Delaware County National Bank

Delaware County National Bank

Company type	Bank
Industry	Banking
Founded	1814
Defunct	1930 (as main office)
Headquarters	Chester , United States
Products	Banking services

Delaware County National Bank is a landmark banking edifice situated in Chester, Pennsylvania at the southwest intersection of 3rd Street and Avenue of the States, neighboring the historic burial site of Old St. Paul's Church. Constructed from 1882 to 1884, this -story brick and brownstone building exemplifies the Renaissance Revival style. It features a low-pitched hipped slate roof adorned with metal cresting, five ornately designed chimneys, and four Corinthian order pilasters that uphold the front pediment dormer. From 1884 until 1930, it functioned as the main office for Delaware County National Bank.

History

While the new building was under construction in 1882, bank operations were temporarily conducted from the former kitchen annex of the cashier's residence.

Established in 1814 as Delaware County’s inaugural banking institution, it transitioned to a national bank charter in 1864. By 1882, the bank’s directors deemed the original premises insufficient and engaged architect Patrick A. Welsh to create a replacement structure on the existing site.

The facility discontinued its role as the bank’s headquarters in 1930. Thereafter, it accommodated offices for entities including the Crozer-Chester Medical Center, United Way, and RDC Institute.

In 1987, the building earned a place on the National Register of Historic Places.

Prominent Individuals Associated with Delaware County National Bank

• John Price Crozer – Textile industry leader and director (1825–1862). His son, Samuel A. Crozer, held the position of bank president from 1864 to 1865.
• Edward Darlington – U.S. Congressman from Pennsylvania and bank director.
• Alfred O. Deshong – Industrialist and art enthusiast; served as director beginning in 1895.
• John O. Deshong – Influential businessman; director between 1845 and 1881.
• Peter Deshong – Founding organizer and director (1815–1827); also served as the bank’s first notary.
• Samuel Edwards – Pennsylvania Congressman who was also a bank director.
• David Reese Esrey – Manufacturer specializing in cotton goods; director from 1878 to 1898.
• David Trainer – Owner of Linwood Mills and textile manufacturer; served as director and third president during 1874–1875.

Sources

• Ashmead, Henry Graham (1884). History of Delaware County, Pennsylvania. L.H. Everts & Co.
• Ashmead, Henry Graham (1914). History of the Delaware County National Bank. Press of the Chester Times.
• Cope, Gilbert & Ashmead, Henry Graham (1904). Historic Homes and Institutions and Genealogical and Personal Memoirs of Chester and Delaware Counties, Pennsylvania. The Lewis Publishing Company.