NSB CELEBRATES 160 YEARS!
An initial $5 deposit in April of 1866 was the first step on the path to the Norway Savings Bank of today. It’s a path lined with loyalty, generosity, community building and, gratefully, success that we have shared in together. Norway Savings has stood as a growing and steady constant throughout, offering generations of customers ease in local decision making, reassurance, and confidence.
On this page, discover the moments that have defined a 160-year journey; hear from some of the people who have helped NSB remain a sturdy, growing, and dependable institution in Maine, New Hampshire, and beyond; and learn about many friends and supporters along the way for whom NSB is grateful. Throughout the year, we’ll also be celebrating with feature stories, videos, and special commemorations on many platforms, including the NSB Facebook page, Instagram page, and LinkedIn page.
Anniversary Kickoff Community Barbecue!
Thank you to the hundreds of customers, community members, and staff that gathered for the 160th Anniversary Community Barbecue on April 24 in Norway! As part of the barbecue, NSB was proud to donate $20,000 to Norway Downtown and its mission. Read all about the barbecue here and stay tuned for more special events on the way in 2026!
160 Years of Growth
Our growth has come one moment, one choice at a time, in building personal relationships and credibility with customers so they can be confident on their journey towards the lives they choose. Norway Savings Bank’s asset size has increased steadily for 160 years as has our role as a steady presence for financial guidance in Maine, New Hampshire, and beyond. For generations of individuals, families, and businesses, NSB has been proud to make financial choices manageable and goals possible.
From our start in a modest building in Norway, NSB has now expanded to 25 convenient, efficient branches in Maine and New Hampshire. The newest branch opened in North Conway in 2025, offering a beautiful, modern building to provide our trademark personal banking experience to a new community.
Last year also brought a new, technologically advanced digital banking platform that offers flexibility and easy-to-use features on NSB Online and Mobile Banking for personal and business customers alike. The enhancements provide a consistent customer experience regardless of device and a variety of ways to monitor and manage financial portfolios. A mobile app is also now available for clients of NSB Asset Management Group, which eclipsed $500 million in assets in 2025.
But the growth is hardly limited to assets, buildings, and technological advancements. Our customer service is second-to-none, informing and supporting everyday choices and defining decisions since 1866. Through the years, it has only grown in effectiveness and impact thanks to generations of local experience. No customer is forced to handle everything alone whether during milestones that everyone celebrates or in moments nobody anticipates. A caring and knowledgeable NSB team member is always there to rely upon.
160 Years of Giving Back
Norway Savings Bank believes in contributing to the growth and betterment of the world around us. We’re proud to award sponsorships and donations to hundreds of local nonprofits each year and our team members donate their time and talents by volunteering thousands of hours at local organizations. Our commitment to community and equitable financing also led to the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation awarding NSB with an “Outstanding” Community Reinvestment Act rating. This distinction is one that very few banks receive, and NSB has received it for the last three exam periods, a very rare achievement in the banking industry. For 160 years, NSB has built and nurtured strong, personal relationships with nonprofits in Maine and New Hampshire to truly understand how our support can make the most difference to people in need.
“The financial assistance and encouragement from Norway Savings truly changes lives.”— Sarah Bronson, Riding To The Top Therapeutic Riding Center.
“Norway Savings Bank continues to demonstrate its commitment to fostering a healthy quality of life for everyone.” — Claude Rwaganje, ProsperityME.
“When looking for a sponsor, Norway Savings was the first place we thought of because of how much they believe in us and service.”—Sandy Swett, Harrison Food Bank.
“NSB’s generosity and kindness gives us the hope and determination to keep moving forward.”— Cathy Dennehy, CrossWalk Community Outreach.
“Norway Savings Bank has helped us broaden the students’ horizons.”— Heather Manchester, MSAD #17 Superintendent.
“NSB’s commitment serves as a great example of how partnerships between businesses and nonprofits truly strengthen our communities.”— Matt Markot, Loon Echo Land Trust.
