Philip Hone
Philip Hone, oil on canvas,John Wesley Jarvis, 1809.DeYoung Museum
58thMayor of New York City
In office 1826–1827
Preceded by	William Paulding, Jr.
Succeeded by	William Paulding, Jr.
Personal details
Born	October 25, 1780 New York, New York
Died	May 5, 1851(1851-05-05) (aged 70) New York, New York
Party	Federalist Whig
Spouse	Catharine Dunscomb
Profession	Auctioneer, merchant, corporate president

Philip Hone (October 25, 1780 – May 5, 1851) wasMayor of New York City from 1826 to 1827.^[1][2][3] He was most notable for a detaileddiary he kept from 1828 until the time of his death in 1851, which is said to be the most extensive and detailed history on the first half of 19th-century America.^{[citation needed]}

Hone was born inNew York City on October 25, 1780. He was the son of Philip Hone (1743–1798), aGermanimmigrantcarpenter, and Esther (née Bourdet) Hone (1742–1798).^[4]

Hone first began working in theauction business, which made him wealthy. He was also a successfulmerchant and a founder of the Mercantile Library Association and he was the first president of theDelaware and Hudson Canal Company in 1825 and 1826.

He became very prominent in New York society and was friends with most of the political, artistic and scientific leaders of his day. Most notable among them were:Washington Irving,Samuel Morse,Daniel Webster,John Jacob Astor and U.S. PresidentsJohn Quincy Adams andMartin Van Buren.

Hone's diary records not only his society engagements and the major events and spectacles in the city in the first half of the century, but also his view of a changing city: his disapproval ofAndrew Jackson; the disconcerting effects of the city's constant construction; and his utter disgust with mostIrish immigrants.

In 1827, he was elected into theNational Academy of Design as an Honorary Academician. Hone lived in an elegant town house at 235Broadway, oppositeCity Hall Park.^[5] The site was later one of those purchased byF. W. Woolworth for construction of theWoolworth Building.

Originally aFederalist, he was active as a member of the party's New York City committee and served as its secretary.^[6] In 1824, he was elected as an assistant alderman from the city's 3rd Ward, and in 1825 he was an unsuccessful candidate for alderman.^[7][8] He was elected mayor in 1826 and served one term. He later became active in theWhig Party.

During theZachary Taylor administration, he served asNaval Officer of the Port of New York.

Hone was married to Catharine Dunscomb (1778–1850), the daughter of Daniel and Margaret Dunscomb. Catherine's sister, Margaret Bradford Dunscomb, was married toRobert Swartwout, the military officer, merchant, alderman, and Navy agent. Together, they were the parents of:

• John Philip (1812-1885)
• Mary S. (1814–1840), who in 1832 married John Jones Schermerhorn (1806–1876), a son of Peter Schermerhorn, brother ofWilliam Colford Schermerhorn, and grandson ofPeter Schermerhorn.
• Robert Swartwout (1815–1898),^[4] who married Eliza Rodman Russell, a daughter of merchantCharles Handy Russell.^[9][10]
• Catherine (1819-1894), who married Richard Milford Blatchford (1798-1875) a U.S. Minister to the State of the Church, Member of the New York Assembly, and cousin ofRichard M. Blatchford.

Hone died in New York City on May 5, 1851. He was buried atSaint Mark's Church in-the-Bowery.

Honesdale, Pennsylvania, is named in honor of Philip Hone, as is Hone Avenue inthe Bronx.^[11]

Wikimedia Commons has media related toPhilip Hone.

• Diary of Philip Hone 1828–1851, Vol. 1 Cornell University Library Making of America Monographs {Reprinted by}Cornell University Library Digital Collections
• Diary of Philip Hone 1828–1851, Vol. 2 Cornell University Library Making of America Monographs {Reprinted by}Cornell University Library Digital Collections
• Philip Hone atFind a Grave

• 1780 births
• 1851 deaths
• 19th-century American business executives in rail transportation
• 19th-century mayors of places in New York (state)
• Businesspeople from Manhattan
• Politicians from Manhattan
• Mayors of New York City
• New York (state) Federalists
• New York (state) Whigs
• Delaware and Hudson Railway
• 19th-century American diarists
• American people of German descent

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