Bank of the Manhattan Company

American bank

Written by

The Information Architects of Encyclopaedia Britannica

Last updated

June 30, 2026

Quick Summary

The Bank of the Manhattan Company was an American bank that opened on September 1, 1799, in New York City. Initially chartered to build a water supply system, its directors quickly decided to use surplus funds for banking operations. The company sold its waterworks to the city in 1808 and focused entirely on banking. It grew steadily, with significant expansion after 1900 through mergers, including with the Merchants’ National Bank of New York in 1920. In 1955, it merged with The Chase National Bank to form The Chase Manhattan Bank, which later became part of J.P. Morgan Chase & Co.12

Summary created from Britannica articles using AI. AI can make mistakes, so verify using Britannica articles.

3 Britannica Sources

Ask Britannica AI about this topic

Britannica doesn't have a full article on this topic, so we've curated a list of our relevant coverage.

The Chase Manhattan Corporation
…on September 1, 1799, the Bank of the Manhattan Company was opened at 40 Wall Street. In 1808 the company sold its waterworks to the city and turned completely to banking. Although growth was steady, the bank’s real expansion began after the onset of the 20th century. In 1918 it…
Read More
…on September 1, 1799, the Bank of the Manhattan Company was opened at 40 Wall Street. In 1808 the company sold its waterworks to the city and turned completely to banking. Although growth was steady, the bank’s real expansion began after the onset of the 20th century. In 1918 it…
Read More