The following has been submitted by the Logan County History Center.
By: Mary E. Mortimer
For more than 150 years, the buildings at the corner of North Main St. and East Columbus Ave. have been part of Bellefontaine’s banking history.
That long history began in 1870, when Bellefontaine National Bank was organized in the Hartley Building at 100 North Main St. Its first officers were Judge William Lawrence, president; James Leister, cashier; and Charles McLaughlin, bookkeeper. The original directors were J. B. McLaughlin, S. W. Goe, W. V. Marquis, and J. N. Allen. The bank began with a capital of $100,000. Lawrence continued to guide the bank as president until his death in 1899.
In 1892, the original bank building was razed and replaced by a grand three-story red-brick structure designed by well-known local architect William Kauffman. The building was remodeled in 1921, the bank’s 50th anniversary year. The remodeled bank featured four lobbies, two marble stairways, three vaults, safety-deposit vaults, rooms for the cashier and president, a directors’ room, and marble flooring throughout. Mahogany furniture and trim complemented ornate bronze fixtures that provided semi-indirect lighting. The teller windows were solid bronze, and the workroom included a 26-foot-long mahogany counter.
In 1933, during the Great Depression, the bank was reorganized with seven new directors: Orrin Hilliker, a real estate broker; George Esplin, a dry goods merchant; George Guy, a merchant; Frank Binkley, president of United Telephone Co.; Dr. J. C. Longfellow, a dentist; Franklin M. Baxley, Bellefontaine’s chief utilities engineer and chairman of the citizens banking committee that directed the stock-sales campaign for the new institution; and A. W. King, an active worker in the campaign to reorganize the bank.
About 1958, Bellefontaine National Bank purchased the former Harman Rest Home at the corner of South Detroit St. and West Chillicothe Ave. The bank razed the building and constructed a new drive-through banking facility on the site.
In June 1965, the bank purchased the Logan Hotel, which was adjacent to their downtown location, and demolished it to create a parking lot. Built in the 1850s, the hotel had been closed since January 1965. The following year, the Bellefontaine National Bank building was razed to make way for a modern new structure. During construction, the bank operated from the former Barton Candy building at 133 South Detroit St. To prepare the temporary quarters, the bank leased a large vault and hired Sims & Huber to oversee the move. Knowlton Construction Co. served as general contractor, and Sullivan, Isaacs & Sullivan of Cincinnati designed the new building.
In 1970, Bellefontaine National Bank merged with the Farmers Banking Co. of West Liberty, with Franklin M. Baxley serving as president of the consolidated institution. Harold Miller, who had served as cashier of the Farmers Banking Co. since 1943, maintained his role as cashier. Alcott had been director at Farmers Banking since 1934 and its president for 20 years, while Swisher had served on the board since 1940 and as vice president for several years. The new Bellefontaine National board of directors included Howard Alcott, Thomas W. Swisher, Don Hilliker, M. C. Spry, William Ritter, Roger Cloud, Jack Dee, and attorney Robert Dunlap.
In August 1976, plans were announced for Bellefontaine National Bank to affiliate with Huntington Bancshares Inc. of Columbus. Under the preliminary agreement, Huntington Bancshares would acquire the bank’s outstanding shares.
At the time, Bellefontaine National Bank operated four offices in Logan County, two in Bellefontaine and one each in West Liberty and Belle Center, and held more than $33 million in total assets. Columbus-based Huntington Bancshares operated eighty-five banking offices and held assets exceeding $1.5 billion.
The affiliation was completed in October 1977, when Bellefontaine National Bank became Huntington National Bank of Bellefontaine. The bank remained at this location for more than forty years before relocating to 201 East Columbus Ave. Today, Huntington Bank operates two locations in Logan County, one in Bellefontaine and the other in Russells Point.
In June 2021, Citizens Federal Savings and Loan Association purchased the vacant Huntington building at the corner of North Main St. and East Columbus Ave. and remodeled it as its new operations center. Citizens Federal has its own long history in Bellefontaine. Founded in 1885 as the Citizens Building and Loan Co., the institution initially operated from office space at 107 S. Opera St., where it remained until 1900.
From 1900 to 1920, Citizens Federal rented office space from Bellefontaine National Bank. In 1920, they moved to 104 N. Main St., where it remained for the next 102 years. It adopted the name Citizens Federal Savings and Loan Association in 1935.
Today, the building continues the longstanding tradition of banking at this prominent downtown corner. Its transition from Bellefontaine National Bank to Huntington and, most recently, Citizens Federal reflects more than 150 years of change, growth, and financial service in the Bellefontaine community.
Visit the Logan County History Center to learn more about Logan County history. The History Center is open for tours Wednesday through Sunday from 1:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m. Admission is free.
