America's Credit Union Museum facts for kids
Quick facts for kids |
|
|
Building at 418–420 Notre Dame Ave.
|
|
 |
|
 Location in New Hampshire
Location in the United States
|
|
| Location | 420 Notre Dame Ave., Manchester, New Hampshire |
|---|---|
| Area | less than one acre |
| Built | 1907 |
| Architectural style | Classical Revival |
| NRHP reference No. | 96001467 |
| Added to NRHP | December 20, 1996 |
The America's Credit Union Museum is a special place in Manchester, New Hampshire. It stands on the exact spot where the very first credit union in the United States was founded. This museum is located in the original building of St. Mary's Cooperative Credit Association. This association was later renamed La Caisse Populaire Ste.-Marie, or "Bank of the People," St. Mary's, in 1925. In 1996, the building itself became famous. It was added to the National Register of Historic Places as the Building at 418–420 Notre Dame Ave..
Contents
Discovering America's Credit Union Museum
This museum helps visitors learn all about credit unions. Credit unions are financial groups that are owned by their members. They help people save money and get loans. They are different from regular banks because they focus on helping their members, not just making a profit.
The Story of Its Beginning
The building that is now the museum was once a three-story home. It had three apartments and belonged to Joseph Boivin. He was the manager of the St. Mary's Cooperative Credit Association. Mr. Boivin started this credit union with help from Monsignor Pierre Hevey and Alphonse Desjardins. These three people wanted to create a way for everyday people to save money and get loans fairly.
Later, Mr. and Mrs. Armand Lemire generously donated the building to the museum. This allowed the important history of credit unions to be shared with everyone.
What You'll See Inside
The museum has three floors, each with interesting exhibits. The first two floors were changed into exhibit spaces. They tell the story of credit unions in the United States.
- The first floor focuses on the early days of credit unions. This covers the years from 1908 to 1933. You can learn about how the idea of credit unions first began.
- The second floor shows what happened after 1934. It has historical items from that time. This includes information about the Estes Park conference. This meeting helped create the Credit Union National Association. You can also learn about the 1934 Federal Credit Union Act. This act made it possible for credit unions to start in every state.
- The third floor is a meeting space. It can hold up to 85 people. It also has modern LCD projectors for presentations.
See also
- National Register of Historic Places listings in Hillsborough County, New Hampshire
- Sainte Marie Roman Catholic Church Parish Historic District, and Ste. Marie Church (Manchester, New Hampshire), also located on Notre Dame Avenue in Manchester
- New Hampshire Historical Marker No. 208: St. Mary's Bank Credit Union / La Caisse Populaire Sainte-Marie
- History of credit unions
- Monsignor Pierre Hevey
- Edward Filene
