Germantown Then and Now: Germantown Bank

The first bank in Germantown was started because the workers at the Liberty Mill had to pay 15 cents to cash a check at the general store, or go all the way to Gaithersburg instead.

In 1921, Augustus Selby, owner of the mill, and Andrew Baker, local entrepreneur, got together with William Waters, Norman Waters and Henry Pumphrey to form a corporation. Their bank was constructed in 1922. It was built around the large walk-in vault, but the safe deposit boxes were not installed until a few years later.

Mr. Selby served as the bank president until 1958, when it merged with the First National Bank of Gaithersburg.  Soon after, it merged with the Suburban Trust Company in 1960. Carrie Green, sister of the postmaster, was the bank manager for many years. In 1966 Lewis Wood, known to the locals as Woody, came to manage the bank.

In 1983, Suburban Bank built a new modern facility at the corner of Middlebrook Road and Germantown Road, where Fed-Ex is today. The safe deposit boxes, many with valuables still in them, were transferred to the new bank. That Suburban Bank was taken over by Sovran Bank and they built a new facility across Germantown Road where Bank of America is now.

Although the safe deposit boxes were moved to the new facility, they were outdated and replaced by newer models. The old ones were to be destroyed. Jean Phillips, local farmer, went down to the bank with her pick-up truck and was able to salvage one of the three sets. She put it in her Phillips Farm Market building for display.

As to the old bank building, it was given by Suburban Trust to the county, and was used for many years for the ticket agent for the Maryland Area Rail Commuter train until the train station was rebuilt.

Ed Daniels of the County Department of Transportation, was able to get a federal grant to rehabilitate the bridge over the railroad tracks next to the bank building and included the restoration of the building as part of the grant. The building was repainted inside and out, the floors refinished, the leaky roof replaced and a new handicapped entrance and lavatory were installed.

The Germantown Historical Society, an independent non-profit organization, moved into the building in the spring of 2003. Exhibits are on display inside, and the organization has an archives including family and house histories, Germantown Master Plans, old maps, and much more.