First National Bank, Harrisburg, PA (Charter 201)

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The First National Bank of Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, ca1891.
The First National Bank of Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, ca1891.  

First National Bank, Harrisburg, PA (Chartered 1864 - Liquidated 1922)

Town History

Needed: a recent photo of the bank or postcard.
Needed: a recent photo of the bank or postcard.

Harrisburg is the capital city of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, and the county seat of Dauphin County. With a population of 50,099 as of the 2020 census, Harrisburg is the 9th largest city and 15th largest municipality in Pennsylvania. In 1880 the population was 30,762 peaking in 1950 at 89,544.

Harrisburg is situated on the east bank of the Susquehanna River. It played a role in American history during the Westward Migration, the American Civil War, and the Industrial Revolution. During part of the 19th century, the building of the Pennsylvania Canal and later the Pennsylvania Railroad allowed Harrisburg to develop into one of the most industrialized cities in the Northeastern United States. In the mid-to-late 20th century, the city's economic fortunes fluctuated with its major industries consisting of government, heavy manufacturing, agriculture, and food services.

The Pennsylvania Farm Show, the largest indoor agriculture exposition in the U.S., was first held in Harrisburg in 1917 and has been held there every early-to-mid January since. The city also hosts the annual Great American Outdoor Show, the largest of its kind in the world, among many other events. Harrisburg experienced the Three Mile Island accident on March 28, 1979, in nearby Middletown.

Harrisburg had three National Banks chartered during the National Bank Note Era, The First National Bank (Charter 201), The Harrisburg National Bank (Charter 580), and The Merchants National Bank (Charter 3713). All three of those banks issued National Bank Notes.

Bank History

  • Chartered January 16, 1864
  • Liquidated March 29, 1922
  • Absorbed by Commonwealth Trust Company of Harrisburg

In May 1857, the bill to incorporate the State Capital Bank passed finally the House. This bill was promptly vetoed in the Senate.

Prior to the war, the banking house of Cameron, Calder, Eby & Co., also known as the State Capital Bank, was established in 1858 at the corner of Second and Walnut Streets [in 1922 the site was occupied by the Regal umbrella and leather store]. Hon. Simon Cameron, William Calder and J.R. Eby were the founders of the bank. On the 12th of December, the stockholders organized and on the 22nd of January 1864, the bank received a national bank charter, number 201. John H. Briggs was elected president; Mr. George H. Small, cashier; James Brady, paying teller; G.M. McCauley, receiving teller, and W.H. Metzger, chief clerk. The capital stock was $100,000. Mr. Small previously served as a teller in the Harrisburg Bank.

On Tuesday, January 11, 1870, at a meeting of the directors, Jacob R. Eby, Esq., was elected president and George H. Small, cashier. The following gentlemen constituted the board of directors: J.R. Eby, Hon. Simon Cameron, J.D. Cameron, Wm. Calder, James Young, Jno. H. Briggs, and Theo. D. Greenawalt. Mr. Greenawalt succeeded George T. Hummel as a new director.

In January 1883, the directors elected were W.W. Jennings, W.T. Holdrup, David Fleming, L.S. Hart, W.J. Calder, A.S. Patterson, T.E. Greenawalt. Col. W.W. Jennings was re-elected president. The charter was extended twenty years from the 24th of February, 1883.

In July 1891, Edward J. Glancy who graduated in the commercial department of the Harrisburg Business College accepted a position in the First National Bank. The bank's officers were W.W. Jennings, president and James Brady, cashier. The capital was $100,000 and surplus and undivided profits were $235,000. The Guarantee Trust and Safe Deposit Co. of Harrisburg offered safes for rent in their Burglar-Proof Vault. The company also executed trusts of every kind under appointment of States, Courts, Corporations or Individuals. W.W. Jennings was president and W.H. Metzger, secretary and treasurer.

In 1912, William Jennings, grandson of Col. William Wesley Jennings, was elected president of the Commonwealth Trust Company. In 1917 he was elected president of the First National Bank, an office his grandfather held from 1880-1894.

On February 23, 1922, the Commonwealth Trust Company, well known as one of the oldest of Harrisburg's banking institutions, took steps at a meeting of its board of directors with the board of the First National Bank towards the acquisition by the Commonwealth Trust of the business of the First National. It had been rumored for a number of months that the two institutions, which were housed in the same bank building at 222 Market Street, would shortly announce their merger. Constant growth of the community and its financial requirements demanded such enlarged banking facilities, and it had long been the opinion of the management of the two institutions that the proposed combination would result in improved facilities through a banking institution of larger capital, surplus, assets, and general resources. To that effect, the trust company board declared a dividend of 25% payable April 8 to stockholders of record at the close of business March 24. They also authorized an offer to be made to the stockholders of the First National Bank to purchase their shares on the basis of one share of trust company stock for each share of bank stock so purchased, and delivered or deposited for exchange on or before March 25th. They also gave stockholders of the trust company of record on March 28 the right to subscribe to new stock of the trust company to the extent of 30% of their holdings at that time, at the rate of $300 per share. The board of directors of the First National Bank approved the offer and recommended its shareholders to accept it. A meeting of the shareholders was scheduled for March 28, to vote on the offer of the Trust Company. If approved steps would be taken to liquidate the bank.

