National Brookville Bank, Brookville, IN (Charter 7805)

The old National Brookville Bank, corner of Main and Fifth Streets, Brookville, Indiana, ca2018. Constructed in 1890 from buff Amherst stone and Zanesville pressed brick. Courtesy of Google Maps

National Brookville Bank, Brookville, IN (Chartered 1905 - Open past 1935)

Town History

An 1896 sketch of the Brookville Bank.

Brookville is a town in Brookville Township, Franklin County, Indiana. The town is the county seat of and the largest community entirely within Franklin County. It's located 40 miles northeast of Cincinnati, Ohio, and about 73 miles east of Indianapolis. The population was 2,622 at the 2020 census. In 1900 the population was 2,037, growing to 2,220 by 1920.

Brookville was platted in 1808 by Thomas Manwarring. The town derives its name from Brooks, the maiden name of a settler's mother. A post office has been in operation at Brookville since 1816.

Brookville had three National Banks chartered during the Bank Note Era, and all three of those banks issued National Bank Notes.

Bank History

A 1905 advertisement for the National Brookville Bank.

A 1923 advertisement for the National Brookville Bank, "The Bank with the Chime Clock" as featured in the ad.

• Organized June 20, 1905
• Chartered June 24, 1905
• Opened for business July 1, 1905
• Bank was Open past 1935

In 1866 the Brookville National Bank was organized and continued in existence until 1879 when it went into voluntary liquidation. John R. Goodwin and his son, Charles F. Goodwin, cashier and assistant cashier of the bank, purchased the building, fixtures and organized the Brookville Bank. John R. Goodwin died in May 1880 and Isaac Carter accepted a position in the bank. In June 1881, John C. Shirk having completed his course at Indiana University entered the bank as a clerk and on January 1, 1884, became a partner in the business under the firm name of Goodwin & Shirk. In 1890 they purchased the corner now occupied by the bank from John Roberts and erected the best and most commodious bank building of any town the size of Brookville in the state. On January 12, 1896, Charles F. Goodwin died suddenly and his widow, Martha Shirk Goodwin succeeded to his interest in the bank. She and her brother John C. Shirk, conducted the bank. For almost twenty years, G.E. Dennett was employed in the bank. After the death of C.F. Goodwin, E.W. Showalter accepted a position in the bank until around 1903 when he became manager of the Franklin Furniture Company.

In June 1905, the application for a charter for the National Brookville Bank was approved. The new bank would succeed the Brookville Bank, changing from a private to a national bank. The officers were John C. Shirk, president; John P. Goodwin, vice president; and George E. Dennett, cashier. The directors were John C. Shirk, M.S. Goodwin, John P. Goodwin, Geo. E. Dennett, and William D. Moore. The paid up capital was $50,000 and the surplus was almost 50% of that amount.

On Saturday, January 11, 1913, the National Brookville Bank observed "Open Day". Visitors and customers were shown through the different rooms and vaults by the officers, assisted by Mrs. Shirk, Mrs. Goodwin and Mrs. Dennett. Misses Ellen and Cornelia Shirk served the punch. In 1890 Goodwin & Shirk bought the "Old Grindstone Corner" and began the erection of the present National Brookville Bank Building. It was of buff Amherst stone and Zanesville pressed brick, and a very handsome and substantial structure. It was just 22 years since the bank was moved into this building, and while the furnishings of the bank were most substantial, the arrangement and decorations were not modern, and its officers decided to make it as well-equipped as any bank could be. They visited many banks in Cincinnati, Indianapolis and Chicago to get ideas, then employed Mr. W.B. Parker, architect, to work out the plans. First, they removed the vestibule and erected a marquise or sun and storm shade over the front entrance. This was of copper, bronze and glass. Inside, as one entered the public lobby, which had pink Tennessee marble floor with counters and wainscoted walls of cremo-creche marble, with Vermont verde marble base, one would be impressed by the simplicity and richness of the interior. Everything was made as simple as possible to serve the purpose for which it was made. In the center was a large, solid mahogany double check desk, with plate glass top and racks, so one could see the checks, deposit slips, notes, etc., below in the small pockets or "pigeon holes" where they were easily accessible. To the left of the check desk was a solid mahogany settee with cushioned leather back. To the west of the lobby at the southwest corner was the ladies' private room. This room was especially fitted up for the ladies of the county and town with a mahogany writing desk, chairs, writing materials, a handsome lamp and a telephone. The floors were hardwood with a handsome rug. In connection with this room was a toilet room with washstand, mirror, etc. To the north of the ladies' room was a committee room, for the use of committees, persons who want to consult together, and for a general consultation room. In this room would be found the daily papers and some of the latest books on agriculture. Farmers were especially invited to use this room. To the north of this customers' room was a mantel and fireplace. The hearth and mantel facing was of cremo-creche marble. To the right of the fireplace was the entrance to the safe deposit vault, which contained about two hundred boxes, providing a very desirable place for keeping deeds, insurance polices, mortgages and other valuable papers. The officers were John C. Shirk, president; John P. Goodwin, vice president; and Geo. E. Dennett, cashier. The directors were John C. Shirk, John P. Goodwin, Geo. E. Dennett, W.D. Moore and Martha S. Goodwin.

