Mission

To provide personalized financial services to our customers, employees, and the communities we serve.

Our History

Harvard, Illinois, is steeped in history. As a small Midwestern town with a one-of-a-kind family feel, we understand what it means to be part of a community. From our early beginnings in 1866 to today, we take pride in who we are and what has made us a great success.

On August 6, 1866, there were no banks in McHenry County. Recognizing Harvard’s need for a financial institution to support economic growth, Mr. J.C. Crumb established The Harvard Bank. It retained this name until October 13, 1919, when “State” was added, and the bank was officially incorporated. Originally, The Harvard Bank operated from a feed store owned by Mr. Crumb, located just across the street from our present location. Our first banking relationship began two days after opening.

In 1923, a new building was constructed at the corner of Brainard and Ayer Street, and the bank moved across the street. By our 75th anniversary in 1941, Mr. William Hubbell had become only the third president in the bank’s history, with Mr. Burley Galvin serving as cashier. Over the past 150 years, The Harvard State Bank has had only nine presidents—a testament to our stability and leadership.

Additional Milestones

• 1967 – Trust Powers were incorporated into our organization.
• 1985 – Harvard saw its first ATM, introducing customers to Electronic Banking. This service expanded over time to include Internet Banking, Bill Pay, Telephone Banking, Remote Deposit, Debit Cards, and a Mobile App. We continue to explore new ways to serve our customers’ financial needs.
• December 1995 – Our first in-store branch opened inside Sullivan Foods.
• February 17, 2010 – The Super Branch relocated from Sullivan Foods to a standalone building, offering extended evening and weekend hours for customer convenience.
• August 2001 – The Harvard State Bank acquired Hebron State Bank, which became The Hebron Community Financial Center, now known as The Harvard State Bank. Open six days a week, this location provides a wider range of products and services.
• July 2009 – The Harvard State Bank acquired Rock River Bank, adding three locations: a main bank in Oregon, a drive-up facility, and a branch in Rockford.
Through the years, The Harvard State Bank has remained committed to safe and sound business principles, friendly customer service, and state-of-the-art banking innovations. We provide ATM services across multiple locations, a variety of checking, savings, and money market accounts, and a full-service loan department offering mortgages and Home Equity Lines of Credit.

Our services also include telephone banking, credit cards with reward programs, and our in-house Hometown Checks, offering a cost-effective and timely check-printing solution. Additionally, we’ve expanded into digital banking with online banking, mobile banking, mobile wallets, person-to-person (P2P) payments, identity theft protection, and much more.

At The Harvard State Bank, we honor our rich history while continuously evolving to meet the needs of our customers and communities.