Shortly after the First Citizens Banks in South Carolina were merged with the North Carolina First Citizens Banks, the company announced it would be closing the doors on the bank in Ridgeway. That happened on Wednesday.

The bank has been open under various names for the last 119 years. It is an institution the townspeople say they don’t know how they will get along without.

At Monday night’s Fairfield County Council meeting, Councilman Dan Ruff, (District 1) who represents Ridgeway, said he is working closely with the County’s Economic Development Director Ty Davenport to fill the void left by the closed bank.

In the meantime, the town’s merchants and many longtime customers of the bank threw a couple of farewell parties. Mayor Charlene Herring gave all the bank employees keys to the city. Carol Allen, proprietor of Laura’s Tea Room, served tea, crumpets and other culinary delights to customers on Friday afternoon as they bid farewell to Bank Manager Bret Whiting, who has 31 years of banking service; Fannie Ford, who is retiring after 41 years and Sheila Brown who is retiring after 34 years of service.