Battery Park National Bank, New York, NY (Charter 7447)
Battery Park National Bank, New York, NY (Chartered 1904 - Liquidated 1923)
Town History
New York, often called New York City or NYC, is the most populous city in the United States. With a 2020 population of 8,804,190 distributed over 300.46 square miles, New York City is the most densely populated major city in the United States. The city is more than twice as populous as Los Angeles, the nation's second-largest city. New York City is located at the southern tip of New York State. Situated on one of the world's largest natural harbors, New York City comprises five boroughs, each of which is coextensive with a respective county. The five boroughs, which were created in 1898 when local governments were consolidated into a single municipality, are: Brooklyn (Kings County), Queens (Queens County), Manhattan (New York County), the Bronx (Bronx County), and Staten Island (Richmond County). New York City is a global city and a cultural, financial, high-tech, entertainment, glamour, and media center with a significant influence on commerce, health care and scientific output in life sciences, research, technology, education, politics, tourism, dining, art, fashion, and sports. Home to the headquarters of the United Nations, New York is an important center for international diplomacy, and it is sometimes described as the world's most important city and the capital of the world.
The Battery, formerly known as Battery Park, is a 25-acre public park located at the southern tip of Manhattan Island in New York City facing New York Harbor. It is bounded by Battery Place on the north, with Bowling Green to the northeast, State Street on the east, New York Harbor to the south, and the Hudson River to the west. The park contains attractions such as an early 19th-century fort named Castle Clinton; multiple monuments; and the SeaGlass Carousel. The surrounding area, known as South Ferry, contains multiple ferry terminals, including the Staten Island Ferry's Whitehall Terminal; a boat launch to the Statue of Liberty National Monument (which includes Ellis Island and Liberty Island); and a boat launch to Governors Island.
The park and surrounding area is named for the artillery batteries that were built in the late 17th century to protect the fort and settlement behind them. By the 1820s, the Battery had become an entertainment destination, with the conversion of Castle Clinton into a theater venue. During the mid-19th century, the modern-day Battery Park was laid out and Castle Clinton was converted into an immigration and customs center. The Battery was commonly known as the landing point for immigrants to New York City until 1892, when the immigration center was relocated to Ellis Island. Castle Clinton (sometimes called, Castle Garden) then hosted the New York Aquarium from 1896 to 1941.
New York had 180 National Banks chartered during the Bank Note Era, and 143 of those banks issued National Bank Notes.
Bank History
- Organized September 30, 1904
- Chartered October 19, 1904
- Opened for business November 21, 1904
- Liquidated July 24, 1923
- Succeeded by The Battery Park Bank which was taken over by Bank of America, New York in August 1923
Organized in October 1904 and in business since November of that year, the Battery Park National Bank of New York was well-known in the shipping and export district. Up to September 1908, the bank was located at No. 24 State Street, but during that month moved to larger and better quarters on the ground floor of the Produce Exchange Building, just opposite the new Custom House (now the Alexander Hamilton U.S. Custom House). The new rooms were fitted up in excellent style and provided with all the modern conveniences. The bank's officers were E.A. de Lima, president; Calvin Tomkins and Richard C. Corner, vice presidents; Edwin B. Day, cashier. The directors included some of the best known men in the shipping trade. The were Nicholas W. Anthony; Richard C. Corner of Corner Bros. & Co, commission