When PNC Bank recently acquired Mercantile Bankshares Corporation, Marshall National Bank and Trust, a Mercantile Bankshares affiliate was included in the acquisition. Fortunately for the Marshall institution and for the many Piedmont communities it serves, PNC has an outstanding tradition of archiving, preserving and disseminating the historic records and primary source treasures stored in the ledgers and vaults of the banks it acquires.

"Marshall Bank has been integral to its community for over 100 years," explained Vice President of Corporate Communications Sonia McCormick. "We respect that history and intend to preserve it as part of our commitment to our customers and to the community."

PNC's archivist and curator, Dr. Mary Beth Corrigan, who joined PNC in 1998 to organize and archive the records of Washington D.C.'s Riggs Bank when PNC acquired it, will now lead the Marshall National Bank and Trust initiative as part on the ongoing corporate-wide PNC Legacy Project.

Once completed, The Riggs Bank Archive of Historical Records was donated to George Washington University, ensuring that the thousands of records from the institution that was known as The Bank of Presidents would be available to scholars researching the history of the capital city.

The PNC Legacy Project honors the history of predecessor banks, the employees and officers who guided them and the communities they serve. In Marshall, the project will be housed at the headquarters of Marshall National Bank and Trust at 8372 West Main Street and an exhibit of the history found in the bank will feature select artifacts, recordings of oral histories recorded with employees and customers.

"PNC recognizes that Marshall National Bank and Trust contributed to local commerce, government and the citizens and organizations he has served in and around Fauquier County for over 100 years," said Executive Vice President Kevin Lee. "The bank helped build and support local businesses, schools, places of worship and non-profit organizations including volunteer fire and rescue companies."

"The PNC Legacy Project will showcase the enduring trust placed in the Bank by the Marshall community, and underscores the vital role PNC will continue to play."

Among the many treasures Dr. Corrigan has found in the Marshall archives is United States currency bearing the name Marshal National Bank, unique banking instruments, rare documents and ledgers and vintage account information that is invaluable to historians of the region.

The exhibit of Marshall Bank's history, scheduled to open this November, will underscore the bank's commitment to the agricultural community. For many years they accepted cattle contracts as collateral and it was not unusual for the bank to display prize cattle from the county fair in the lobby.