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Abram Hewitt
Portrait byMathew Bradyc. 1875–1879
87thMayor of New York City
In office January 1, 1887 – December 31, 1888
Preceded by	William Russell Grace
Succeeded by	Hugh J. Grant
Member of theU.S. House of Representatives fromNew York's10th district
In office March 4, 1881 – December 30, 1886
Preceded by	James O'Brien
Succeeded by	Francis B. Spinola
In office March 4, 1875 – March 3, 1879
Preceded by	Fernando Wood
Succeeded by	James O'Brien
Chairman of the Democratic National Committee
In office 1876–1877
Preceded by	Augustus Schell
Succeeded by	William H. Barnum
Personal details
Born	Abram Stevens Hewitt (1822-07-31)July 31, 1822 Haverstraw, New York, U.S.
Died	January 18, 1903(1903-01-18) (aged 80) New York City, New York, U.S.
Resting place	Green-Wood Cemetery,Brooklyn
Political party	Democratic
Alma mater	Columbia College
Signature

Abram Stevens Hewitt (July 31, 1822 – January 18, 1903) was an American politician, educator,ironmakingindustrialist, and lawyer who wasmayor ofNew York City for two years from 1887 to 1888. He also twice served as aU.S. Congressman fromNew York's 10th congressional district and chaired theDemocratic National Committee from 1876 to 1877.

The son-in-law of the industrialist and philanthropistPeter Cooper, Hewitt is best known for his work with theCooper Union, which he aided Cooper in founding in 1859, and for planning the financing and construction of thefirst line of what would eventually develop into theNew York City Subway, for which he is considered the "Father of the New York City Subway System".^[1]

Hewitt was born inHaverstraw, New York. His mother, Ann Gurnee, was of FrenchHuguenot descent, while his father, John Hewitt, was fromStaffordshire inEngland and had emigrated to the U.S. in 1796 to work on asteam engine to power a water plant inPhiladelphia.

Hewitt earned a scholarship to attendColumbia College. After graduating from the college in 1842, he taughtmathematics there, and became a lawyer several years later.^[when?]

From 1843 to 1844, Hewitt traveled toEurope with his student,Edward Cooper, the son of industrialist entrepreneurPeter Cooper, and another future New York City mayor. During their return voyage, the pair wereshipwrecked together. After this, Hewitt became "virtually a member of the Cooper family", and in 1855 married Edward's sister, Sarah Amelia.^[2][3]

In 1845, financed by Peter Cooper, Hewitt and Edward Cooper started an iron mill inTrenton, New Jersey, the Trenton Iron Company, where, in 1854, they produced the first structuralwrought iron beams, as well as developing other innovative products. Hewitt's younger brother, Charles, was a manager at the iron mill. Hewitt also invested in other companies, in many case serving on their boards.^[4]

Hewitt supervised the construction of theCooper Union, Peter Cooper's free educational institution, and chaired its board of trustees until 1903.^[4]

In 1871, inspired by reformerSamuel J. Tilden, Cooper prominently campaigned to remove the corrupt "Tweed Ring", led byWilliam M. "Boss" Tweed, from control ofTammany Hall, and to reorganize theDemocratic Party in New York, which Tweed controlled for years through hispolitical machine.

Hewitt first ventured into electoral politics in 1874, when he won a seat in theU.S. House of Representatives, where he initially served two terms representingNew York's 10th congressional district, from March 4, 1875, to March 3, 1879. During his first stint in Congress, he was made head of theDemocratic National Committee in 1876, when Tildenran unsuccessfully for President.^[4]

After defeatingJames O'Brien, his successor in Congress who was a staunch opponent of Tammany Hall, for the Democratic nomination in the 10th district during the1880 elections, Hewitt regained his old seat and once again served in the U.S. House from 4 March 1881 to 30 December 1886.^[5] Hewitt's most famous speech was made at the opening of theBrooklyn Bridge betweenManhattan andBrooklyn in 1883.^[6]

Hewitt was electedmayor of New York City in 1886. He defeated the labor candidateHenry George as well as the Republican candidateTheodore Roosevelt. Hewitt's election campaign had the support ofTammany Hall. The endorsement was formal and included organizational muscle.^[7]

Hewitt refused to review theSaint Patrick's Day parade, a decision that alienated much of the Democratic Party'sIrish–American base in the city. Hewitt also refused to allow Tammany the control ofpatronage they wanted,^[4] and Croker saw to it that Hewitt was not nominated for a second term.^[8]

Hewitt was considered a defender of soundfinancial management. He is quoted as saying "Unnecessary taxation is unjust taxation". Hewitt also upheld thecivil service reform in the United States. He oversaw the passage of the Rapid Transit Act of 1894, which would provide public funding for the construction of the firstNew York City Subway line.^{[9]: 19–20}

A 1993 survey of historians, political scientists and urban experts conducted by Melvin G. Holli of theUniversity of Illinois at Chicago ranked Hewitt as the twenty-sixth-best American big-city mayor to have served between the years 1820 and 1993.^[10]

Hewitt had many investments in natural resources, including considerable holdings inWest Virginia, whereWilliam Nelson Page (1854–1932) was one of his managers. He was also an associate ofHenry Huttleston Rogers (1840–1909), a financier andindustrialist who was a key man in theStandard Oil Trust, and a major developer of natural resources.

