America's Credit Union Museum

Building at 418–420 Notre Dame Ave.
U.S. National Register of Historic Places
Location in New Hampshire America's Credit Union Museum (the United States) Show map of New HampshireShow map of the United StatesShow all
Location	420 Notre Dame Ave., Manchester, New Hampshire
Coordinates	42°59′36″N 71°28′33″W / 42.9933°N 71.4758°W / 42.9933; -71.4758Coordinates: 42°59′36″N 71°28′33″W / 42.9933°N 71.4758°W / 42.9933; -71.4758
Area	less than one acre
Built	1907
Architectural style	Classical Revival
NRHP reference No.	96001467[1]
Added to NRHP	December 20, 1996

America's Credit Union Museum is located in Manchester, New Hampshire, on the site of the first credit union founded in the United States.^[2] The museum is housed at the original location for St. Mary's Cooperative Credit Association, renamed in 1925 to La Caisse Populaire Ste.-Marie, or "Bank of the People", St. Mary's. In 1996, the building was listed on the National Register of Historic Places as the Building at 418–420 Notre Dame Ave.

What is now the museum was formerly a three-story, three-family dwelling belonging to Joseph Boivin, the manager of the St. Mary's Cooperative Credit Association. Boivin started the credit union with the help of Monsignor Pierre Hevey and Alphonse Desjardins. The building was donated to the museum by Mr. & Mrs. Armand Lemire. To create the museum, the first two floors were converted into exhibit space about credit union history in the United States. The first floor pays tribute to the founding era of the credit union from 1908-1933. The second floor has historical artifacts beginning from 1934, featuring the Estes Park conference that created CUNA, and the 1934 Federal Credit Union Act which enabled credit unions to be established in all states in the nation. The third floor contains an 85-person capacity meeting space with LCD projectors.

The museum received a $25,000 grant from the National Credit Union Foundation in 2008 to expand its financial education program.^[3]

Currently the museum is open three days a week, Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays. There is no charge for admission.

See also[]

• National Register of Historic Places listings in Hillsborough County, New Hampshire
• Sainte Marie Roman Catholic Church Parish Historic District, 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

References[]

External links[]

• Official website
• A video clip from a Tour of the museum, part one
• A video clip from a Tour of the museum, part two
• A video clip from a Tour of the museum, part three