National City Bank - 1870's dated Check with Revenue - 52 Wall Street, New York, New York

Check. 2 cents revenue stamp. New York, N.Y. The stone from 52 Wall Street was initially used in the United States Branch Bank building, which was demolished in 1839. It was later reused in the Life Insurance & Trust Company building, constructed between 1839 and 1840, with an addition made in 1866–1867. In 1912, the New York Life Insurance and Trust Company put the neighboring property at 50 Wall Street up for sale, although they retained the property at 52 Wall Street. In 1922, the New York Life Insurance and Trust Company merged with the Bank of New York, resulting in the combined entity owning the properties at 48 and 52 Wall Street.

The bank remodeled 52 Wall Street in 1923 and 1924 but still required additional space to expand. In 1926, the Bank of New York and Trust Company agreed to exchange ownership of 50 and 52 Wall Street with the National City Bank, which owned 50 Wall Street. Consequently, the Bank of New York and Trust Company acquired an L-shaped lot that measured 99 feet (30 m) on Wall Street and 125 feet (38 m) on William Street. The Bank of New York and Trust Company retained 11 feet (3.4 m) of the 52 Wall Street plot, while the National City Bank commissioned its own skyscraper on the remaining portion of the 52 Wall Street site. This land exchange was confirmed in May 1927.

During the 1950s, connections to the National City Corporation's building at 52 Wall Street to the east were constructed. In the early 1970s, the rest of the block on Wall Street, between 54 and 68 Wall Street, was demolished by their owner, Cities Service, which had previously been headquartered at nearby 70 Pine Street before moving to Oklahoma in 1974.

By 1979, the American International Group and the Bank of New York were considering building a new skyscraper at 60 Wall Street, intended to replace 48 and 52 Wall Street. Some lower stories of 48 Wall Street, which had just been renovated by Parish-Hadley Inc., might have been preserved. However, after the city's Industrial Commercial Incentive Board denied the Bank of New York's request for a $22 million tax abatement for the office tower's construction in February 1982, the plans were canceled.

By September 1982, the lots were put up for sale, and in September 1983, the bank sold the vacant lots and 52 Wall Street to the developer Park Tower Realty Company. The connections between 48 and 52 Wall Street were severed, and the new building at 60 Wall Street was completed in 1989. Following the Bank of New York's acquisition of the Irving Trust in December 1988, the company moved its headquarters to nearby 1 Wall Street, which was the former headquarters of the Irving Trust Company. However, the Bank of New York retained ownership of 48 Wall Street, as well as some offices there.

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