One of Hewitt's investments handled by Rogers and Page was the Loup Creek Estate inFayette County, West Virginia. TheDeepwater Railway was a subsidiary initially formed by the Loup Creek investors to shipbituminous coal from coal mines on their land a short distance to the main line of theChesapeake and Ohio Railway (C&O) along theKanawha River. After rate disputes, theshort line railroad was eventually expanded to extend all the way into Virginia and across that state to a newcoal pier atSewell's Point onHampton Roads. It was renamed theVirginian Railway.^{[citation needed]}

In 1890 Hewitt partnered withEdward Cooper andHamilton McKown Twombly in forming the American Sulphur Company, which then entered into a 50/50 agreement withHerman Frasch and his partners to form theUnion Sulphur Company.^[11]

As philanthropist Hewitt was interested in education.Columbia University gave him the degree ofLL.D. in 1887, and he was the president of its alumni association in 1883, and a trustee from 1901 until his death.

In 1876, he was elected president of theAmerican Institute of Mining Engineers, and was a founder and trustee of theCarnegie Institution of Science. He was also a trustee ofBarnard College and of theAmerican Museum of Natural History.^[6]

Abram Hewitt died at his New York City home on January 18, 1903, and was interred atGreen-Wood Cemetery. His last words, after he took his oxygen tube from his mouth, were "And now, I am officially dead."^[12]

Hewitt's daughters, Amy, Eleanor, and Sarah Hewitt, built a decorative arts collection that was for years exhibited at the Cooper Union and later became the core collection of theCooper-Hewitt National Design Museum. His son,Peter Cooper Hewitt (1861–1921), was a successful inventor, while another son, Edward Ringwood Hewitt (1865–1957), was also an inventor, a chemist and an early expert on fly-fishing. He publishedTelling on the Trout, among other books.

Hewitt's youngest son, Erskine Hewitt (1871–1938), was also a lawyer and philanthropist in New York City. He donatedRingwood Manor to the State ofNew Jersey in 1936.^[13] On February 18, 1909, Erskine Hewitt was named a director of the newly formedNational Reserve Bank of the City of New York.^[14] On March 2, 1909, Hewitt was elected chairman.^[15]

• One of Cooper Union's academic buildings was named in his honor. It was demolished and replaced by41 Cooper Square in 2007. An historic twenty-foot column in the Hewitt Building designed byStanford White was transported—appropriately enough—to its former home at theGreen-Wood Cemetery inBrooklyn, New York, where it now stands on Abram S. Hewitt's memorial plot.^[16]
• A New York Cityfireboat,Abram S. Hewitt, which served from 1903 until 1958 was named in his honor. The fireboat was eventually scrapped, and its remains may be found at theWitte Marine Scrapyard inRossville, Staten Island.
• There is a life-sized white marble statue of Hewitt in the Great Hall of theChamber of Commerce of the State of New York inAlbany, New York.
• The historic village ofHewitt, New Jersey, located within the Township ofWest Milford, is preserved withinLong Pond Ironworks State Park. The village contains the ruins of the iron smelting furnaces operated by Cooper and Hewitt.
• Ringwood Manor inRingwood, New Jersey, the Hewitt family's summer estate from 1857 to the 1930s, is preserved as the centerpiece of New Jersey'sRingwood State Park.
• Abram Stevens Hewitt School (P.S. 130) in theBronx, New York, was named for him.
• Hewitt Hall ofBarnard College atColumbia University is named for him.
• Abram S. Hewitt State Forest along theAppalachian Trail was named in his honor.^[17]

• Chisholm, Hugh, ed. (1911)."Hewitt, Abram Stevens" .Encyclopædia Britannica. Vol. 13 (11th ed.). Cambridge University Press. p. 417.

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Abram Stevens Hewitt

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• Burials at Green-Wood Cemetery
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• History of the New York City Subway
• Bourbon Democrats
• Columbia University faculty
• 19th-century mayors of places in New York (state)
• 19th-century New York (state) politicians
• 19th-century members of the United States House of Representatives

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