The Corn Exchange Bank was a retail bank founded in 1853 in New York state. Over the years, the company acquired many community banks. In 1855, the Corn Exchange Bank moved into an existing building in New York City at the northwest corner of William and Beaver Streets in Manhattan. In 1894, the bank completed its new headquarters, an 11-story building designed by Robert Henderson Robertson located at 11-15 William Street. Between 1923 and 1925, together with a number of other New York banks, it held a small stake in the Connecticut-chartered Bank of Central and South America. In 1929 it was renamed the Corn Exchange Bank and Trust Company. In 1954 it merged with Chemical Bank and the combined entity took the name Chemical Corn Exchange Bank. After Chemical Corn merged with New York Trust, the word "Corn" was dropped. As late as 1928, photographs show that the Corn Exchange Bank had a branch in a building on Grove Street, approximately 50 feet east of Seventh Avenue South in Greenwich Village. The building was likely expanded following the bank's merger with Chemical Bank in 1954. The enlarged building's exterior appearance is virtually unchanged since 1954, likely due to the creation of the New York City Landmarks Preservation Commission in 1965 in response to the mounting losses of historically significant buildings in New York City, most notably the old Pennsylvania Station. The Grove Street building currently houses a Chase Bank branch. Chase Manhattan merged with Chemical Bank in 1995.
Acquisition history
1899: Astor Place Bank, Hudson River Bank of the City of New York and Queens County Bank. In 1896 the Astor Place Bank had acquired the Empire State Bank.
1902: Mechanics & Traders' Bank of Brooklyn, Eleventh Ward Bank and Union Square Bank of the City of New York. The Eleventh Ward Bank in 1867 purchased Banking New-York Dry Dock Company.
