The Bank of Newark building, c. 1840-50, is a three-story, gable-roofed brick building with a symmetrical five-bay facade and a three-story ell to the rear. Its side walls are laid in seven course common bond, while the facade is laid in stretcher bond with a finer grade brick than that used on the side
elevations.
The central facade entrance is composed of a six-panel door framed by a transom and sidelights. All windows on this elevation are six-over-six sash with plan wooden lintels and sills. The shutters on all three floors have been removed. Modifications to the facade include the addition of the portico and massive pilasters sometime after 1929.
With the exception of a few added casements, the windows on the endwalls and rear wing are six-over-six sash like those on the facade. The roof is covered with asphalt shingles, a molded box cornice with modillions, and partial gable end returns. Originally two stories in height, the rear ell was raised to three stories during the building's mid-twentieth century renovation. Subsequent brick additions to the rear have filled the open space of the ell giving the building a more rectangular plan.
Used to house the first town bank, which was organized in 1855, this building is thought to have been constructed several years before the bank company came to occupy it. The building furnished space for the bank, as well as a dwelling unit until the early-twentieth century. The bank offices then relocated and the building was used only as a dwelling for several years. By 1915, an insurance office came to occupy part of the building.
In 2010, a popular restaurant and pub moved into the building. The building appears to be in excellent condition.