SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
                              WASHINGTON, DC 20549

                               ------------------

                                    FORM 8-K

                                 CURRENT REPORT
                     PURSUANT TO SECTION 13 OR 15(d) OF THE
                         SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934


Date of Report (Date of earliest event reported)       August 16, 1999
                                                       ----------------

                                NBT Bancorp Inc.
               --------------------------------------------------
               (Exact Name of Registrant as Specified in Charter)


          Delaware                     0-14703              16-1268674
(State or Other Jurisdiction         (Commission          (IRS Employer
      of Incorporation)              File Number)       Identification Number)

52 South Broad Street, Norwich, New York                    13815
----------------------------------------                  ----------
(Address of Principal Executive Office)                   (Zip Code)


Registrant's telephone number, including area code        607/337-6000
                                                         ---------------


         ---------------------------------------------------------------
          (Former Name or Former Address, if Changed Since Last Report)



<PAGE>


Item 5. Other Events.

         On August 16, 1999, NBT Bancorp Inc., a Delaware  corporation  ("NBT"),
and Lake  Ariel  Bancorp,  Inc.,  a  Pennsylvania  corporation  ("Lake  Ariel"),
announced  that they had entered into an Agreement and Plan of Merger,  dated as
of August 16, 1999 (the "Merger Agreement").

         Pursuant to the Merger  Agreement,  Lake Ariel will merge with and into
NBT, with NBT being the surviving  corporation.  Shareholders of Lake Ariel will
receive a minimum of 0.8315  shares and a maximum of 0.9487 shares of NBT common
stock for each share exchanged.  Based on the August 13, 1999,  closing price of
NBT common stock on the Nasdaq National Market, NBT will issue approximately 4.6
million  shares  and share  equivalents  in  exchange  for all of the Lake Ariel
common stock and share equivalents  outstanding.  Lake Ariel has provided NBT an
option to acquire up to 965,300 shares of Lake Ariel's common stock  (equivalent
to 19.9% of Lake Ariel's common stock currently outstanding)  exercisable in the
event of certain circumstances  involving  transactions with third parties, acts
of third parties, or break-up of the Merger Agreement.  The merger is subject to
the  approval of each  company's  shareholders  and of banking  regulators.  The
merger is expected  to close in the first  quarter of 2000 and is intended to be
accounted for as a  pooling-of-interests  and to qualify as a tax-free  exchange
for Lake  Ariel  shareholders.  The  transaction  is valued at $92.8  million or
$18.50 per share for the outstanding common stock of Lake Ariel.

Item 7. Financial Statements, Pro Forma Financial Information and Exhibits.

                  (a) Not Applicable.

                  (b) Not Applicable.

                  (c) Exhibits.

         The  following   exhibits  are  filed  with  this  Current   Report  or
incorporated by reference into this Current Report on Form 8-K:

        Exhibit
         Number   Description
         ------   ------------

           2.1    Agreement and Plan of Merger,  dated as of August 16, 1999, by
                  and between NBT Bancorp Inc. and Lake Ariel Bancorp, Inc. *

           2.2    The   Directors'  Agreement,  dated  as of August 16, 1999, is
                  part  of  the Agreement and Plan of Merger,  which is filed as
                  Exhibit 2.1 above.


<PAGE>


           2.3    Stock  Option  Agreement,  dated   August  16,  1999,  by  and
                  between  Lake  Ariel Bancorp, Inc. As "Issuer" and NBT Bancorp
                  Inc. as "Grantee." *

           2.4    Form of Employment Agreement with John G. Martines *

           2.5    Form of Change-in-Control Agreement *

           99.1   Press release, dated August 16, 1999.

*  Incorporated  by  reference  to  the  corresponding  exhibit  number  in  the
Registrant's  Schedule  13D  filed by the  Registrant  on August  18,  1999 with
respect to Lake Ariel Bancorp, Inc., File No. 0-22092.

                                    SIGNATURE

         Pursuant to the  requirements  of the Securities  Exchange Act of 1934,
the  Registrant  has duly  caused  this report to be signed on its behalf by the
undersigned hereunto duly authorized.

                            NBT BANCORP INC.

                            By:  /s/ Daryl R. Forsythe

                                 Name:  Daryl R. Forsythe
                                 Title: President and Chief
                                          Executive Officer

Date: August 18, 1999.