The capital, stock of the First National was $200,000, while the surplus and undivided profits were listed at $527,687.40. The officers and directors were: William Jennings, president; A.C. Stamm, vice president; E.J. Glancey, cashier; A.S. Banmiller, assistant cashier; directors, Spencer C. Gilbert, A.C. Stamm, John Fox Weiss, William S. Snyder, William Jennings, William P. Starkey and Warwick M. Ogelsby. 

The Commonwealth Trust Company, originally founded July 6, 1881, at a meeting in the old Lochiel Hotel, was attended by the original officers, Colonel William West Jennings, W.B. Hart, and others. Colonel Jennings was the first president of the institution, which started under the name of "The Commonwealth Guarantee Trust and Safe Deposit Company. Application for a charter was made to Governor Henry M. Hoyt, and in 1883 this charter was granted, through the office of the Secretary of the Commonwealth, M.S. Quay. When the building at 222 Market Street was purchased by D.L. Jauss for the purposes of the institution, it was said that John Brandt, former owner, refused to accept a check for payment, and that the entire purchase sum was brought in currency and laid down on Mr. Brandt's desk. The capital stock of the Trust Company was $375,000, and the surplus and net profits, $824,799.14. The officers and directors were:  William Jennings, president; Warwick M. Ogelsby, vice president and trust officer; William H. Metzger, secretary and treasurer; J.A. McLaughlin, assistant secretary and treasurer; W. Grant Rauch, assistant trust officer; directors, Charles E. Covert, Henderson Gilbert, William M. Hain, E.C. Haldeman, Francis J. Hall, W.O. Hickok, 3d, William Jennings, Paul Johnston, Christian W. Lynch, W.H. Metzger, Warwick M. Ogelsby, Harry C. Ross, Lewis S. Sadler, Thomas W. Smallwood, A. Carson Stamm and John Fox Weiss.  At the end of 1921, Commonwealth Trust reported resources of $6,350,025.47 and trust funds of $8,874,695.75.

Official Bank Title(s)

1: The First National Bank of Harrisburg, PA

Bank Note Types Issued

Original Series $10 bank note with pen signatures of George H. Small, Cashier and J.R. Eby, President.
Original Series $10 bank note with pen signatures of George H. Small, Cashier and J.R. Eby, President. Courtesy of Heritage Auctions, www.ha.com
Series of 1875 $10 bank note with pen signatures of George H. Small, Cashier and William Calder, President. Blue-stained paper was used as an anti-counterfeiting measure.
Series of 1875 $10 bank note with pen signatures of George H. Small, Cashier and William Calder, President. Blue-stained paper was used as an anti-counterfeiting measure. Courtesy of Lyn Knight Auctions, www.lynknight.com
1902 Red Seal $10 bank note with stamped signatures of James Brady, Cashier and Lane S. Hart, President.
1902 Red Seal $10 bank note with stamped signatures of James Brady, Cashier and Lane S. Hart, President. Courtesy of Lyn Knight Auctions, www.lynknight.com
1902 Date Back $20 bank note with stamped signatures of James Brady, Cashier and D.L. Jauss, President.
1902 Date Back $20 bank note with stamped signatures of James Brady, Cashier and D.L. Jauss, President. Courtesy of Lyn Knight Auctions, www.lynknight.com
1902 Plain Back $20 bank note with stamped signatures of E.J. Glancey, Cashier and William Jennings, President.
1902 Plain Back $20 bank note with stamped signatures of E.J. Glancey, Cashier and William Jennings, President. Courtesy of Heritage Auctions, www.ha.com

A total of $1,706,950 in National Bank Notes was issued by this bank between 1864 and 1922. This consisted of a total of 164,308 notes (164,308 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
Original Series 4x5 1 - 4500
Original Series 4x10 1 - 2250
Series 1875 4x5 1 - 3064
Series 1875 4x10 1 - 1498
1882 Brown Back 4x5 1 - 2750
1882 Brown Back 3x10-20 1 - 3615
1902 Red Seal 3x10-20 1 - 6600
1902 Date Back 3x10-20 1 - 8700
1902 Plain Back 3x10-20 8701 - 16800

Bank Presidents and Cashiers

Bank Presidents and Cashiers during the National Bank Note Era (1864 - 1922):

Presidents:

Cashiers:

Other Bank Note Signers

  • There are currently no known Vice President or Assistant Cashier bank note signers for this bank.

Wiki Links

Sources

  • Harrisburg, PA, 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 Sunbury Gazette, Sunbury, PA, Sat., May 9, 1857.
  • Pittsburgh Daily Post, Pittsburgh, PA, Thu., May 14, 1857.
  • The Philadelphia Inquirer, Philadelphia, PA, Sat., Jan. 2, 1864.
  • Harrisburg Telegraph, Harrisburg, PA, Tue., Jan. 12, 1869.
  • Harrisburg Telegraph, Harrisburg, PA, Tue., Jan. 11, 1870.
  • Harrisburg Daily Independent, Harrisburg, PA, Thu., Jan. 11, 1883.
  • Harrisburg Telegraph, Harrisburg, PA, Fri., Nov. 4, 1887.
  • Harrisburg Daily Independent, Harrisburg, PA, Fri., July 3, 1891.
  • Harrisburg Telegraph, Harrisburg, PA, Sat., Sep. 19, 1891.
  • Harrisburg Telegraph, Harrisburg, PA, Sat., Jan. 7, 1922.
  • Harrisburg Telegraph, Harrisburg, PA, Fri., Feb. 24, 1922.
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