Provident grew over the previous century, operating in total 143 branches in the Middle Atlantic states of Maryland, Pennsylvania, Virginia and Washington, D.C.
[1] After almost going under in 1983, Provident brought in two men who were willing to risk their careers to help revitalize the old savings bank; Carl Stearn and Peter M. Martin.
Making a name for itself in the city's financial and civic community by creating a downtown landmark headquarters building like most of the other traditional powerhouse banks, Provident purchased and did a very good historic preservation/restoration project of the former Federal Reserve Bank of Richmond's Baltimore Branch building at the northwest corner of North Calvert and East Lexington Streets across from the city's iconic symbol, the Battle Monument in the mid-1980s.
The deposit base, totalling more than $40 million, was from branches located in Giant grocery stores (Landover, Maryland chain, founded in Washington, D.C.) in the Baltimore area.
[2] Provident announced on December 19, 2008 that it was to be acquired by Buffalo-based M&T Bank in western New York State, (formerly Manufacturers and Traders Trust Company, founded 1856) in a $401 million stock-for-stock deal.