The First National Bank of Columbia

In this episode, we explore the First National Bank of Columbia, Pennsylvania, a remarkable building that began as an 1814 Federal-style mansion, evolved into a hotel, and eventually became a bank operating out of its front rooms. The transcript traces how Columbia’s rise as a transportation and ironmaking hub created the need for a more stable financial system, leading the Detweiler brothers to transform their local operation into a federally chartered national bank during the Civil War era....