A Rhode Island-based bank is planting its flag on the Connecticut shoreline for the first time. Centreville Bank plans to open a full-service branch at 125 Westbrook Road in Essex in early 2027, a move that would push its Connecticut footprint to eight locations and give it its first foothold in Middlesex County.
According to Hartford Business Journal, the new branch will occupy a retail plaza that includes a vacant, 2,752-square-foot bank building constructed in 1979. That building most recently housed a Bank of America branch until late 2021, leaving the space empty for years before Centreville's announcement.
Centreville Bank, headquartered in West Warwick, Rhode Island, was founded in 1828 as a full-service mutual bank, according to the bank's own account on its website. The Essex location is described by the bank as intended to serve the Connecticut shoreline and Middlesex County, part of a broader push beyond its historic New England base.
From Eastern Connecticut Roots to the Shoreline
Centreville's current Connecticut presence traces back to its 2020 acquisition of Putnam Bank, which brought seven branches across eastern and northeastern Connecticut into its network. Those locations are in Danielson, Gales Ferry, Griswold, Norwich, Plainville, Pomfret and Putnam, the same report notes. That transfer of assets and liabilities was approved by the Connecticut Banking Commissioner on April 14, 2020, according to a bulletin posted by the Connecticut Department of Banking.
Essex would mark the bank's first branch outside that eastern Connecticut cluster, extending its reach toward Middlesex County for the first time. Centreville branches generally offer account opening, cash deposits and withdrawals, money orders and cashier's checks, along with personal and business lending services, per the bank's branch information page.
A Bank on a Growth Tear
The Essex expansion comes as Centreville's balance sheet has swelled. The bank's assets grew from $1.9 billion at the close of the second quarter of 2022 to $3.15 billion at the close of the second quarter of 2026, an increase of nearly 66%, the outlet reported. Centreville was also named the No. 1 fastest-growing company in the $50 million-and-above revenue category by Providence Business News in 2025, according to the bank's website, which cited total assets exceeding $2.9 billion as of that September.
Branch counts reported at different points tell a mixed story: Centreville's own September 2025 materials said it operated 23 branch locations across Rhode Island and Connecticut, while a separate report from Providence Business News described the bank as having 26 locations throughout Rhode Island and eastern Connecticut. The discrepancy between those two figures was not explained in the available materials.
Bank Leadership Frames Essex as a Natural Fit
Hal Horvat, president, CEO and chairman of the board of Centreville Bank, tied the Essex move to the bank's track record in the state. He said Centreville built strong relationships in Connecticut, particularly along the I-395 corridor, through personal, accessible, customer-focused community banking.
Horvat added that opening in Essex is a natural next step, saying Centreville is excited to introduce the community to its customer experience. The bank has not disclosed staffing plans, hours or construction costs for the Essex site, and the exact square footage of the available space has been described differently across sources, so those details remain to be finalized as the 2027 opening approaches.
