Bank of Charleston (VA)
Information needed.
Charleston National Bank
1884—1981
From 1885 to 1888, Charleston National Bank’s President was Charles Powell Mead (“Charles Powell Mead”, 1888). This gentleman was one of the organizers of the bank, then serving as cashier for a year, and finally being elected as president. By 1893, its President was Dr. L. Prichard (“Believed To Be”, 1893), who continued to serve in this role through 1906 when its cashier was H.L. Prichard.
In 1915, the Charleston National Bank merged with the National City Bank of Charleston, and retained its name (“Charleston Banks”, 1915). By 1918, its President succeeding Dr. Prichard was Isaac Lowenstein, whose signature can be seen below on the 1902 national banknote (“Report Of”, 1918). The cashier at this time was J.S. Hill.
By at least 1932, Joe Lowenstein had become President of the bank (“Chanaba Club”, 1932; “Officers Named”, 1934) and R.E. Eskins as cashier, both of whom signed the 1929 Type 1 banknote below.
In 1981, the Charleston National Bank formed a bank holding organization named Centurian Bancorp (Stollings, 2024). This marked the end of the bank in name.
| Time Frame | Cashier | President |
|---|---|---|
| 1884-1885 | Charles P. Mead | George S. Couch |
| 1886-1887 | E.A. Reid | Charles P. Mead |
| 1888-1891 | E.A. Reid | L. Pritchard |
| 1892-1912 | H.L. Pritchard | L. Pritchard |
| 1913 | J.D. Foster, Jr. | L. Pritchard |
| 1914 | J.D. Foster, Jr. | A.M. Pritchard |
| 1915-1918 | J.S. Hill | Isaac Lowenstein |
| 1919-1935 | Reid Elmer Eskins | Isaac Lowenstein |
Source: Society of Paper Money Collectors. (n.d.). Bank info for charter 3236 (1884—1936+). https://banklookup.spmc.org/bank/3236
$10, 1902 "Plain Back." Signatures of J.S. Hill and Isaac Lowenstein. Obverse.
$10, 1902 "Plain Back." Signatures of J.S. Hill and Isaac Lowenstein. Reverse.
$20, 1929 Type 2. Signatures of R.E. Eskins, Cashier, and Isaac Lowenstein, President. Front.
$20, 1929 Type 2. Signatures of R.E. Eskins, Cashier, and Isaac Lowenstein, President. Reverse.
$20, 1929 Type 2. Signatures of R.E. Eskins, Cashier, and Joe Lowenstein, President. Obverse.
$20, 1929 Type 2. Signatures of R.E. Eskins, Cashier, and Joe Lowenstein, President. Reverse.
National Bank of Commerce of Charleston
1930—1991
The National Bank of Charleston had its beginnings in the Citizens Bank of Nitro, which began in 1918 (WV Sec. State, n.d.). This bank relocated to Charleston just two years later and renamed itself to the State Street Bank. It was located at 708 State Street with officers being M.M. Williamson, president; William A. MacCorkle, vice-president; J.N. Carnes, vice-president; Edward Hess, cashier; and Gerrald C. Ernst, assistant cashier (“State Street,” 1920).
In 1924, the State Street Bank renamed itself again to the Bank of Commerce (WV Sec. State, n.d.; “Charleston Day,” 1925). Evidently, the bank moved locations to the corner of Capitol and Lee Streets as later advertisements by other tenants in the building reveal (American Insurance Agency, 1925).
The Bank of Commerce became a national bank in 1930, then being renamed to the National Bank of Commerce (e-WV, 2023) and being permitted to issue their own national banknotes. As of 1932, R.K. Wells had become the cashier, replacing Edward Hess (“Report Of,” 1932). A 1933 advertisement places Edward Hess as the new president, R.K. Wells as the cashier, and W.G. Crichton as vice-president (National Bank of Commerce, 1933). The Hess-Wells signature combination appears on the below note.
The bank continued, doing well into the remainder of the century. In 1964, it constructed a 17-story tall building on the corner of Lee and Dickenson Streets, which is now Huntington Banks (e-WV, 2023). In 1991, it became Commerce Bank. Two years later, in 1993, it was purchased by Huntington Bancshares, ending the story of this bank as we know it.
$10, 1929 Type 1. Signatures of R.K. Wells, cashier, and Edward Hess, president. Obverse.
$10, 1929 Type 1. Signatures of R.K. Wells, cashier, and Edward Hess, president. Reverse.
References
American Insurance Agency. (1925, January 22). Removal notice [advertisement]. Charleston Daily Mail, 3.
Believed to be a forgery. (1893, January 21). The Daily Register, 1.
Chanaba club entertains. (1932, November 17). Charleston Daily Mail, 4.
Charles Powell Mead dead. (1888, July 20). The Daily Register, 1.
Charleston banks in a big merger. (1915, February 19). The Fairmont West Virginian, 1.
Charleston day by day. (1925, January 7). Charleston Daily Mail, 9.
National Bank of Commerce. (1933, March 5). United States Depository [advertisement]. Charleston Daily Mail, 21.
National Bank of Commerce. (2023, December 12). e-WV: The West Virginia Encyclopedia.
Officers named for four banks. (1934, January 10). The Charleston Daily Mail, 11.
Report of the condition of Charleston National Bank. (1918, January 6). The Charleston Daily Mail, 7.
Report of the condition of the National Bank of Commerce. (1932, July 2). Charleston Daily Mail, 7.
State Street Bank to open here Monday. (1920, August 28). Charleston Daily Mail, 7.
Stollings, C. (2024). Charleston National Bank. e-WV: The West Virginia Encyclopedia Online. https://www.wvencyclopedia.org/entries/1063
West Virginia Secretary of State. (n.d.). Business entity details: Citizens Bank of Nitro. https://apps.wv.gov/SOS/BusinessEntitySearch/Details.aspx?Id=BtsBJLgTZzzun/hY43jBbw==&Search=JDL6+HK2jE2UNq3CBw7cqQ%3d%3d&Page=0