Montgomery’s first bank was the First National Bank. The bank was opened in a newly-constructed brick building at 32 South Main Street, next to the Montgomery Hotel. It opened for business on Monday, November 26, 1900, according to The Muncy Luminary and Lycoming County Advertiser, November 29, 1900.

Over time the bank needed a larger building, and a new home for the bank was planned. Some of the details of the new building were revealed a year in advance. “The ground floor at the rear is to be given over to store rooms, while the first floor will be used entirely for banking purposes. The second floor will contain offices, arranged so that they may be taken over by the bank for it’s own purposes at any time. The third floor will be arranged so as to be suitable for lodge purposes,” according to the Grit, dated January 22, 1922.

The construction of the new building began in August of 1922, according to the Montgomery Mirror, dated December 14, 1923.

The new building was built on the corner of South Main Street and West Houston Avenue. It was reported that the portion of the block that was torn down “was occupied by a frame structure, containing two storerooms on the first floor,” according to a publication from the Grit, printed December 2, 1923.

The day before the grand opening was held, the Montgomery Mirror ran an article about the bank, stating, “Upon entering the lobby a real pleasure is anticipated upon the height and beautiful design of the ceiling. The ceiling is about twenty-six feet from the floor and designed in a beautiful and impressive design. Four large chandeliers brilliantly light the entire main building so that any part of it can be used for any purpose.” The paper also said that the bank wouldn’t be conducting any sort of business on Saturday so that everyone would be able to tour the entire building (December 14, 1923).

The grand opening was held on Saturday, December 15, 1923. The Grit wrote, “The new bank is Montgomery’s most pretentious business house.” It went on to describe the lavish building, “The exterior of the building is Indiana limestone and the interior is made of marble, black walnut, and bronze cages and gates. This building is fireproof throughout, and is equipped with the latest devices intended to defeat efforts of burglarizing. The vault is a large one, containing in one part a number of safety deposit boxes for the use of bank patrons. The vault door alone weighs in the neighborhood of 20 tons. The main banking room is 50×80 feet in dimensions.” The offices and rooms located throughout the building were listed, stating that their were two large upstairs rooms. There was a room at the front of the bank that was open for members of the community to use as they liked, and the one at the back of the building was intended for use by the bank directors, according to a publication from the Grit dated December 16, 1923.

When the bank opened, there was no mention by the Grit or the Montgomery Mirror about a third floor that was reported in the Grit, on January 22, 1922.

For four and half hours during the grand opening, about two thousand people came to see the new structure, according to the Grit, December 16, 1923. Interestingly, in 1920, the population of Montgomery was only 1,798, according to the 14th census of the United States via census.gov.

To welcome members of the public to the grand opening, the leadership of the institution greeted everyone, gifting women with carnations and men with pencils. The new burglar alarm was also demonstrated at various points throughout the day, letting the community experience the newest technology to keep the money safe according to the Grit, December 16, 1923.

While the bank may have been busy gifting flowers to the ladies, the bank received numerous baskets of flowers from other banks in surrounding communities, some from as far away as Milton, according to the Grit, December 16, 1923.

“In seeking a comparison, for a place of this size and for its purpose, it is doubtful if its equal can be found anywhere in the entire United States,” the Montgomery Mirror, dated December 14, 1923, reported.

The bank remained open at that location for several decades, but in 1986 the building became the new home of the Montgomery Area Public Library (Around Montgomery Borough 1940-1990 by Joan Wheal Blank). While the building was renovated to serve as the library, many of the original features of the bank were kept in place, making it a truly unique aspect of Montgomery.