Exhibit 99.1

      Certification of Chief Executive Officer and Chief Financial Officer
            Pursuant to Section 906 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002
            ---------------------------------------------------------


George Strayton, Chief Executive Officer and Paul A. Maisch, Chief Financial
Officer of Provident Bancorp, Inc. (the "Company") each certify in his capacity
as an officer of the Company that he has reviewed the quarterly report on Form
10-Q for the quarter ended March 31, 2003 and that to the best of his knowledge:

(1)  the report fully complies with the requirements of Sections 13(a) or 15(d)
     of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934; and

(2)  the information contained in the report fairly presents, in all material
     respects, the financial condition and results of operations.


                                                    /s/ George Strayton
                                                    ----------------------------
Date:   May 13, 2003                                George Strayton
                                                    Chief Executive Officer

                                                    /s/ Paul A. Maisch
                                                    ----------------------------
Date:   May 13, 2003                                Paul A. Maisch
                                                    Chief Financial Officer




                                       37




                    Certification of Chief Executive Officer
                    ----------------------------------------
            Pursuant to Section 302 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002


I, George Strayton, President and Chief Executive Officer, certify that:

1.   I have reviewed this  quarterly  report on Form 10-Q of Provident  Bancorp,
     Inc.;

2.   Based on my knowledge,  this  quarterly  report does not contain any untrue
     statement of a material fact or omit to state a material fact  necessary to
     make the statements  made, in light of the  circumstances  under which such
     statements  were made, not misleading with respect to the period covered by
     this quarterly report;

3.   Based on my  knowledge,  the  financial  statements,  and  other  financial
     information  included  in this  quarterly  report,  fairly  present  in all
     material respects the financial  condition,  results of operations and cash
     flows of the  registrant  as of, and for,  the  periods  presented  in this
     quarterly report;

4.   The  registrant's  other  certifying  officer  and  I are  responsible  for
     establishing and maintaining disclosure controls and procedures (as defined
     in Exchange Act Rules 13a-14 and 15d-14) for the  registrant  and have:  a)
     designed such  disclosure  controls and  procedures to ensure that material
     information   relating  to  the  registrant,   including  its  consolidated
     subsidiaries,  is  made  known  to  us by  others  within  those  entities,
     particularly  during  the period in which  this  quarterly  report is being
     prepared;  b) evaluated the  effectiveness of the  registrant's  disclosure
     controls  and  procedures  as of a date  within 90 days prior to the filing
     date of this quarterly report (the "Evaluation  Date"); and c) presented in
     this  quarterly  report  our  conclusions  about the  effectiveness  of the
     disclosure  controls  and  procedures  based  on our  evaluation  as of the
     Evaluation  Date; 5. The registrant's  other certifying  officer and I have
     disclosed,  based  on our  most  recent  evaluation,  to  the  registrant's
     auditors and the audit  committee of  registrant's  board of directors  (or
     persons performing the equivalent functions):

          a)   all  significant  deficiencies  in the  design  or  operation  of
               internal  controls which could adversely  affect the registrant's
               ability to record,  process,  summarize and report financial data
               and have  identified for the  registrant's  auditors any material
               weaknesses in internal controls; and

          b)   any fraud,  whether or not material,  that involves management or
               other employees who have a significant  role in the  registrant's
               internal controls; and

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6.   The  registrant's  other  certifying  officer and I have  indicated in this
     quarterly  report  whether  there  were  significant  changes  in  internal
     controls  or in other  factors  that could  significantly  affect  internal
     controls  subsequent to the date of our most recent  evaluation,  including
     any corrective actions with regard to significant deficiencies and material
     weaknesses.



May  13, 2003                              /s/ George Strayton
- ---  --------                              -------------------
                                           George Strayton
                                           President and Chief Executive Officer




                                       39



                    Certification of Chief Financial Officer
                    ----------------------------------------
            Pursuant to Section 302 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002


I, Paul A. Maisch,  Senior Vice President and Chief Financial  Officer,  certify
that:

1.   I have reviewed this  quarterly  report on Form 10-Q of Provident  Bancorp,
     Inc.;

2.   Based on my knowledge,  this  quarterly  report does not contain any untrue
     statement of a material fact or omit to state a material fact  necessary to
     make the statements  made, in light of the  circumstances  under which such
     statements  were made, not misleading with respect to the period covered by
     this quarterly report;

3.   Based on my  knowledge,  the  financial  statements,  and  other  financial
     information  included  in this  quarterly  report,  fairly  present  in all
     material respects the financial  condition,  results of operations and cash
     flows of the  registrant  as of, and for,  the  periods  presented  in this
     quarterly report;

4.   The  registrant's  other  certifying  officer  and  I are  responsible  for
     establishing and maintaining disclosure controls and procedures (as defined
     in Exchange Act Rules 13a-14 and 15d-14) for the  registrant  and have:  a)
     designed such  disclosure  controls and  procedures to ensure that material
     information   relating  to  the  registrant,   including  its  consolidated
     subsidiaries,  is  made  known  to  us by  others  within  those  entities,
     particularly  during  the period in which  this  quarterly  report is being
     prepared;  b) evaluated the  effectiveness of the  registrant's  disclosure
     controls  and  procedures  as of a date  within 90 days prior to the filing
     date of this quarterly report (the "Evaluation  Date"); and c) presented in
     this  quarterly  report  our  conclusions  about the  effectiveness  of the
     disclosure  controls  and  procedures  based  on our  evaluation  as of the
     Evaluation  Date; 5. The registrant's  other certifying  officer and I have
     disclosed,  based  on our  most  recent  evaluation,  to  the  registrant's
     auditors and the audit  committee of  registrant's  board of directors  (or
     persons performing the equivalent functions):

          a)   all  significant  deficiencies  in the  design  or  operation  of
               internal  controls which could adversely  affect the registrant's
               ability to record,  process,  summarize and report financial data
               and have  identified for the  registrant's  auditors any material
               weaknesses in internal controls; and

          b)   any fraud,  whether or not material,  that involves management or
               other employees who have a significant  role in the  registrant's
               internal controls; and

6.   The  registrant's  other  certifying  officer and I have  indicated in this
     quarterly  report  whether  there  were  significant  changes  in  internal
     controls  or in other  factors  that could  significantly



                                       40


affect internal controls  subsequent to the date of our most recent  evaluation,
including any  corrective  actions with regard to significant  deficiencies  and
material weaknesses.



May  13, 2003                                          /s/   Paul A. Maisch
- -------------                                          -------------------------
                                                       Paul A. Maisch
                                                       Senior Vice President and
                                                       Chief Financial Officer


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