Party Like It’s 1917: ATC Invites Public to Stately Building’s 100th Birthday

SARATOGA SPRINGS — One hundred years ago, on a cold January day, the newly constructed marble headquarters of the Adirondack Trust Company opened its doors for the first time, replacing the smaller building that bank customers had been using since 1902. On Saturday morning, January 7, from 9 to 11 a.m., ATC will be hosting a public reception honoring the stately building’s centennial in the main lobby of the 473 Broadway location. There will be refreshments and a ceremonial closing of the 2016 time capsule, to be sealed for the next hundred years. The original time capsule was placed in the cornerstone of the marble building in June 1916, at the beginning of construction, and was opened ceremoniously last summer. The contents of both capsules can be viewed at the reception. ATC Executive Vice President Charles Wait, Jr., grew up in the bank family and has a strong sense of its history. “I worked counting pennies in the basement when I was 14,” he remembered, “and was a custodian at 16, then a teller at 18.” He left for college and returned in 2009 after receiving his law degree to take on the role of vice president of legal and regulation, and has since been promoted to his current position. “You’ve got both a sense of pride for the bank and community and a sense of awe of all the things that those before you have done and what you have to live up to,” said Wait, Jr. “I feel connected to the community that I grew up in, which is a great feeling.” That connection stretches back a hundred years, back when there was a cage in the middle of the lobby and the teller and bookkeeper sat next to each other. There was no boardroom in those days, according to Wait, Jr., so the board met on the balcony above the lobby. The boardroom was constructed in the 1930s, and now hosts executive and committee meetings, whereas the full board now meets in the Mabee building at 31 Church Street. But overall, the basic layout of the marble-and-brick building has not much changed over the last century. The chandeliers are all original and the vision of ATC Founder Sen. Edgar T. Brackett endures. “A big reason for Saturday’s celebration is to say thank you,” said Wait, Jr. “Thank you to the employees, customers, shareholders, the community, and everyone who has helped make this bank successful.” The bank’s website is AdirondackTrust.com. The contents of the time capsule can be viewed at http://info.adirondacktrust.com/1916timecapsule.