04-2117. Formations of, Acquisitions by, and Mergers of Bank Holding Companies

The companies listed in this notice have applied to the Board for approval, pursuant to the Bank Holding Company Act of 1956 (12 U.S.C. 1841 et seq.) (BHC Act), Regulation Y (12 CFR Part 225), and all other applicable statutes and regulations to become a bank holding company and/or to acquire the assets or the ownership of, control of, or the power to vote shares of a bank or bank holding company and all of the banks and nonbanking companies owned by the bank holding company, including the companies listed below.

The applications listed below, as well as other related filings required by the Board, are available for immediate inspection at the Federal Reserve Bank indicated. The application also will be available for inspection at the offices of the Board of Governors. Interested persons may express their views in writing on the standards enumerated in the BHC Act (12 U.S.C. 1842(c)). If the proposal also involves the acquisition of a nonbanking company, the review also includes whether the acquisition of the nonbanking company complies with the standards in section 4 of the BHC Act (12 U.S.C. 1843). Unless otherwise noted, nonbanking activities will be conducted throughout the United States. Additional information on all bank holding companies may be obtained from the National Information Center website at www.ffiec.gov/​nic/​.

Unless otherwise noted, comments regarding each of these applications must be received at the Reserve Bank indicated or the offices of the Board of Governors not later than February 27, 2004.

A. Federal Reserve Bank of Richmond (A. Linwood Gill, III, Vice President) 701 East Byrd Street, Richmond, Virginia 23261-4528:

1. Provident Bankshares, Baltimore, Maryland; to merge with Southern Financial Bancorp, Inc., Warrenton, Virginia, and thereby indirectly acquire voting shares of Southern Financial Bank, Warrenton, Virginia.

In connection with this application, applicant also has applied to acquire Essex Savings Bank, F.S.B., Norfolk, Virginia, and thereby engage in operating a savings association, pursuant to section 225.28(b)(4)(ii) of Regulation Y; Southern Webtech.com, Warrenton, Virginia, and thereby engage in developing web based banking systems for cash management for the small and medium size business market, pursuant to section 225.28(b)(14)(i) of Regulation Y; and Loancare Servicing Center, Inc., Norfolk, Virginia, and thereby engage in servicing loans and collection agency services, pursuant to sections 225.28(b)(1) and (b)(2)(iv) of Regulation Y.

Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System, January 28, 2004.

Robert deV. Frierson,

Deputy Secretary of the Board.