Denise Wymore, Chair, De Novo Collective
Nestled in the quiet charm of Manchester, NH, on Notre Dame Avenue, is not just any building—it’s where the first credit union in the United States was born. Today, it’s home to America’s Credit Union Museum, a living, breathing tribute to the powerful idea that everyday people can achieve extraordinary things when they come together.
But make no mistake: this isn’t just a museum.
It’s a mission in motion.
A Legacy Rooted in People Helping People
Walk through its doors, and you’re stepping into more than a curated collection of artifacts, photos, and documents. You’re walking into the heartbeat of a movement—one that started over a century ago with a simple yet revolutionary belief: that financial services shouldn’t be reserved for the wealthy or well-connected.
They should be available to everyone.
Museums Celebrate the Living. Memorials Honor the Lost.
There’s an important distinction to make here—America’s Credit Union Museum is a museum, not a memorial. A museum preserves history to inspire and inform the future. A memorial, by contrast, is a tribute to something that no longer exists.
Today, the Museum stands as proof that the credit union movement is alive and evolving. It honors the grit, sacrifice and vision of pioneers who built this system not for profit but for people.
But here’s the sobering truth: that could change if we’re not vigilant.
A Warning Within the Walls
Across the country, credit unions are consolidating at an unprecedented rate, a trend that, if left unchecked, threatens to hollow out the diversity, accessibility, and local responsiveness that make credit unions unique.
Fewer new credit unions mean fewer opportunities for underserved communities to own their financial futures.
If we continue down this path without intentional action, we may one day find ourselves visiting the Museum not to see the soul of a living movement—but to memorialize what once was.
Honoring the Past. Protecting the Future.
This is why the Museum is more than just a building. It’s a mirror. A wake-up call. This is a reminder that the credit union movement only survives if we keep planting seeds, not just preserving roots.
We must champion new charters. Support innovators. Create space for community-driven solutions that address today’s financial inequities. Otherwise, we risk turning the very soul of this movement into a relic.
Why You Should Visit
If you work in a credit union, are part of one, or believe in the idea of people lifting up each other—you owe it to yourself to make the pilgrimage.
Because America’s Credit Union Museum isn’t just about what happened then.
It’s about what happens next.
One Final Thought
The soul of the credit union movement doesn’t live in spreadsheets or strategy decks. It lives in people. It lives in stories. This historic building in Manchester lives on in a way that stirs hearts, sparks ideas and reminds us why we do this work in the first place.
The question is: Will future generations walk through these halls to celebrate a thriving movement—or to mourn its memory?
The answer depends on all of us.
2 thoughts on “A Museum or a Memorial? The Future of the Credit Union Movement Hangs in the Balance”
Should things continue the way they have been, we will regroup, start anew and continue our mission of serving those of modest means, the unserved and underserved!
So true, Denise. As banking continues to move online, while Chase keeps opening physical locations around the country, new credit unions desperately need to show their strengths. This requires more than support “inside” the credit union movement, but also collaboration from partners that can help them compete.