merchants; E.A. de Lima, president; George S. Hart of George S. Hart & Co.; George T. Hay of J.F. Whitney & Co.; Carman R. Runyon, vice president of Burns Bros.; Calvin Tomkins, manufacturer; and William G. Wilcox of Wilcox, Peck & Hughes, insurance. Mr. de Lima was the senior partner of the firm of E.A. de Lima and Co., 17 State Street, export commission merchants. He was a Cornell University graduate, class of 1886 and graduated from Columbia Law School in 1889. Mr. Day entered the National Bank of Commerce in New York when quite young and served as collection clerk, discount clerk and loan department manager. He severed his connections with the National Bank of Commerce upon its consolidation with the Western National Bank and since joined the Battery Park National Bank.[1]
On Tuesday, January 8, 1918, at the annual meeting of shareholders held at the banking house, 2 Broadway, New York City, the following were unanimously elected directors for the ensuing year: Edward R. Carhart, Richard C. Corner, Elias A. de Lima, Frank A. Dillingham, George T. Hay, Welding Ring, Alfred Romer, Geo. F.D. Trask, William G. Willcox. The new Board elected Elias A. de Lima, president; Richard C. Corner, Edward R. Carhart, and Edwin B. Day, vice presidents. Mr. Arthur H. Merry was appointed cashier and Mr. Arthur S. Balz was appointed assistant cashier.[2]
In January 1919, stockholders re-elected all directors with the addition of the following: William H. Kemp, Edward Flash, Jr., Frederick E. Hasler, George M. Dexter, and Edwin B. Day.[3]
In January 1923, George S. Talbot, formerly assistant cashier was promoted to assistant vice president.[4]
In June 1923, the directors of the Bank of America and the Battery Park National Bank approved a plan for merging the two institutions. The Bank of America would increase its capital from $5,500,000 to $6,500,000, giving $1,000,000 of new stock to holders of Battery Park stock in the ratio of two shares of Bank of America for three shares of Battery Park plus a bonus of $20.[5] On July 16th, stockholders of the Battery Park National approved the merger.[6]
In August, 1923, the Battery Park Bank merged with the Bank of America, 44 Wall Street. The business of the Battery Park Bank would continue at the same location and under direction of the same executives.[7]
Official Bank Title(s)
1: The Battery Park National Bank of New York, NY
Bank Note Types Issued
A total of $2,542,100 in National Bank Notes was issued by this bank between 1904 and 1923. This consisted of a total of 300,700 notes (300,700 large size and No small size notes).
This bank issued the following Types and Denominations of bank notes:
Series/Type Sheet/Denoms Serial#s Sheet Comments 1902 Red Seal 4x5 1 - 4125 1902 Red Seal 3x10-20 1 - 2270 1902 Red Seal 50-100 1 - 210 1902 Date Back 4x5 1 - 19165 1902 Date Back 3x10-20 1 - 12534 1902 Date Back 50-100 1 - 400 1902 Date Back 3x50-100 1 - 512 1902 Plain Back 4x5 19166 - 42385 1902 Plain Back 3x10-20 12535 - 25578
Bank Presidents and Cashiers
Bank Presidents and Cashiers during the National Bank Note Era (1904 - 1923):
Presidents:
Cashiers:
Other Known Bank Note Signers
- No other known bank note signers for this bank
Bank Note History Links
Sources
- New York, NY, on Wikipedia
- Don C. Kelly, National Bank Notes, A Guide with Prices. 6th Edition (Oxford, OH: The Paper Money Institute, 2008).
- Dean Oakes and John Hickman, Standard Catalog of National Bank Notes. 2nd Edition (Iola, WI: Krause Publications, 1990).
- Banks & Bankers Historical Database (1782-1935), https://spmc.org/bank-note-history-project
- ↑ The Bankers' Magazine, Vol. 78, Jan. 1909-June 1909, pp 513-516.
- ↑ The New York Times, New York, NY, Wed., Jan. 9, 1918.
- ↑ The Wall Street Journal, New York, NY, Wed., Jan. 15, 1919.
- ↑ The Wall Street Journal, New York, NJ, Thu., Jan. 11, 1923.
- ↑ Hartford Courant, Hartford, CT, Sun., July 1, 1923.
- ↑ The Brooklyn Daily Eagle, Brooklyn, NY, Tue., July 17, 1923.
- ↑ The Brooklyn Daily Eagle, Brooklyn, NY, Tue., Aug. 21, 1923.