Third National Bank, Atlanta, GA (Charter 5030)

Postcard of Atlanta's Financial District ca1920s. The closest building is the Citizens and Southern Bank building, previously the Third National Bank building. Courtesy of Heritage Auctions, www.ha.com

Third National Bank, Atlanta, GA (Chartered 1896 - Liquidated 1919)

Town History

The Third National Bank Building constructed 1911 and occupied in 1912.

Atlanta is the capital and most populous city of the U.S. state of Georgia. It is the seat of Fulton County, although a portion of the city extends into neighboring DeKalb County. With a population of 498,715 living within the city limits, it is the eighth most populous city in the Southeast and 38th most populous city in the United States according to the 2020 U.S. census. The population in 1890 was 65,533, growing to 200,616 by 1920.

Atlanta had 12 National Banks chartered during the Bank Note Era, and 10 of those banks issued National Bank Notes.

Bank History

1918 advertisement for the Third National Bank's safe deposit business.

• Organized January 4, 1896
• Chartered January 13, 1896
• Liquidated October 30, 1919
• Absorbed by Citizens & Southern Bank of Savannah

On Wednesday, January 15, 1896, the Third National Bank of Atlanta threw open its doors for business. It rented the lower floor of the Atlanta Home Insurance Company's building, corner of Broad and Alabama Streets, for a term of three months. The bank was organized recently with $200,000 capital stock. At the organization Mr. Frank Hawkins, Jr., was elected president; Mr. Henry M. Atkinson, vice president; Mr. Joseph A. McCord, cashier; and Mr. Thomas C. Erwin, assistant cashier. Bonds were purchased and sent on to the Treasury Department in Washington to secure $50,000 in circulation. Mr. Frank Hawkins came to Atlanta several years ago from Winona, Mississippi, and was connected with a family of capitalists and bankers. Mr. John M. Cooper was paying teller and Mr. W.H. Symmers was receiving teller. The directors were Frank Hawkins, J. Carroll Payne, J.A. McCord, H.M. Atkinson, and M.A. Fall.

In March 1901, the Third National Bank closed a contract for space in the Empire building which was nearing completion. The bank would occupy the first floor front of the building with offices extending as far back as the Broad Street Entrance. The Empire building was a 14-story high-rise at the corner of Broad and Marietta and was one of the most centrally located in Atlanta. It was the first steel-frame structure and the tallest in the city.

In March 1911, the Third National Bank building, Atlanta's newest skyscraper, whose steel construction was completed some days ago, was rapidly being enclosed in stone and brick. Located at the corner of Broad and Marietta Streets, the building would have traction-type elevators in use in the Singer building in New York, in the Metropolitan building, and in the Hudson terminal building. Expert electricians said they were the most expensive elevators ever built, the fastest, safest, the the cheapest to operate.

In January 1912, the bank occupied the basement, ground floor and mezzanine floor. Doors were on bother Marietta and Broad Streets to afford patrons easy access to the bank from all points. The bank was the largest and most modern ever erected in the south, requiring a year to build and 15 cars to transport it. The massive round door was of solid steel, 8 feet in diameter, more than 17 inches thick, and weighed 50,000 pounds. The vault was three stories high. The basement was for Safety Deposit Boxes, the ground floor for cash and securities of the bank, and the third floor for books and records of the institution. The Safety Deposit Vault had a capacity of more than 6,000 boxes. The officers were Frank Hawkins, president; John W. Grant and Jos. A. McCord, vice presidents; Thomas C. Erwin, cashier; R.W. Byers, W.B. Symmers, A.M. Bergstrom, and A.J. Hansell, assistant cashiers. The directors were H.M. Atkinson, capitalist; Dr. F. Phinizy Calhoun, capitalist; Milton Dargan, manager, Southern Dept. Royal Ins. Co.; Thomas C. Erwin, cashier; John W. Grant, capitalist; Frank Hawkins, president; H.Y. McCord, president, McCord-Stewart Co.; Jos. A. McCord, vice president; James H. Nunnally, president, The Nunnally Co.; J. Carroll Payne, attorney; and John N. Goddard, manager, Conklin Tin Plate Co. The bank had capital and surplus of $1,300,000.

At the close of business on January 13, 1919, the Third National Bank had total resources of $22,162,761.74. The capital was $1,000,000, surplus and net profits $1,158,488.20, circulation $500,000, and deposits $15,309,072.91. The officers were Frank Hawkins, John W. Grant, Thos. C. Erwin, J.N. Goddard, and W.W. Banks, vice presidents; A.M. Bergstrom, cashier; W.B. Symmers, A.J. Hansell, and W.V. Crowley, assistant cashiers; J.E. Wallace, auditor; and R.C. Hackman, manager, Savings Dept. The directors were W.W. Banks, J.N. Goddard, Winship Nunnally, Robt. C. Alston, Dr. F. Phinizy Calhoun, John W. Grant, J. Carroll Payne, Wm. H. Kiser, M.F. Cole, Milton Dargan, Frank Hawkins, Henry M. Miller, R.T. Jones, Thos. C. Erwin, H.Y. McCord, Isaac Liebmann, and A.M. Bergstrom.