                                  EXHIBIT INDEX

99.1   Press release, dated August 16, 1999.
[{"type": "8-K", "sequence": "1", "description": "FORM 8-K", "secsgml_size_bytes": 5037}]
{"company-data": {"conformed-name": "NBT BANCORP INC", "cik": "0000790359", "assigned-sic": "6021", "irs-number": "161268674", "state-of-incorporation": "DE", "fiscal-year-end": "1231"}, "filing-values": {"form-type": "8-K", "act": "34", "file-number": "000-14703", "film-number": "99695849"}, "business-address": {"street1": "52 S BROAD ST", "city": "NORWICH", "state": "NY", "zip": "13815", "phone": "6073376000"}, "mail-address": {"street1": "52 S. BROAD STREET", "city": "NORWICH", "state": "NY", "zip": "13815"}}
SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
                              WASHINGTON, DC 20549

                               ------------------

                                    FORM 8-K

                                 CURRENT REPORT
                     PURSUANT TO SECTION 13 OR 15(d) OF THE
                         SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934

Date of Report (Date of earliest event reported)       August 16, 1999
                                                       ----------------

                                NBT Bancorp Inc.
               --------------------------------------------------
               (Exact Name of Registrant as Specified in Charter)

          Delaware                     0-14703              16-1268674
(State or Other Jurisdiction         (Commission          (IRS Employer
      of Incorporation)              File Number)       Identification Number)

52 South Broad Street, Norwich, New York                    13815
----------------------------------------                  ----------
(Address of Principal Executive Office)                   (Zip Code)

Registrant's telephone number, including area code        607/337-6000
                                                         ---------------

         ---------------------------------------------------------------
          (Former Name or Former Address, if Changed Since Last Report)
Item 5. Other Events.

         On August 16, 1999, NBT Bancorp Inc., a Delaware  corporation  ("NBT"),
and Lake  Ariel  Bancorp,  Inc.,  a  Pennsylvania  corporation  ("Lake  Ariel"),
announced  that they had entered into an Agreement and Plan of Merger,  dated as
of August 16, 1999 (the "Merger Agreement").

         Pursuant to the Merger  Agreement,  Lake Ariel will merge with and into
NBT, with NBT being the surviving  corporation.  Shareholders of Lake Ariel will
receive a minimum of 0.8315  shares and a maximum of 0.9487 shares of NBT common
stock for each share exchanged.  Based on the August 13, 1999,  closing price of
NBT common stock on the Nasdaq National Market, NBT will issue approximately 4.6
million  shares  and share  equivalents  in  exchange  for all of the Lake Ariel
common stock and share equivalents  outstanding.  Lake Ariel has provided NBT an
option to acquire up to 965,300 shares of Lake Ariel's common stock  (equivalent
to 19.9% of Lake Ariel's common stock currently outstanding)  exercisable in the
event of certain circumstances  involving  transactions with third parties, acts
of third parties, or break-up of the Merger Agreement.  The merger is subject to
the  approval of each  company's  shareholders  and of banking  regulators.  The
merger is expected  to close in the first  quarter of 2000 and is intended to be
accounted for as a  pooling-of-interests  and to qualify as a tax-free  exchange
for Lake  Ariel  shareholders.  The  transaction  is valued at $92.8  million or
$18.50 per share for the outstanding common stock of Lake Ariel.

Item 7. Financial Statements, Pro Forma Financial Information and Exhibits.

                  (a) Not Applicable.

                  (b) Not Applicable.

                  (c) Exhibits.

         The  following   exhibits  are  filed  with  this  Current   Report  or
incorporated by reference into this Current Report on Form 8-K:

        Exhibit
         Number   Description
         ------   ------------

           2.1    Agreement and Plan of Merger,  dated as of August 16, 1999, by
                  and between NBT Bancorp Inc. and Lake Ariel Bancorp, Inc. *

           2.2    The   Directors'  Agreement,  dated  as of August 16, 1999, is
                  part  of  the Agreement and Plan of Merger,  which is filed as
                  Exhibit 2.1 above.
2.3    Stock  Option  Agreement,  dated   August  16,  1999,  by  and
                  between  Lake  Ariel Bancorp, Inc. As "Issuer" and NBT Bancorp
                  Inc. as "Grantee." *

           2.4    Form of Employment Agreement with John G. Martines *

           2.5    Form of Change-in-Control Agreement *

           99.1   Press release, dated August 16, 1999.

*  Incorporated  by  reference  to  the  corresponding  exhibit  number  in  the
Registrant's  Schedule  13D  filed by the  Registrant  on August  18,  1999 with
respect to Lake Ariel Bancorp, Inc., File No. 0-22092.

                                    SIGNATURE

         Pursuant to the  requirements  of the Securities  Exchange Act of 1934,
the  Registrant  has duly  caused  this report to be signed on its behalf by the
undersigned hereunto duly authorized.

                            NBT BANCORP INC.

                            By:  /s/ Daryl R. Forsythe

                                 Name:  Daryl R. Forsythe
                                 Title: President and Chief
                                          Executive Officer

Date: August 18, 1999.

                                  EXHIBIT INDEX

99.1   Press release, dated August 16, 1999.