WESTERLY – Founded in Rhode Island and recognized as the nation’s oldest community bank, The Washington Trust Co. is celebrating its 225th birthday this year.
The anniversary officially takes place on Aug. 22.
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“As we mark this milestone, we recognize the privilege of celebrating 225 years of serving our customers and communities,” said Chairman and CEO Edward O. “Ned” Handy III. “We’re focused on earning our customers’ trust every day and nurturing those relationships to help them manage their financial lives, provide for their families, start businesses and plan for the future. It’s truly an honor to carry forward the bank’s legacy.”
To celebrate, Washington Trust is unveiling a series of initiatives to honor the historic milestone.
To commemorate 225 years of continuous service, Washington Trust has unveiled a special birthday logo that will be used throughout the year as part of the celebration.
The bank also announced the launch of a special 225 Community Checking campaign that runs from now through August. During this period, anyone who opens a new checking account can direct a $25 donation – courtesy of Washington Trust – to one of 12 partner nonprofit organizations across Rhode Island, Massachusetts and Connecticut. In addition, new account holders can also receive a $200 bonus for themselves.
Positioning the offer as “Good for You and Good for Your Community,” the initiative underscores Washington Trust’s long-standing commitment to supporting the community, while also offering new customers the opportunity to experience the convenience, security and personalized banking service that Washington Trust is known for, the bank said in a news release.
Nonprofit beneficiaries include Amos House, Financial Literacy Youth Initiative, Rhode Island Community Food Bank, Rhode Island Free Clinic, South County Habitat for Humanity, Tides Family Services and WARM Center in Rhode Island; Connecticut Foodshare, Eastern Connecticut Housing Opportunities and Pawcatuck Neighborhood Center in Connecticut; and Greater Boston Food Bank and NeighborWorks Housing Solutions in Massachusetts.
Throughout the bank’s birthday month of August, there will be a series of special celebrations, pop-up events and customer appreciation events at branches across its footprint. These events are designed to thank customers for their loyalty and partnership over the years, and to celebrate the shared success of the communities Washington Trust has served for generations, the bank said. To culminate the celebration, on Aug. 22, bank executives will be ringing the NASDAQ stock market closing bell in New York City, where Washington Trust Bancorp Inc., the parent company of the bank, trades.
Washington Trust was founded on Aug. 22, 1800, in downtown Westerly. The bank has since grown from its original location to 28 retail banking branches in Rhode Island and Mystic, Conn., as well as mortgage lending and wealth management offices in Rhode Island, Massachusetts and Connecticut.
Matthew McNulty is a PBN staff writer. He can be reached at McNulty@PBN.com or on X at @MattMcNultyNYC.
