To illustrate how long WSFS Bank has been serving the Greater Philadelphia and Delaware region, when the bank was chartered in 1832, electricity wouldn’t be available in homes for another 40 years.

WSFS Bank, in fact, is seven days older than the city of Wilmington itself.

This month, the bank celebrated its 192nd birthday and remains one of the nation’s 10 oldest banks continuously operating under the same name. As one of the leading financial institutions in the Greater Philadelphia and Delaware region, WSFS now boasts $20.6 billion in assets on its balance sheet and $84.3 billion in assets under management and administration.

WSFS Bank — not unlike the entire banking industry — has undergone a fascinating journey of transformation since 1832, when it was chartered as the Wilmington Savings Fund Society. Back then, the population of Delaware, which was one of just 24 states at the time, had grown to nearly 78,000. As Wilmington increased manufacturing and shipping, it became apparent that many people were hoarding their wages at home and not in banks.

With that in mind, WSFS was chartered for “persons … receiving small sums, which would slip away from them in the common course of expenditure, but from which through prudence, a savings might be made.” The bank’s treasurer and his family lived at the bank and supplied heat, light, and maintenance in lieu of rent. He was also tasked with replenishing the sand used for blotting and supplying the potatoes into which goose quill pens were stuck.

Indeed, much has changed since the infancy of the American banking system, which featured bartering, bills of credit, and cash-only payments. At its core, however, WSFS Bank is still the same as it was nearly two centuries ago — a community bank focused on long-term value for all of its stakeholders.

Throughout the last five years, WSFS has further enhanced its competitive edge in the Delaware Valley’s increasingly dynamic banking sector. Its acquisition of Beneficial Bank in 2019 gave it the unique and enviable market position as the region’s oldest and largest locally headquartered bank. In 2021, WSFS gained even more strength by welcoming Bryn Mawr Trust into the fold, a combination that brought together two companies with more than 330 years of rich history.

Today, WSFS, which Forbes ranks as one of America’s Best Banks, provides comprehensive financial services, including commercial banking, consumer banking, treasury management, and trust and wealth management. It operates from 114 offices located in Pennsylvania (57), Delaware (40), New Jersey (14), Florida (1), Nevada (1), and Virginia (1), and has been recognized as a top workplace six times by Gallup.

Just last month, WSFS expanded its presence in Center City with the grand opening of its Philadelphia headquarters and accompanying Wiss Fiss Lounge at 1818 WSFS Bank Place on Market Street.

“WSFS has been serving our customers and communities for nearly 200 years,” said Shari Kruzinski, WSFS Bank’s Chief Consumer Banking Officer. “And our team is eager to bring banking services to this new location.”

The bank’s charitable giving arm, the WSFS CARES Foundation, further demonstrates its deep-rooted commitment to philanthropy while bringing the bank’s mission of “We Stand for Service” to life across the communities it serves. Last year, the foundation provided grants and donations totaling more than $2.7 million to more than 390 community organizations in the tri-state area. Additionally, Team WSFS, the bank’s corporate volunteer program, volunteered more than 18,000 hours during 2023.

“Our strategy of ‘engaged associates, living our culture, enriching the communities we serve’ is rooted in our history as a leader in our communities for nearly 200 years,” said Patrick J. Ward, Chairman of the WSFS CARES Foundation.

Learn more about how WSFS Bank provides a local presence with national banking capabilities and global reach.