Featured Member: Passumpsic Bank
Featured member, Passumpsic Bank, has been a cornerstone of financial life in Vermont and New Hampshire for more than 170 years, offering the kind of personal, community-rooted banking that larger institutions simply cannot replicate. Based in St. Johnsbury, Vermont, Passumpsic Bank is one of the region’s most trusted financial partners, serving individuals, families, and businesses across the Northeast Kingdom, Central Vermont, and New Hampshire’s North Country.
A History Rooted in the Northeast Kingdom
Passumpsic Bank first opened its doors on February 24, 1853, originally operating as Passumpsic Savings Bank. In its earliest years, the bank shared office space with the original Passumpsic Bank, a separate commercial bank, for the first six years of its existence. Over the decades that followed, the institution grew steadily, relocating its main office within St. Johnsbury twice over the course of the 20th century and expanding its footprint through strategic acquisitions. In 2002, the bank expanded into New Hampshire by acquiring a Littleton branch, followed by the acquisition of Siwooganock Bank in Lancaster in 2006, and Lancaster National Bank in 2008.
In the fall of 2018, the bank officially adopted the name Passumpsic Bank, reclaiming the historic name that had long been associated with the region. This was not a rebranding driven by outside ownership or a corporate takeover; it was a deliberate choice to better reflect the bank’s identity and its deep connection to the communities it serves. The same trusted team, the same products and services, and the same commitment to customers remained firmly in place.
Serving Vermont and New Hampshire with 11 Branches
Today, Passumpsic Bank operates as a stock savings bank and a wholly owned subsidiary of Passumpsic Bancorp, a mutual holding company. The bank runs 11 branches across two states, with Vermont locations in St. Johnsbury, Danville, Lyndonville, Newport, Island Pond, and Berlin, and New Hampshire locations in Littleton, Whitefield, Groveton, and Lancaster. A Loan Production Office in Williston, Vermont, rounds out the bank’s geographic reach. This network ensures that customers throughout the North Country have access to in-person banking from people who know them by name.
Full-Service Banking for Every Stage of Life
Passumpsic Bank offers a comprehensive lineup of financial products designed to meet customers wherever they are in life. On the personal banking side, customers have access to checking and savings accounts, certificates of deposit, money market accounts, home mortgages, home equity loans and lines of credit, personal loans, VA loans, construction loans, and first-time homebuyer programs. Online banking, mobile banking, and mobile deposit keep accounts accessible around the clock.
For business customers, the bank provides commercial loans, business checking and savings accounts, merchant services, ACH services for payroll and receivables management, and business credit card solutions. A fraud prevention tool called Positive Pay helps businesses protect against unauthorized check and ACH transactions, giving owners greater control over their cash flow and payment security.
Passumpsic Financial Advisors, the bank’s investment and wealth management division, extends services into trust administration, estate and retirement planning, portfolio management, and personalized financial planning. Advisors are embedded in local branches across both states, providing clients with direct access to professionals who understand the financial landscape of the Northeast Kingdom and North Country.
A Bank That Knows Its Neighbors
What sets Passumpsic Bank apart from larger regional and national competitors is the genuine investment it makes in the communities it calls home. The bank has long supported local charities, food drives, business development initiatives, and community organizations throughout Vermont and New Hampshire. Staff members are neighbors, not distant representatives, and the bank’s approach to every customer relationship reflects that.
Passumpsic Bank has partnered with the Vermont Small Business Development Center to offer Small Business Incubator workshops, helping emerging entrepreneurs gain the skills and knowledge they need to succeed. This kind of engagement goes beyond standard banking and speaks to the institution’s broader goal of growing prosperity across the region.
With an A health rating, assets approaching $863 million, and CD rates that significantly outpace the national average, Passumpsic Bank combines the financial strength customers need with the local character they want. It is the 5th largest bank in Vermont and continues to grow with purpose, staying true to the values it has held since 1853.
