Banking on Lots of Change

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THE NEO-GREEK building at 286 Main St. in Port Washington has gone through many occupants since it was constructed by Smull and Walsh, local builders, around 1900. Until 1928, it housed the Bank of North Hempstead, the oldest bank in town. Since then, it has been the home of various businesses, including a laundry, an auto electric shop, a woodworking shop, an art gallery and an antiques store. It is now Ayhan's Fish Kebab Restaurant.

But while the building has lasted, the Bank of North Hempstead has not. In 1928, during a period of prosperity, the bank moved uptown to larger quarters on the corner of Main Street and Central Drive, according to Joan Kent, North Hempstead town historian. But it foundered after the 1929 stock market crash, and it closed for good in 1931.