Archibald Gracie | |
|---|---|
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| Born | June 25, 1755 |
| Died | April 11, 1829 (aged 73) New York City, U.S. |
| Resting place | Woodlawn Cemetery |
| Occupation | Merchant |
| Spouses | Esther Rogers (after 1784)
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| Children | Eliza Gracie Sarah Gracie Archibald Gracie II Esther Rogers Gracie |
| Parent | William Gracie |
| Relatives | Archibald Gracie III (grandson) Charles King (son-in-law) James Gore King (son-in-law) William Lawrence (son-in-law) |
Archibald Gracie (June 25, 1755 – April 11, 1829) was aScottish-born shipping magnate and earlyAmerican businessman and merchant inNew York City andVirginia whose spacious home,Gracie Mansion, now serves as the residence of theMayor of New York City.[1]
Archibald Gracie was born June 25, 1755, inDumfries,Scotland. He was the son of a weaver named William Gracie. In 1776, Gracie moved toLiverpool and clerked for aLondon shipping firm. He used his earnings to purchase a part interest in a merchant ship.
In April 1784, he sailed to America with a cargo of goods that were his own profit stock. He used the proceeds to invest in a mercantile company in New York City. He later moved toPetersburg, Virginia, and engaged in the export oftobacco toGreat Britain.[2] In 1793, he moved back to New York and became a commissary merchant and shipowner (Archibald Gracie and Sons, East India Merchants). Gracie was a business partner ofAlexander Hamilton and a friend ofJohn Jay.[3]
Gracie was a member of theTontine Association, which supervised the trading of stocks. Gracie expanded his interests and became active in the banking and insurance industries. He was a director of New York's earliest savings bankNew York Bank for Savings.[4] He was an incorporator of the Eagle Fire Insurance Company and vice president of the New York Insurance Company, a director of theUnited States Bank and of the Bank of America.[3]
He served as Vice-President of the New York Chamber of Commerce from 1800 to 1825 and the 18th president of theSt. Andrew's Society of New York, serving from 1818 to 1823.[3]
In 1798, Gracie purchased a large tract of land on Horn's Hook near theEast River, where the following year he constructed a large two-story woodenmansion on the crest of a hill. Used primarily as his country home, the mansion quickly became a hub of the New York city social scene. Gracie's distinguished guests at the mansion included Hamilton (who founded theNew-York Evening Post, now theNew York Post, there), future United States presidentJohn Quincy Adams, and futureFrench kingLouis Phillippe.[2]
In 1823, Gracie sold the estate to pay off debts. It was acquired by New York City in 1891 and now serves as the residence of the Mayor of the city.[2]
In 1784, he married Esther "Hetitia" Rogers (1757–1833), a daughter of Nehemiah Rogers (1718–1760) and Elizabeth Fitch (1723–1812). Rogers was the granddaughter ofSamuel Fitch (1701–1787), a member of theHouse of Representatives of theColony of Connecticut who was the brother ofThomas Fitch (1699–1774), former governor of theConnecticut Colony.[3] Together, they had several children, including:[1]
After the death of his wife, Gracie married Elizabeth Fitch. His marriage yielded ten children.[3]
Gracie's grandson,Archibald Gracie III (1832–1864), a general in theConfederate Army, was killed at theSiege of Petersburg during theAmerican Civil War. Another grandson, and Archibald Gracie III's younger brother, James King Gracie (1840–1903), was married to Anna Louisa Bulloch (1833–1893), daughter ofJames Stephens Bulloch (1793–1849) and the sister ofMartha Bulloch (1835–1884), who marriedTheodore Roosevelt, Sr. (1831–1878).[10][11]
His granddaughter, Emily Sophia King (1823–1853), married Stephen Van Rensselaer Paterson (1817–1872),[12] grandson ofWilliam Paterson (1745–1806), aU.S. Senator,Governor of New Jersey andJustice of the Supreme Court of the United States.[13]
Gracie's great-grandson,Archibald Gracie IV (1858–1912), was a military officer and writer who survived the sinking of theRMSTitanic in 1912. Coincidentally, one of Gracie IV's fellow travellers on theTitanic wasJohn Jacob Astor IV, great-grandson of frequent Gracie Mansion visitor, and personal friend of Gracie I,John Jacob Astor.[14]
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