photo by CAROL SHETLER/The Luminary After being bolted to the building, Woodlands Bank officers inspecting the work include Hughesville branch manager Michelle Lawson, and Jon Conklin, president of Woodlands Bank's eight locations.

HUGHESVILLE – Known in Hughesville as ‘The bank on the corner,’ Woodlands Bank has been successful in restoring the building to its original 1908 appearance. “Of Woodlands eight branches, the Hughesville building is the oldest and most significant historically,” said President Jon Conklin.

Removed from the facade were large slabs of granite attached during the mid 1950’s when many Main Street business opted to modernize. The uncovering revealed damaged stones which led to a search for replacements. “This stone is unique, but through searches by various masons, we were able to find a near match from a recycled source,” Conklin said.

After arriving on the bed of a pickup truck, the clock was added on Tuesday, September 22. A two-man crew from Anderson Signs of Williamsport went to work. With a ladder plus a crane mounted on a second truck, Anderson and Matt Segar began the tedious work. Many times while lifting and lowering the crane, careful negotiation was given to avoid power lines, poles and signs.

The bracket to which the clock would be affixed had been readied. “We made sure the building would hold the weight by adding bracing to the inside wall,” Eric Anderson said. The clock contained three parts for on-site assembly. The lower metal portion was added at street level, and the top affixed once the clock was in place. An electrician will attach the clock to a power source which will illuminate it and begin the timing mechanism.

At various intervals as the clock was placed, Branch Manager Michelle Lawson appeared to photograph the event and share information of historical exhibits inside the bank. The interior displays include photographs of the building’s construction, completion, plus initial tellers including Walter Frontz, Nelson Spring, Walter Sanders and Kline Webster. On loan from the East Lycoming Historical Society, the wrought iron portion of tellers’ cages has been mounted over a window. The interior displays also show an early bank ledger and other encased ephemeral items.

photo by CAROL SHETLER/The Luminary A reproduction of a 107-year-old time piece is hoisted upward to be attached to the Hughesville branch of Woodlands Bank.

Shelia Barto, owner of the jewelry shop next door said, ” I appreciate how Woodland’s has invested in the downtown, and the improvements made to the building. The staff is helpful and friendly.”

Great strides have been made in less than two years. Woodlands Bank will observe its second anniversary in Hughesville on October 13, 2015. Woodlands first banking location opened in October 1990 in Loyalsock and has since established branches in eight locations.