02/27/2026
100 years ago today, the citizens of St. Helens were invited to tour the new home of the First National Bank. Described in the news as a "Magnificent Financial Temple," the "architecturally magnificent and modernly equipped building" was dedicated on Saturday evening, February 27, 1926.
The doors opened at 7:00 PM, and hundreds gathered in the spacious lobby to catch a glimpse of the handsome new building and modern equipment. The reception was hosted by the bank officers and directors, including President Charles Graham, Vice President J.W. Hunt, cashier J. G Thompson, assistant cashier Clifford C. Gobba, and Directors Dr. Edwin Ross and John L. Foote.
A carnation was presented to each guest by Misses Nova Felton and Ruth Miller. Elizabeth Perry presided at the punch bowl, and wafers were also on hand. The sound of orchestra music emanated from the back of the building. The group consisted of Bessie Gobba on the piano, Walter Freeman on violin, and Charles Ross on saxophone.
The St. Helens Sentinel newspaper of March 4, 1926, described the scene: "with huge bouquets of cut flowers sending out their sweet fragrances from various points of vantage; with throngs of well-dressed men and women surging through its portals in quest of first-hand information; with gayly bedecked maidens presiding over glistening bowls of kickless punch, the handsome new First National bank building presented a scene that will long remain in the memory of those who viewed the picture."
The 30x70 ft. building, made with reinforced concrete and terracotta, was constructed by the A.C. Galbraith House Building Company of Portland. The construction cost came to $19,000. The interior walls and 19 ft. ceiling, finished in plaster of paris, were completed by P.J. Aigne & Co. of Portland. The ceilings were painted an ivory color, and the walls a "light buff." The banking furniture and fixtures were American Walnut, and the floors were marble. The interior finishing cost just over $10,000, bringing the total cost to right around $30,000.
Visitors were shown through the private consultation room, quarters for the bank officers, and a private rest room for the ladies, complete with writing desks and easy chairs. Another room housed 200 private safety deposit boxes. One of the main attractions was the heavily reinforced vault, which included a five-ton door that was believed to be the largest of its kind in the county.
The doors closed at 10:30 PM, and after one day off, the bank employees got to work in their new building the following Monday. The building has housed a number of institutions over the years, including the Elks Lodge and the A.W.P.P.W. Union, and is currently the home of Beyond the Forest coffee and flower shop.
