First Federal Savings & Loan Association of Central Illinois is the result of the merger of First Federal Savings & Loan Association of Shelbyville and Charleston Federal Savings & Loan. Both institutions were originally formed under state charters as cooperative home financing organizations to provide a safe place for their members to invest their savings and borrow funds necessary to purchase or construct homes.
Charleston Federal was originally chartered as the "Charleston Homestead and Loan Association" in 1882, and First Federal of Shelbyville was originally chartered as the "Peoples Mutual Loan Association of Shelbyville" in 1905. Following many years of dedicated service to their communities, in the midst of the great depression, both institutions received their federal charters as Charleston Federal Savings and Loan Association and First Federal Savings and Loan Association of Shelbyville.