ASHLAND – A new lobby, a second floor atrium, private offices and a welcoming board room with adjacent deck are just a few of the features of the newly-remodeled Farmers and Merchants Bank in Ashland.
The project was unveiled to the Ashland Area Chamber of Commerce on June 3 during a ribbon cutting ceremony followed by a reception.
Robert Fricke Jr., vice president of operations and the sixth generation of the Wiggenhorn family to work in the bank, said the project expanded the bank into the former post office/insurance company building and four of the five apartments on the second floor of the building at the corner of 15th and Silver streets in downtown Ashland.
“Every 20 or 30 years we need to expand to keep up with Ashland and how the bank is growing,” Fricke said.
The building was first constructed in 1887-88 on the site of a former lumberyard. The original design only provided a small space for the bank, with the rest of the building housing the Selma Hotel and restaurant.
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Since then, there have been five expansion projects at the bank. Major projects in 1931, 1961 and 1984 expanded the footprint of the bank’s operating space. In 1987, the second floor was converted from hotel rooms into five apartments. The bank later added a drive-thru and in 2007 renovated the historic Barnes Oil Company building on Highway 6 to create office space.
This time, it was again a need to add more space that drove the project. Fricke said they had outgrown the space, with people working out of office carved from closets and hallways.
Midway through 2020 the planning began for the project. Carlson, West, Povondra from Omaha were hired as the architect and MCL, also of Omaha, was brought on the general contractor. As construction got underway in April 2021, local contractors were hired, including Delta Electric, Fangman Masonry and Quik Dump/Ashland Disposal.
Although many construction projects taking place during the pandemic have faced challenges of material and labor shortages, Fricke said the FMB project didn’t suffer the same fate.
“We were right on schedule, if not ahead of schedule in some cases,” he said.
Fricke and his father, Bob Fricke, provided input for the design. They had ideas in mind when it came to the overall look of the project. Bob Fricke is president and chairman of the bank.
“We knew we wanted to take a step forward and make it modern, but have a traditional element to tie in with our history,” the younger Fricke said.
The modern touch is seen in the interior design, with lots of glass, unique wall panels made from bamboo and a second floor atrium that marries the upper and lower floors together.
A panel of glass doors can be moved to open the board room up to the deck. Fricke said they plan to host community events there like training sessions, seminars and visits by school groups.
The history is carried through with the inclusion of sign that graced the front of the bank in the 1930s as well as other memorabilia from the past. But the most striking historical element is the wall covering in the board room and on another second floor wall that is a collage of old photos and historical documents from the bank.
Fricke and his father collected the images for the collage by sifting through documents stored in the bank’s basement.
“We wanted to make use of them in some way or another, and this was a good opportunity to do that,” Fricke said.
Photos show the progression of the bank and many of its former employees, including Ernest A. Wiggenhorn, who founded the bank in 1883. Copies of advertisements and articles from The Ashland Gazette were included in the collage as well.
Many of the documents are checks or other papers with the Farmers and Merchants letterhead. One document was signed by William Jennings Bryan, one of the bank’s first customers, according to Fricke. Bryan was a Nebraska lawyer and politician who served in the House of Representatives and as Secretary of State for President Woodrow Wilson. A powerful orator, he ran for president in 1900 and 1908.
History is a large part of the Farmers and Merchants Bank narrative. Having deep roots in the community for decades is unique in this day and age, as banks merge, are acquired or shut down.
“We have a strong foundation that’s been here for 138 years,” said Fricke. “That goes a long way in this industry where we’ve seen a lot of changes.”
Farmers and Merchants Bank has seen many changes since it was founded. In its first year, the bank was located in a small room in the Snell building on the corner of 14th and Silver streets. Just four years later, the bank’s assets had grown from $10,000 to $120,000 and the staff had outgrown the space. A new structure was built one block to the west and remains the home of the bank today.
Staying in the same spot but growing at the same time is now easy, especially in the downtown area, where the older buildings are crowded together. But by using the available space in the second floor of the building and in the former insurance offices, Farmers and Merchants was able to stay in downtown Ashland.
“We wanted to make an investment in (downtown) Ashland, rather than branch out or build a facility elsewhere,” Fricke said.
With the exception of a few small details, the project is complete and Fricke said the bank’s owners, board of directors and staff couldn’t be happier with the spectacular results.
“It exceeded our expectations,” he said. “Everyone is very happy.”
Suzi Nelson is the managing editor of The Ashland Gazette. Reach her via email at [email protected].