We believe it is truly a privilege to be an integral part of our community–just as we have been since 1875, and will continue to be for the next century and beyond. As a mutual bank, we have no shareholders. This allows us to remain local. More importantly, as the only bank headquartered right here in our community, we know that we are in business because of our community and for our community. This is our only home – and we know we cannot continue to thrive or survive without a strong local economy.
A brief overview of some historical milestones
1875 Chartered in State of NH and open for business as Savings Bank of Walpole
1892 Westminster Street Branch in Walpole opens
1896 The only bank in Cheshire County to survive “The Panic of 1896”
1912 Titanic sinks
1913 Federal Reserve System is born
1929 Stock market crashes- the beginning of the Great Depression
1930 Total Assets $1,461,000
1964 Total Assets $15,029,432
1975 Savings Bank of Walpole celebrates 100th Anniversary
1975 First ATM “The Walpole 25 Hours Banker- A Money Machine” installed at Walpole branch
1990 IGA in Walpole partners with SBW, becomes first grocery store in NH to offer a bank card
1990 Grand Opening of North Meadow Plaza branch in Walpole
1992 Riverside Plaza, Keene branch opens
1996 www.walpolebank.com goes live on the “World Wide Web”
1996 Bank-By-Phone introduced
2000 New branch opens on West Street, Keene (Riverside Plaza branch closes)
2000 Internet Banking launched
2001 Marlboro Street, Keene branch opens
2007 Start of the housing collapse and recession
2008 Us Government launches TARP (Troubled Asset Relief Program)- not needed at SBW due to excellent credit quality
2016 Total Assets $361,000,000– the only bank still headquartered in Cheshire County
2017 New branch opens at 817 Court Street, Keene
2018 Savings Bank of Walpole’s Board and Corporators vote overwhelmingly to affiliate with New Hampshire Mutual Bancorp (NHMB)– a mutual holding company and a steward of local, community-based mutual banking in New Hampshire. For the purpose of affiliating with NHMB, the Bank reorganizes into a mutual holding company structure, and creates a newly chartered subsidiary to continue as successor to the original Savings Bank of Walpole (originally chartered in 1875)
2018 Total Assets $400,000,000- Same bank name, same people, same local values…greater strength