“We could not do the work we do without partners like NSB.”— Sara Olson, Vice President of Advancement for Avesta Housing.
“NSB is providing tremendous leadership within the community, and it’s important for people to know that.”— Christopher O’Connor, Equality Community Center.
“NSB’s support helps people through the toughest times of their lives.”— Erin Reed, Trinity Jubilee Center.
160 Years of Gratitude
Our gratitude could fill volumes. We’re thankful for all of our NSB team members and 160 years of dedication to enriching the lives of customers, communities, and colleagues.
“NSB goes beyond what they see on paper to really provide opportunities to everyone it works with and for.”—Keysha Wright, former Customer Relationship Representative and now Trust Officer at NSB.
“What we are is a bank that serves its clientele with the best of who we are.” — Deb McPhail, SVP Deposit Operations and one of 42 NSB team members with over 20 years of service at the bank.
“We all work to do what’s best for each other and the customers. It makes for such a special place.”— Liz Dickerson, who has served as receptionist at NSB for over 25 years.
Through all of the changes and progress, NSB’s commitment to understanding the unique needs of each customer and supporting them with our decades of local experience and knowledge remains the same. We’re grateful for our customers and their willingness to allow NSB to ensure that their goals are thoughtfully planned for and pursued every day.
“Norway Savings Bank actually shows up every day and even after hours and on weekends. They listen, they think things through with you, and they care about getting it right. That means a lot when you’re running a small business. It feels like a partnership, not a transaction.”—Adam Walker, Owner, Conroy-Tully Walker Funeral Homes.
“We had given up hope that we could find a good banking partner, then we found Norway Savings. The folks at NSB have taken great time to learn our business, to offer excellent advice, and to offer the best and most competitive banking products. NSB has supported us each day, every step of the way for years.”— Mike Skillin, Owner, Skillin’s Greenhouses.
It’s an honor and pleasure for our team to do this work with care, inclusivity, and compassion for each other and those we serve. We’re filled with appreciation and humility when those efforts are celebrated, including being named “one of the strongest banks in the nation” by BauerFinancial, recognized as a Best Wellness Employer, a “Best Place for Working Parents,” and “an environmentally sound business.”
We thank YOU for 160 years of allowing us to benefit people in need throughout our communities, establish a culture where professional and personal growth are encouraged, and help you fulfill dreams. We look forward to the next 160 years of shared success and being with you every step of the way, providing a banking experience that customers can rely on for generations to come.
NSB President and CEO Dan Walsh on the 160th Anniversary
Anniversaries are a time to celebrate but also provide a natural inflection point to consider the incredible path NSB has forged. The word I keep coming back to is “loyalty,” demonstrated regularly by our customers, team members, and communities. As a mutual bank, we are owned by our customers, so our first commitment is always to them and the communities we serve. Our incredibly talented and driven team continually create and nurture fruitful relationships, and that affirmation means a great deal to us as a testament to 160 years of the NSB team extending genuine care.
We get to know our customers, providing guidance when they need it and consistent support to reduce friction and make decisions easier when they don’t. Our team takes great pride in being accessible, flexible, and accommodating. NSB’s focus on offering a top-notch customer experience through one-on-one conversations is a hallmark as is our commitment to deliver advanced, innovative tools to help our customers efficiently pursue their goals.
Through housewarmings, business openings, and growing families, NSB has helped generations of local people see a clear path forward towards the life they choose. Perhaps most importantly, that clear path is built upon values of respect, dignity, community service, and fiscal responsibility. Remaining true to these ideals, and working with and for individuals who similarly revere them, has led the way to 160 years. Thank you for your continued support of Norway Savings Bank. Whatever the future brings, we’ll be here to help.
Through the Years
1866
Norway Savings Bank is founded by 14 individuals with a clear vision for a new local bank and
Nathanial Gunnison named Norway Savings Bank’s first president.
1867
NSB moved into first official building.
1869
Ezra Beal named NSB’s second president.
1872
Robert Noyes named NSB’s third president.
1888
Cyrus Tucker named NSB’s fourth president.