On Saturday, September 27, 1919, the Third National Bank of Atlanta announced the consolidation with Citizens and Southern of Savannah forming the South's biggest bank with resources of not less than $50 million. Mills B. Lane would be president and Frank Hawkins, chairman of the board. The Third National Bank Building would thereafter be known as the Citizens and Southern Bank Building. The Citizens and Southern would be the largest bank operating under a state charter in the whole south and one of the largest financial institutions outside of New York operating under a state charter. The capital stock would be $2 million with a surplus of $2.5 million.

Thomas C. Erwin, vice president and trust officer of the Citizens & Southern National Bank and one of the most prominent figures in southern banking circles died Friday morning, November 1, 1935. Mr. Erwin began his banking career in 1881 when he came to Atlanta from his home in Chambers County, Alabama, he was determined to enter the banking business. At the private banking firm of W.M. and R.J. Lowry, the elder Mr. Lowry asked him if he knew anything about bookkeeping. "No, I don't, " replied a young Erwin, "but if you will give me a week, I'll guarantee to learn how to keep your books." He was told to go ahead and for a week he literally lived in the bank, sleeping on a lounge and pored over the books day and night. At the end of the week, he was the bookkeeper. In 1896, in association with Frank Hawkins and Joseph A. McCord, he helped found the Third National Bank. In 1919 the Third National was acquired by the Citizens and Southern Bank and was made the Atlanta office of that Savannah institution. Mr. Erwin became vice president and trust officer in 1919 and held an executive position until his death. One of the distinctive public services he rendered during his career was his successful effort to have the bonds of the city of Atlanta accepted as security in national bank circulations. This aided Atlanta greatly in financing many important public improvements.

On January 16, 1954, Frank Hawkins, 98, retired financier, died at Emory Hospital. He suffered a broken hip in a fall two weeks earlier. He was the founder of the old Third National Bank and served as its president until it was merged with the Citizens and Southern Bank of Savannah and was one of the founders of the Atlantic Steel Co. of Atlanta. Before his retirement he also had served as chairman of the board of Citizens and Southern and as a director in many firms including the Georgia Power Co., Atlantic Ice and Coal Co., Gate City Cotton Mills, Empire Cotton Oil Co., Tallulah Falls Railway, and Southern States Life Ins. Co. Hawkins had been a member of St. Luke's Episcopal church since 1894. He was also a member of the Capital City Club and the Piedmont Driving Club and was one the original guarantors bringing the Metropolitan Opera to Atlanta. Hawkins was born in Carroll County, Mississippi, January 12, 1856. His father was Maj. Frank Hawkins a native of North Carolina and his mother was Anne Reed, member of a pioneer Virginia family. Hawkins' first wife, the former Miss Sarah Herring, died before he came to Atlanta in 1894. His second wife, the former Miss Alberta Coleman of Macon, died in 1949. Survivors include two daughters, Mrs. William A. Smith and Mrs. Thomas Kenan, Jr., both of Atlanta.

Official Bank Title(s)

1: The Third National Bank of Atlanta, GA

Bank Note Types Issued

1882 Brown Back $5 bank note with SN 1D and pen signatures of Joseph A. McCord, Cashier and Frank Hawkins, Jr., President. Courtesy of Heritage Auctions, www.ha.com

1882 Date Back $20 bank note with stamped signatures of T.C. Erwin, Cashier and Frank Hawkins, Jr., President. Courtesy of Heritage Auctions, www.ha.com

1902 Plain Back $10 bank note with printed signatures of A.M. Bergstrom, Cashier and Frank Hawkins, Jr., President. Courtesy of Heritage Auctions, www.ha.com

A total of $4,432,650 in National Bank Notes was issued by this bank between 1896 and 1919. This consisted of a total of 528,984 notes (528,984 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
1882 Brown Back	4x5	1 - 8250
1882 Brown Back	3x10-20	1 - 16346
1882 Date Back	4x5	1 - 38855
1882 Date Back	3x10-20	1 - 27897
1902 Plain Back	4x5	1 - 25550
1902 Plain Back	3x10-20	1 - 15348

Bank Presidents and Cashiers

Bank Presidents and Cashiers during the National Bank Note Era (1896 - 1919):

Presidents:

• Frank Hawkins, Jr. , 1896-1919

Cashiers:

• Joseph Alexander McCord Sr., 1896-1906
• Thomas Cowan Erwin, 1907-1914
• Andrew Mangum Bergstrom, 1915-1919

Other Known Bank Note Signers

• No other known bank note signers for this bank

Bank Note History Links

• Third National Bank, Atlanta, GA History (NB Lookup)
• Georgia Bank Note History (BNH Wiki)

Sources

• Atlanta, GA, 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