Buy a Ton of Woodbridge History - Bank Vault Door is for Sale on eBay

Want to own a ton of Woodbridge history? It's for sale right now on eBay - at least several thousand pounds of it.

The bank vault door that sat in the center of former headquarters of the Woodbridge Chamber of Commerce at the corner of Main and Pearl Streets for over a century is being auctioned off on eBay.

The starting bid on the door is $999 for the auction that ends on April 23. But if you're in a hurry, you can buy it now for a cool $50 grand. 

Just one hitch: it's cash and carry. Bring your own forklift; the seller doesn't offer delivery.

A standard bank vault door can weigh as much as 6,000 lbs., according to Security Vault Works, a Maryland firm specializing in bank vault servicing and installation. This door was manufactured by the United States Safe Company in Elizabeth, PA, for the Ely Norris Safe Company in Perth Amboy, according to the eBay auction.

The Chamber of Commerce moved out of the former bank building at 52 Main Street several months ago. They're sharing space at 91 Main Street with Floral Expressions, who used to have a store on Pearl Street.

The bank building has had an interesting history. It was opened as the First National Bank & Trust in 1906, according to township records. As the township grew, the Woodbridge National Bank was organized further down Main Street at the grand building at #106 and opened in 1927. Four years later, the two banks merged and the bank building at the corner of Main Street and Pearl was sold in 1930 to the Middlesex Water Company. 

The Depression hit the Woodbridge National Bank when it closed its doors in 1931, as reported in a 1956 history article in the Fords Beacon. The building was renovated and opened as a gun store by the Larsen family of the neighboring Auto Parts of Woodbridge. The gun shop is now run by Bullseye Tactical Supply.

The Woodbridge Chamber of Commerce had been in the bank building for over 25 years, township historic records say, before the move further down Main Street.

People who worked in the former bank building said that the original bank vault had never been moved. It was sheetrocked over, and employees just worked around it, tapping the vault for everyday storage.

The building has been undergoing renovations as of late, necessitating the removal of the bank vault door and its sale on eBay.

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