1894
A fire destroyed the original bank building and over 70 others in Norway on May 9.
1900
Alfred S. Kimball named NSB’s fifth president.
1915
Frank H. Noyes named NSB’s sixth president.
1925
William F. Jones named NSB’s seventh president.
1930
NSB eclipses $1 million in deposits
1931
George Leon Curtis named NSB’s eighth president.
1955
Stuart W. Goodwin named NSB’s ninth president.
1956
The main Norway building, still in existence today, is constructed on 261 Main Street.
1963
L. Fred Pike named NSB’s tenth president.
1967
Herman A. Woodman named NSB’s 11th president.
1969
NSB’s first official branch is opened in Bridgton.
1971
Charles Cummings named NSB’s 12th president.
1971
David Wyman joins NSB and would remain with the bank for over 42 years before retiring in 2013.
1973
Saco branch opens (originally with Coastal Bank).
1975
Fryeburg branch opens.
1976
G. Freeman Hall named NSB’s 13th president and an expansion project is started at the main Norway building.
1978
Peter Montpelier named NSB’s 14th president.
1981
Naples branch opens and a Brunswick branch opens on Maine Street (originally with Coastal Bank).
1984
South Paris branch opens.
1985
The bank implements a new computer system to increase efficiency and customer service and
Topsham branch opens (originally with Coastal Bank).
1986
Freeport branch opens (originally with Coastal Bank).
1988
Windham branch opens.
1990
NSB earns 5-Star Superior Rating from BauerFinancial and has now held
designation for the last 36 years.
1995
NSB named “Best Maine Bank” by Money magazine.
1996
Bethel branch opens.
1997
NSB forms a Mutual Holding Company to further protect depositor ownership and a
Portland branch opens on Exchange Street (originally with Coastal Bank).
2000
Robert Harmon named NSB’s 15th president, a Portland branch opens on Congress Street (originally with Coastal Bank),
Southern Maine Economic Development honors NSB for “outstanding contributions,” and Online Banking introduced.
2001
NSB merges with Coastal Bank, creating the fourth largest Maine-based bank.
2002
South Portland branch opens.
2003
NSB launches Asset Management Group for investment managing and trust services and
Scarborough branch opens.
2005
Gorham branch opens.
2007
Standish branch opens.
2008
NSB’s Operations Center opens on Main Street to accommodate growing team and NSB receives Maine Investor Award
from the Maine State Chamber of Commerce.
2009
Yarmouth branch opens.
2010
The NSB Wellness Program is created and is now consistently named a “Best Wellness Employer” by Wellness Workday, smart ATMs are introduced for previously unavailable electronic transactions like deposits and balance inquiries, and new Saco branch opened.
2011
Patricia Weigel named NSB’s 16th and first female president, NSB’s Customer Care Center is opened, Falmouth branch relocates to become a new, free-standing branch, and NSB earns Gold Level Wellness Workplace Award from Wellness Council of America.
2012
Kennebunk branch opens and NSB’s mobile platform is launched.
2013
NSB named “Best Bank to Work For” by American Banker and Best Companies Group, Auburn branch and Norway Savings Bank Arena opens, and NSB receives Governor’s Award for Business Excellence.
2014
A Portland branch opens on Forest Avenue. and Gray branch opens.
2015
Bank assets eclipse the $1 billion mark.
2017
NSB receives first of four “Outstanding” rating from the FDIC on Community Reinvestment Act Exam.
2019
NSB named New England Employee Benefits Council “Best Practices” winner.
2020
Daniel Walsh named NSB’s 17th president and Patricia Weigel named Chairwoman of the Board of Directors.
2023
NSB launches new technologically advanced website featuring enhanced online security.
2024
NSB receives Legislative Sentiment from Maine Senate and House” for being named one of the “strongest banks in the nation” by BauerFinancial.
2025
NSB unveils new digital banking platform with new and enhanced features, opens its first full-service New Hampshire branch in North Conway, and eclipses $2 billion in assets.
