A downtown bank reopened in a new location, starting a new chapter of its history in Chillicothe. LCNB National Bank officially moved from the 1959 former Citizens National Bank building at 33 West Main Street, to a mostly finished new building at 193 East Main Street.

Although banking activities started there Monday, the Chillicothe Ross Chamber of Commerce hosted a ribbon-cutting on Wednesday…with construction activity continuing.

Mike Throne, president and CEO of the chamber, said he was happy to host another christening, after a year of “relentless work” by LCNB at the corner of Main and Hickory Street. Throne said the bank had decided to sell their old location, but wanted to stay downtown – which was a difficult formula.

It is the former site of a commercial building, house, and parking lots – across from a branch of the Ross County Bank and a Huntington drive-through – a block west of Bridge Street. (Printex has lost their parking lot, but an employee told me they have busy online traffic, and customers still find their way to visit in person.)

I spoke with LCNB National Bank CEO and President Eric J. Meilstrup, who said they have 36 offices in central and southwest Ohio, including one in northern Kentucky. Originally “Lebanon Citizens National Bank,” they are still headquartered in Warren County.

Meilstrup said they have merged with maybe five other banks since 2007, including Chillicothe’s Citizens National Bank in 2013. He said the new building shows LCNB’s commitment to stay in Chillicothe, and he thanked the county, city, and chamber for helping with their new location.

Citizens National Bank built their modernistic bank and office building in 1957-1959, according to local historian Pat Medert’s volume on Main Street. A postcard of concept art showing a stone-panel mural on the facade and the building stretching back to the alley is available on eBay.

Citizens National Bank was established in 1901 and had offices at 15 and 17 North Paint Street…until the Main Street site was made available after the 1894-95 “Old Rock” First Presbyterian Church dramatically burned during renovations in 1956.

The church decided to rebuild on Mead Drive off Belleview Avenue, and it is said they had offered to sell the lot to the county since it was next door to the public square.

The Ross County Commissioners bought the CNB building at 33 West Main in October of 2018, and have located the Ross County Prosecutor’s office upstairs there.

Hear CEO Meilstrup in his own words in the interview video, as well as watch the ribbon cutting, in the article on the Scioto Post.

Kevin Coleman covers local government and culture for the Scioto Post and iHeart Media Southern Ohio. For stories or questions, contact Kevin Coleman or the iHeart Southern Ohio Newsroom.

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