In March 1923, the officers were John C. Shirk, president; John P. Goodwin, vice president; and G.E. Dennett, cashier. The bank had capital $100,000, surplus and profits $70,000.

On March 14, 1939, stockholders decided to go into voluntary liquidation. Cash and securities to pay the deposit liability in full were placed in the Franklin County National Bank. The directors thanked their loyal patronage during the years it served the community as both a private and national bank. The directors were john P. Goodwin, Chafee W. Shirk, George E. Dennett, Charles Glaser, and Emma C. Stock. Mr. Dennett, cashier, retired just when he reached his 50th year of active service with the bank. Mr. Dennett became associated with the Goodwin and Shirk bank on April 10, 1889. Chafee W. Shirk, son of John C. Shirk, became associated with the National Brookville Bank in 1921 after a year with the Fifth-Third National Bank of Cincinnati. In 1924, he became assistant cashier and in 1925 vice president of the National Brookville Bank. The Franklin County National Bank, successor of the liquidating bank, was chartered in 1900 and opened for business in the room later occupied by Popper's Shoe Store. The first president of this new institution was Mr. Joseph A. Fries. Richard S. Taylor was the first cashier. Around 1913, the banking house across from the National Brookville Bank was built and occupied. Mr. Charles L. Masters was the current president of the Franklin County National along with Frank Geis, Jr., vice president; and Carl C. Hofer, cashier. The total resources after the transaction would be more than $1,500,000.

On Thursday, August 3, 1972, John P. Goodwin, past president of the National Brookville Bank, died at his home at the age of 92. The family founded Goodwin & Son, a private bank until after the death of Goodwin's father in 1896. John Pemberton Goodwin, the second child of Charles F. Goodwin, was born February 26, 1880, in the Goodwin homestead at 813 Main Street, Brookville. He attended the Brookville public schools, graduating from the high school in 1897. He then entered DePauw University where he graduated in 1901. While in college he was a member of Beta Theta Pi fraternity, representing the third generation of Goodwins in this college organization in which his grandfather, Dr. John R. Goodwin, was a charter member.

After DePauw, it was decided he would go to New York City to study law, but when he got there he decided it was a lot of work if his fate was to be a banker and not a lawyer. He got permission from his mother to quit and became a cub reporter on a New York newspaper. His biggest interview was with J.P. Morgan, financial genius of the era. Morgan never gave interviews, but when no one was looking, he simply walked into Morgan's office. "How did you get in here?" roared Morgan. "I walked in," said Goodwin. "Then walk out," bellowed Morgan, and he did. He wrote his story and the next weekend went to Morgan's home as his guest and was treated royally.

He then attended Columbia University for one year after which he spent a year with the Outing Publishing Company in New York City. The following two years he spent in Arizona and organized the Golden Idol Mining Company In 1905, when the National Brookville Bank was organized, John P. Goodwin was made vice-president. He was actively engaged with the business of the bank until retiring as president in 1939. During World War I, he attended officers' training at Fort Benjamin Harrison and was commissioned an Infantry Captain in 1917. He was assigned to the general staff in Washington emerging as a major after the war. He was a director of the Dean Orchard Company of Clark County, Indiana. He was also a director of the Brookville Telephone Company and of the Franklin Furniture Company.

Official Bank Title

1: The National Brookville Bank, Brookville, IN

Bank Note Types Issued

1902 Red Seal $10 bank note with SN 1B and pen signatures of George E. Dennett, Cashier and John C. Shirk, President. Courtesy of Heritage Auctions, www.ha.com

1902 Red Seal $20 bank note with pen signature of John P. Goodwin, Vice President and stamped signature of John C. Shirk, President. Courtesy of Heritage Auctions, www.ha.com

1902 Plain Back $20 bank note with stamped signatures of George E. Dennett, Cashier and John P. Goodwin, President. Courtesy of Lyn Knight Auctions, www.lynknight.com

1929 Type 1 $20 bank note with printed signatures of 1902 Plain Back $20 bank note with stamped signatures of George E. Dennett, Cashier and John P. Goodwin, President. Courtesy of Heritage Auctions, www.ha.com

A total of $1,271,990 in National Bank Notes was issued by this bank between 1905 and 1935. This consisted of a total of 102,430 notes (81,528 large size and 20,902 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	3x10-20	1 - 2100
1902 Date Back	3x10-20	1 - 4440
1902 Plain Back	3x10-20	4441 - 18282
1929 Type 1	6x10	1 - 2490
1929 Type 1	6x20	1 - 620
1929 Type 2	10	1 - 1575
1929 Type 2	20	1 - 667

Bank Presidents and Cashiers

Bank Presidents and Cashiers during the National Bank Note Era (1905 - 1935):

Presidents:

• John C. Shirk, 1905-1923 NOTE: a featured biography is available
• John Pemberton Goodwin, 1924-1935

Cashiers:

• George Elmer Dennett, 1905-1935

Other Known Bank Note Signers

• No other known bank note signers for this bank

Bank Note History Links

• National Brookville Bank, Brookville, IN History (NB Lookup)
• Indiana Bank Note History (BNH Wiki)

Sources

• Brookville, IN, 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