Chelsea Groton Celebrates 158th Birthday

In appreciation for its customers and in honor of the bank's 158th birthday, every Chelsea Groton Bank branch will be serving cake to its customers one day during the week of July 2nd.

Of the occasion, President and CEO Michael Rauh remarked, "There aren't many people that have the opportunity to celebrate a 158th birthday! We're all very excited about the event and looking forward to sharing this milestone with our customers. We're just as focused today on doing what's right for our customers and the communities we serve as our founders were back in 1854. A lot has changed in the world since then, but at Chelsea Groton we're as committed to our core values as we ever were.

Chelsea Groton Bank was established on July 3, 1854 to meet the needs of small businesses and individuals in the Mystic area. The bank held its first board meeting on January 9, 1855, where four loans, totaling $5,817 were approved. As word spread about the high-quality and skilled service provided, demand for Chelsea Groton's services grew, and the bank expanded, establishing new locations in Norwich and Groton. Chelsea Groton continued to grow, and in 1953, the cornerstone was laid for the Mystic branch on Water Street. The Chelsea Groton Foundation was established in 1998 with a $2 million bank grant; the foundation assists charitable organizations that provide critical care aid to those in need within the community. The foundation also benefits educational councils, cultural groups and health care providers. Since inception, the foundation has distributed more than $1,422,500 to hundreds of organizations in Connecticut and Rhode Island. Chelsea Groton Financial Services launched in 2000 as a means to provide customers with access to investment planning, wealth management, education funding, retirement planning, brokerage services, estate planning and insurance. In 2004, the Bank celebrated its 150th birthday, and to celebrate, underwrote a FDIC education program called Money Smart as an addition to their network of community support services. The Money Smart program is in its 8th year and has expanded into a full Community Education Program, with various curricula, that reaches out to all members of the community, young and old. Today, Chelsea Groton has fourteen branches in Southeastern Connecticut; big enough to handle all of their customers' needs, but small enough to do it with a personal touch.

The following is a list of the branches and what day they are celebrating with birthday cake:

Center Groton - July 6
Groton - July 3
Mystic - July 8
New London - July 6
Niantic - July 3
North Stonington - July 6
Norwich - July 3
Norwich, Westside - July 3
Norwichtown - July 5
Pawcatuck - July 6
Salem - July 5
Sprague - July 6
Waterford - July 6