Wachovia
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Wachovia Corporation is a large banking chain in the United States. It is number 23 on the Forbes 500 list for 2003, and is the fourth largest bank holding company in the US. Wachovia Bank and Trust was formed in 1911 by the merger of Wachovia National Bank (founded 1879) and Wachovia Loan and Trust (founded 1893), and was located in Winston-Salem, North Carolina. It later renamed to Wachovia Corporation, and in 2001, merged with First Union Corporation, and the headquarters were moved to Charlotte, North Carolina.
When Wachovia and First Union merged, the multiple skyscrapers with First Union's name in Charlotte came under Wachovia's name. One First Union became One Wachovia Center, currently the third tallest building in Charlotte, Two First Union became Two Wachovia Center, and Three First Union became Three Wachovia Center. Wachovia Center, built in 1974, retained its name after the merger.
"Wachovia" is the Latin form of the German name Wachau. When Moravian settlers arrived in North Carolina in 1753, they gave this name to the land they acquired, because it resembled a valley along the Danube River called Der Wachau.