laconia Savings Bank.

Laconia Savings Bank has played an integral part in New Hampshire’s growth and has shown a strong commitment to the communities where their employees serve, live and work. The bank has a long history of providing financial support to non-profit agencies around the state including the Laconia Public Library, Lakes Region Childcare, the Bedford Public Library, the Children’s Museum of Portsmouth, North Country United Way and the New Hampshire Humane Society. The bank strongly promotes volunteerism and last year bank employees volunteered more than 10,000 hours.

Laconia Savings Bank has prospered through the Civil War, the Great Depression, two World Wars and six Red Sox World Series Championships. Following is a timeline of milestones the bank has reached in its 175 year history in New Hampshire:

— 1831 – Franklin Pierce signs the charter creating Meredith Bridge Savings Bank. (And the first practical US coal-burning locomotive makes its first trial run.)

— 1832 – The bank receives its first deposit, $10.50. (And the first horse-drawn streetcar goes into operation in New York City.)

— 1869 – The bank changes its name to Laconia Savings Bank. (And Wyoming passes the first law in the United States giving women the right to vote.)

— 1891 – The bank’s assets exceed $1 million. (And YMCA trainee James Naismith invented basketball in Springfield, Massachusetts.)

— 1971 – The bank opens its new main office on Pleasant Street in Laconia. (And the first floppy disc was created for computers.)

— 1999 – The bank acquires nine new offices – Center Ossipee, Claremont, Conway, Gorham, Lincoln, Littleton, Plymouth, Whitefield and Woodsville.

— 2005 – The Bank restores the historic French-Atwood Barn in Bedford and converts it to a bank office.

In honor of the celebration, the bank has just launched their Jubilee Home Equity Line of Credit. More announcements and special offers will be made throughout the celebration year. Information and online banking services can be accessed online at "laconiasavings.com".