BSNB to host drive-thru food pantry May 10 to assist in providing nourishment to those served by the Regional Food Bank of NENY

BSNB Volunteers in Action have thus far helped distribute 216,000 pounds of food while the bank and its matching campaigns have donated $87,308 to the cause

Story by Ann Hauprich  –  Photos courtesy of BSNB

Long after many children have outgrown their piggy banks, they are sure to remember that cheerful masked strangers sporting BSNB Volunteers in Action t-shirts were among those their families could count on for humanitarian aid during the harsh economic times linked to the coronavirus pandemic.

Ballston Spa National Bank President and CEO Christopher R. Dowd said the financial institution, which was established in Ballston Spa in 1838 (see sidebar), realized soon after the pandemic started that the global health care crisis would have an impact on many families and their ability to put food on the dinner table.

“Our employees wanted to support a cause that would truly make a difference in our community. I am confident we have done that by partnering with the Regional Food Bank of Northeastern New York. Because their work is ongoing, we have additionally encouraged others to join us in contributing to this worthy cause,” said Dowd.

Between May of 2020 and April of 2021, BSNB representatives had rolled up their sleeves to participate in 13 contactless drive-thru food pantries in cooperation with the Regional Food Bank of NENY during which 216,000 pounds of nourishment, including fresh produce and dairy products, frozen meats and non-perishable kitchen cupboard goods were distributed to those in need. The 14^th such event will take place commencing at 9:30 a.m. on Monday, May 10 at BSNB’s corporate headquarters at 990 State Route 67 in Ballston Spa.

According to BSNB Vice-President and Marketing Director Susan Slovic, food containers will be loaded directly into the trunks of motor vehicles by volunteers all of whom will follow CDC guidelines by wearing appropriate protective facial coverings and gloves while actively practicing social distancing. As with all previous drive-thru food pantries, those who show up at the free and open to the public event will be assisted on a first-come, first-served basis, while supplies last.

The drive-thru pantry on May 10 will be the eighth to take place in Ballston Spa during the course of the pandemic. BSNB has also hosted two drive-thru food panties in Cohoes, two in Milton, one in Voorheesville and one in Wilton.

In addition to the manpower donated by BSNB volunteers, the financial institution has donated $65,000 plus $22,308 that was generated via a BSNB matching community campaign initiative for a combined total of $87,308.

While all of the drive-thru food pantries made headlines throughout the greater Capital Region, those that transpired in front of Ballston Spa High School and on the premises of BSNB’s corporate headquarters at 990 State Route 67 were especially important to village families who were hard hit by The COVID Crisis.

Susan Lintner, Director of Community Impact at the Regional Food Bank of NENY, said: “Ballston Spa National Bank understands the struggles people are facing and has worked tirelessly to address food insecurity by offering an outstanding combination of financial and volunteer support.”

Members of the community wishing to help support this humanitarian outreach endeavor may donate directly via  https://donatenow.networkforgood.org/1415634 and selecting ‘BSNB Matching Campaign’ as the donation designation. Donors may also make checks payable to the Regional Food Bank of Northeastern New York and drop them off at any BSNB banking location or mail to BSNB, ATTN: Regional Food Bank Matching Campaign, PO Box 70, Ballston Spa, NY 12020.

Villagers first began counting
on BSNB services in 1838

Story by Ann Hauprich

“Where others have branches, we have roots.”

So proclaims a banner used in conjunction with special community events involving Ballston Spa National Bank.  Founded in 1838, BSNB has the distinction of being the oldest surviving financial institution headquartered in Saratoga County.

The first to occupy the president’s chair inside of the historic landmark at 87 Front Street was James M. Cook, Esq. Hailed as a visionary of great integrity, Cook was behind much of the village’s impressive early growth.

In her captivating book titled The History of Ballston Spa National Bank: 1838-1988, the late Ruth Roerig painted a vivid picture of what life was like in the village two centuries ago when it was a popular resort for the rich and famous as well as a flourishing manufacturing and commercial center.

