1
                                                                      Exhibit 24

                             FirstMerit Corporation

                            Limited Power of Attorney
                         2000 Annual Report on Form 10-K


         The undersigned  directors and officers of FirstMerit  Corporation (the
"Company")  hereby  constitute and appoint Terry E. Patton,  Terrence E. Bichsel
and/or Kevin C. O'Neil,  and each of them, with full power of  substitution  and
resubstitution, as attorneys or attorney of the undersigned, to execute and file
under  the  Securities  Act of 1934 an  Annual  Report on Form 10-K for the year
2000,  and any and all amendments (on Form 10-K/A) and exhibits to the foregoing
and any and all other  documents  to be filed with the  Securities  and Exchange
Commission  or National  Association  of Securities  Dealers  pertaining to such
Annual Report,  with full power and authority to do and perform any and all acts
and things  whatsoever  necessary,  appropriate  or  desirable to be done in the
premises,  or in the name,  place and stead of the said  directors and officers,
hereby  ratifying and  approving the acts of said  attorneys and any of them and
any such substitute.

         Effective the 15th day of February,  2001,  unless otherwise  indicated
below.


                                                           
/s/ John R. Cochran                                           /s/ Terrence E. Bichsel
- -------------------------------------------------             ------------------------------------------------------
John R. Cochran                                               Terrence E. Bichsel
Director, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer                Executive Vice President & Chief Financial Officer
                                                              (Principal Financial Officer and Principal Accounting
                                                              Officer)


/s/ Karen S. Belden                                           /s/ R. Cary Blair
- -------------------------------------------------             ------------------------------------------------------
Karen S. Belden, Director                                     R. Cary Blair, Director

                                                              /s/ Sid A. Bostic
- -------------------------------------------------             ------------------------------------------------------
John C. Blickle, Director                                     Sid A. Bostic, Director

/s/ Robert W. Briggs                                          /s/ Gary G. Clark
- -------------------------------------------------             ------------------------------------------------------
Robert W. Briggs, Director                                    Gary G. Clark, Director

/s/ Richard Colella                                           /s/ Terry L. Haines
- -------------------------------------------------             ------------------------------------------------------
Richard Colella, Director                                     Terry L. Haines, Director

/s/ Clifford J. Isroff                                        /s/ Philip A. Lloyd, II
- -------------------------------------------------             ------------------------------------------------------
Clifford J. Isroff, Director                                  Philip A. Lloyd, II, Director

/s/ Robert G. Merzweiler                                      /s/ Roger T. Read
- -------------------------------------------------             ------------------------------------------------------
Robert G. Merzweiler, Director                                Roger T. Read, Director

                                                              /s/ Charles F. Valentine
                                                              ------------------------------------------------------
Richard N. Seaman, Director                                   Charles F. Valentine, Director

/s/ Jerry M. Wolf
- -------------------------------------------------
Jerry M. Wolf, Director
[378769]