Going Beyond Banking since 1900
Our History
1900
Chartered as Lancaster National Bank on April 13, 1900, our first clients are watermen, farmers, and small-business owners.
1917
The Great Irvington Fire destroys the town and our only branch. We set up shop in a tent and tiny building to keep bank services available for citizens.
1933
The Great Depression rocks our region, and the worst storm in years wipes out the steamboat wharves and many businesses. With our help, the community survives and rebuilds.
1968
As the Northern Neck grows as a vacation and retirement destination, we grow, too — merging with Chesapeake Banking Company to become Chesapeake National Bank. To better serve workers at the oyster packing plant in Irvington, we launch the nation’s first floating boat bank.
1970
Chesapeake National Bank adds a trust department, which continues today as part of Chesapeake Wealth Management.
1994
It’s time for a name change. We drop the “National” from ours to become Chesapeake Bank.
1995
Chesapeake Bank introduces its Flexent division, providing accounts receivable financing to help businesses improve cash flow.
1997
Specialized service to small-business customers expands with our Merchant Services program, now known as Chesapeake Payment Systems. Offerings include point-of-sale systems, invoicing capabilities, and customer rewards programs.
2022
For the 15th straight year, American Banker magazine recognizes us as one of the nation’s “Top 200 Community Banks” based on return on equity.
TODAY
Chesapeake Bank is a thriving institution with more than $1.6 billion in assets and 17 retail branches and offices across the Northern Neck, Middle Peninsula, Williamsburg, Chesterfield, Richmond, and Peninsula regions.
And we’re still that same hometown bank driven by our big commitment to community.