In addition to bringing the bank’s first 150 years of history to life in a most compelling manner, Roerig succeeded in telling the story of the village’s corresponding growth and development during that same time period. (The 33 years between 1988-2021 are not represented in the now out-of-print book which was published on the occasion of BSNB’s Sesquicentennial.)

Taking readers on a horse-drawn carriage tour of the village as it was at the dawn of 1839, Roerig described how it boasted 10 well-known hotels including the Aldridge House (now the Saratoga County History Center on the grounds of Brookside) and the world renowned Sans Souci, which towered three stories and spanned an entire block along Front Street from the corner of Milton Avenue to Bath Street. The posh 160-foot long structure had two wings – each of which extended back just over 150 feet and could comfortably accommodate 150 guests. Inside the main entrance were a grand ballroom with magnificent chandeliers, a courtyard with a gazebo and the Sans Souci Spring bubbling forth. Two other natural mineral springs and an elegantly decorated dining room were also found on the hotel grounds.

In addition, Roerig wrote, the village had two saw mills, a grist mill, a cotton factory, a large brick courthouse with a prison under the same roof, several stores, numerous mechanics’ shops, three churches, a select academy school, a library, and two printing offices – each of which issued a weekly newspaper. Ballston Spa’s position as the county seat further contributed to a need for a community-bank.

Despite the flourishing activity in the village in the early 1800s, those living and working in Ballston Spa had to commute to Schenectady and Troy to do their banking.

Indeed, by the time Ballston Spa Bank held its first organizational meeting on December 8, 1838, the only other bank in all of Saratoga County was the Saratoga County Bank in Waterford, which had been incorporated on May 29, 1930. When the Waterford bank closed its doors in 1971, the distinction of being the oldest bank in the county was awarded to BSNB.

It is important to note that before the Ballston Spa Bank was chartered, Cook sought input from a broad cross-section of the community. In addition to some of the area’s most prominent manufacturers and developers, the remarkable 32-year-old solicited ideas and advice from a physician, two attorneys, two farmers, a judge, a scholar and three railroad directors as well as several merchants, politicians and “prominent men from other fields of endeavor.”

The charter officers of what is now BSNB were: James M. Cook, Esq., President;  John W. Thompson, Esq., Vice-President; manufacturer Lebbeus Booth,  Vice-President; Issac Fowler, Cashier; and John J. Lee, Clerk. The bank’s Board of Directors in 1838 consisted of Cook, Booth, Thompson along with Eli Barnam; Jonathan Stiles Beach; Anson Brown, Esq.; Harvey Chapman; Dr. Samuel Freeman; Isaac Frink; Samuel Hides; John Kelly; Philip McOmber; and Stephen Smith.

Just how great a role the bank was to play in the development of the Village of Ballston Spa over the next 183 years was something few could have imagined! Through The Civil War, The Flu Epidemic of 1918, Two World Wars, The Industrial Revolution, The Great Depression, the ongoing Technological Evolution and everything in between, BSNB has proven itself to be an institution customers and shareholders can truly bank on.

Indeed many businesses and professionals in the village and throughout Saratoga County owe their start-ups and/or expansions to BSNB. Thousands of individuals have seen their dreams regarding motor vehicles, home ownership, college educations, travel and other pursuits realized because of the bank’s ability to provide affordable loans and lines of credit. Churches, service clubs and a variety of not-for-profits have also been better able to assist those in need because BSNB assisted them at a crucial point in their development.

Perhaps the most fitting tribute to the bank, its presidents and personnel can be found in a passage penned by Roerig on the occasion of its 150^th anniversary three decades ago:

“It is apparent that the same objectives of good banking, such as wise investment decisions, good loan policies, auditing and control, advanced customer services and support to the community apply today virtually as they applied in the early years of the bank . . . Ballston Spa National Bank began as a community bank, and even with its state-of-the-art advances, it remains a community bank. This is a policy to which the President, the Board of Directors and the staff are dedicated.”

In addition to its historic building on Front Street in the village, BSNB now has branch locations that include the corporate plaza in Ballston Spa, Burnt Hills, Clifton Park, Galway, Greenfield Center, Guilderland, Latham, Malta, Milton, Stillwater, Voorheesville and Wilton. Customers can also do much of their banking online via www.bsnb.com.