The stately building that stands on the northeast corner of Louisiana Avenue and East Second Street is one of the few buildings in Perrysburg that has been used for the same purpose from the time it was built.

Designed by George Rheinfrank and constructed of concrete blocks made in Perrysburg, this familiar landmark was completed in November 1906 for the Perrysburg Banking Company. The bank’s first president was E.L. Kingsbury, who also served as Perrysburg’s mayor from 1903 to 1905.

An interesting story shared by Way Public Library historian Richard Baranowski from his upcoming book, “Once Upon A Time In Perrysburg” tells the tale of a bank robbery at this site in 1919.

On Wednesday, October 22 of that year, a gang from Toledo came down to knock over the Perrysburg Bank– Huntington today. They parked their Cadillac in front of the then Perrysburg Hospital on Second and Locust and pretended to tinker with the engine, awaiting the lookout.

Thomas Franey, bank cashier; Bertha Cranker, the bookkeeper; and another employee were inside when the three pistol-carrying robbers struck about 9:30 am. The 44-year-old Miss Cranker, displaying unusual nerve, tried to hide some loose bills on the counter and was forced under a table. “Don’t get rough,” she told them.

The bandits locked all three in the washroom and escaped with about $5,000, a pretty good haul for those days. On the way out, Sidney Phillips, local cigar merchant, walked in. He was struck in the head with the butt of the revolver. The gunmen escaped, with a fourth man at the wheel of the getaway car.

But Dr. Isaac Bower had spotted the gang in front of the hospital, unmistakably strangers in our village of about 2,000. He described the car to Wood County Sheriff Shoecraft, noting the patched roof.

A garage man from Perrysburg also remembered it as a car he had recently worked on. He provided the license number, leading to the arrest of a Toledo taxi driver the next day. It is believed that this was the first bank robbery in Perrysburg using an automobile.

Perrysburg Banking Company merged with the Bank of Wood County in 1962, and became part of Huntington Banks in 1974.

The lower half of the building was remodeled in 1959, and three small buildings to the north were razed to provide a parking area.

According to past records, the offices in the upper level have housed many different businesses, including Hayes Travel Agency, Campbell Equipment Company, George Quidort DDS and attorneys William Carr and Carlos Cordova. Mr. Cordova was instrumental in creating Perrysburg’s first charter as it officially became a city in January 1961.

Mark Weber is a longtime resident of Perrysburg and a member of city council.