Finding Aids

Founded in 1861, the Artisans Savings Bank of Wilmington, Delaware assisted working people to save and make money available for home mortgages. This collection primarily consists of their financial records.

Horace Holden Thayer, Jr. (1878-1959) was a naval architect, mechinical engineer, and businessman. Between 1909 and 1914 Thayer worked for the Delaware Construction Company which was a building company, and a subsidary of the National Real Estate Trust Company, which provided loans and financing for the properties. This small collection consists of papers relating to Thayer's early work with the National Real Estate Trust Company and the Delaware Construction Co. These materials document the formation of the National Real Estate Trust Company and building specifications for the Delaware Construction Co. There is a small amount of papers related to the businesses of his father-in-law Thomas H. Savery (1837-1910), specifically the Harpers Ferry Paper Company and the Shanandeoah Pulp Company.

The Wilmington Savings Fund Society was established in 1831 as a "safe depository for the earnings of working people" which also promoted the opportunity for homebuilding and lending money for home mortgages. Their records consist primarily of minutes and account books.