Question 1

What is BCT (Bank of Charles Town)?

Accepted Answer

BCT (Bank of Charles Town), also known as The Community's Bank, is a community-focused commercial bank serving the tri-state region of West Virginia, Virginia, and Maryland. With approximately $961 million in assets, the bank operates nine branch offices throughout the Eastern Panhandle of West Virginia, Loudoun County in Virginia, and Washington County in Maryland. As a wholly owned subsidiary of Potomac Bancshares, Inc. (OTC:PTBS), BCT specializes in providing comprehensive banking services to individuals, businesses, and local governments while maintaining its founding principle of "neighbors helping neighbors."

Question 2

When was BCT (Bank of Charles Town) founded?

Accepted Answer

BCT was founded on February 20, 1871, when a group of 38 far-sighted Jefferson County farmers, orchardists, and business leaders recognized the need for a bank to serve as a stabilizing influence in their community. The bank opened its doors to the public on April 4, 1871, at the corner of West Washington and Lawrence Streets in Charles Town, West Virginia, with just two employees—a Cashier (equivalent to today's President) and a Teller.

The bank's founding reflected a simple but powerful concept: neighbors helping neighbors. Over its 150+ year history, BCT has evolved from a single-office agricultural bank into a multi-state community banking institution while maintaining its commitment to local communities and personalized service.

Question 3

Where is BCT (Bank of Charles Town) headquartered?

Accepted Answer

BCT is headquartered in Charles Town, West Virginia, at 111 East Washington Street. The main office includes the Donald S. Smith Financial Center, a 7,000 square foot addition completed in the 2000s. Charles Town, the county seat of Jefferson County, is located in the Eastern Panhandle of West Virginia, within the Washington-Arlington-Alexandria metropolitan statistical area.

Question 4

Where does BCT (Bank of Charles Town) operate?

Accepted Answer

BCT operates nine branch offices and two loan production offices across three states. In West Virginia, the bank maintains branches in Charles Town (headquarters), Harpers Ferry, Kearneysville, Martinsburg, and Hedgesville throughout Jefferson and Berkeley Counties.

In Virginia, BCT operates as "The Community's Bank" with branches in Purcellville and Leesburg in Loudoun County, plus a lending office in Ashburn that serves the broader Northern Virginia market including Fairfax and Arlington Counties. The bank also maintains a loan production office in Fredericksburg, Virginia, specializing in SBA lending.

In Maryland, BCT has a full-service branch in Hagerstown, Washington County. Through the Allpoint network, customers have free access to over 55,000 ATMs nationwide, plus approximately 675 additional free-access ATMs through another partnership.

Question 5

What services does BCT (Bank of Charles Town) offer?

Accepted Answer

BCT provides comprehensive community banking services for both personal and business clients. Commercial banking services include commercial lines of credit and term loans, commercial real estate lending, residential and commercial construction loans, agricultural loans, and government contractor financing. The bank is designated as a Small Business Administration (SBA) Preferred Lender.

For residential customers, BCT's Residential Lending division offers secondary market and portfolio mortgage loans, one-time close construction-to-permanent loans, home equity loans, and lines of credit. Deposit services include checking and savings accounts for individuals, businesses, and local governments.

BCT Wealth Advisors, with over 70 years of experience, provides trust services, financial management, investment services, and estate planning. Digital banking capabilities include online banking, mobile banking apps for iOS and Android devices, mobile check deposit, bill pay services, and business cash management tools including ACH and wire transfer capabilities.

Question 6

What makes BCT (Bank of Charles Town) unique?

Accepted Answer

BCT's distinctive identity is rooted in its 154-year commitment to community banking and local decision-making. The bank's brand symbol—a tree—represents its historic ties to founding farmers and orchardists, with roots signifying focus on local businesses and economies, and branches representing five core values: Teamwork, Integrity, Growth, Client Commitment, and Community Focus.

BCT has earned recognition as a "Best Bank To Work For" by American Banker five times since 2019 (2019, 2020, 2021, 2023, and 2024). In 2023, American Banker also selected BCT as a "Top 200 Community Bank" for institutions with assets under $2 billion. The bank has been voted "Best of the Best" by local readers in multiple categories including Bank, Mortgage Company, Loan Services, Financial Planning, and Banker in both the Martinsburg Journal-News and LoudounNow publications.

The bank actively demonstrates its community commitment through initiatives like the "Pack the 'Pack" campaign, which raised $90,000 in 2024 to feed over 5,600 local children facing food insecurity.

Question 7

What type of financial institution is BCT (Bank of Charles Town)?

Accepted Answer

BCT is a State-Chartered Community Bank operating under a West Virginia bank charter originally issued in 1871. As a community bank, BCT focuses on relationship-based banking with local decision-making authority, serving individuals, small businesses, agricultural enterprises, and local governments in its market areas.

The bank operates as a wholly owned subsidiary of Potomac Bancshares, Inc., a bank holding company established on March 2, 1994, whose shares trade on the OTC Pink Sheet marketplace under the symbol "PTBS." This structure allows BCT to maintain its community banking focus while providing expansion opportunities and improved shareholder value. The bank's business model emphasizes personalized service, deep community involvement, and financial products tailored to the needs of its tri-state regional market.

Question 8

How has BCT (Bank of Charles Town) evolved over time?

Accepted Answer

BCT's growth reflects strategic expansion throughout its service regions. The bank achieved significant milestones including merging with Bank of Harpers Ferry in 1983 (its first branch acquisition), establishing Potomac Bancshares, Inc. as its holding company in 1994, and systematically expanding throughout the Eastern Panhandle of West Virginia during the 1990s and 2000s.

The bank's expansion into Virginia began with a loan production office in Middleburg in 2010, which later became a full-service branch. Subsequent Virginia locations opened in Purcellville (2018) and Leesburg (2020), with a specialized SBA lending office in Fredericksburg (2021) and most recently an Ashburn lending office (2025). The Hagerstown, Maryland branch opened in 2012, establishing BCT's presence in Washington County.

Recent developments include a major renovation of the Martinsburg branch in January 2025 and a significant rebranding initiative in November 2025 when Bank of Charles Town officially renamed itself to Potomac Bank, uniting all 11 offices under one banner while maintaining its 154-year legacy of community banking.

BCT (Bank of Charles Town)

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About BCT (Bank of Charles Town) in the United States