From The Peopling of New York City

        Homepage User:Yanwar
        Stage 1: A Modest Proposal
        Stage 2: The Game Plan 
        Stage 3: 7th Regiment Armory and The People

Charles W. Clinton

The first person I researched is Charles William Clinton (1838, NYC – December 1st, 1910, NYC), an American architect who was instrumental in the formation of the Seventh Regiment Armory. After graduating from public school, Clinton studied architecture under Richard Upjohn. He later left to form a private partnership with William Hamilton Russell (thus forming the firm known as Clinton & Russell). Clinton and Russell was a well-known architecture firm founded in 1894 in New York City. Many of the structures they designed were in a Neo-Italian Renaissance style. The firm was responsible for numerous buildings throughout the city. Among the most prominent buildings erected by Clinton & Russell in New York City are the Wilkes Central Trust Company, the Metropolitan Trust Company, the Seventy-first Regiment Armory, and the Seventh Regiment Armory. Mr. Clinton was elected an Associate of the American Institute of Architects in 1858 and a Fellow in 1864. ^[1]

After this preliminary online research, I looked to vital records to better understand Clinton. Ancestry.com proved to be an effective source. After locating the correct Clinton (verified via known birth and death dates), I learned the following about Clinton. His spouse was Emily Gorsuch, and his parents were Alexander Clinton and Adeline Arden Hamilton. Clinton’s son is Charles Kenneth Clinton (born circa 1890) and his daughter is Margery Hamilton Clinton (born circa 1894). I was able to locate an extended family tree that is an amalgam of various entries in the site’s database (see figure 1). ^[2]

In addition to the family tree, I was able to learn that after the deaths of Clinton and Russell, their firm continued, and in 1926 it was renamed Clinton & Russell, Holton & George. The primary source (a legal document indicating the firm’s name change) was not available, but the name change was presented as fact under the historical facts heading.

Pedigree View for Charles William Clinton

Below are the original census data – also included is a blank form –its purpose is to held make it easier to read the column headings since they are often unclear on the original.

Federal Census 1970 page 1

Federal Census 1970 page 2

1870 Federal Census: At this point, Charles W. Clinton should be about 32 years old. This particular section of the census was written on June 28, 1870. This census reveals that his father, Alex Clinton, is about 77 and his occupation is physician. Mary Blucker, age 48, “keeps house.” Charles W. Clinton is on the top of the second page, and his occupation is correctly listed as architect. We also see Julia and Ellen Connor, and one other (name is illegible) who are listed as domestic workers.

From this census record, we discover the occupational background of those who lived on Park Avenue. First, it is clear that Alex Clinton is a doctor, which lends one to assume that his family was quite wealthy. This claim is further strengthened by the fact that the Clintons had three servants. As for the neighbors in the census, many of them are bankers or brokers. These occupations in the financial field indicate upper class status. Thus, it does not seem to be a stretch that Clinton and his family had lives that were intertwined with that of the rich and influential.

1910 Federal Census: Here, we see Charles W. Clinton is age 72, his last year. He is listed as head of his family. Below him is Emily (Wife), Margery (daughter), and Charles (Son). Mary Collin, Annie Rowan, and one other (name is illegible) are listed as servants. While Charles W. Clinton is listed as an architect, the three servants are listed as maid, laundress, and chambermaid, respectively. Under the nature of business for the family, while other families are listed as “private” or “bank,” Clinton’s family is listed as “general.”

Here we can see a clear contrast with Clinton in his earlier days. As a child, his father was a doctor, and it seemed he lived in a more affluent milieu. Now, as a father himself, Charles W. Clinton is an architect. Although he has three servants as he did when he was in his thirties, Clinton's family is listed as "general" in the occupational sense. The surrounding families are "private" or bankers, indicating that the Clintons are not as wealthy. It seems in terms of socio-economic status, Clinton has "moved down" in a sense, over time.

Federal Census 1910

Louis Comfort Tiffany

The next person I researched is Louis Comfort Tiffany (February 18, 1848 – January 17, 1933). He was an American artist and designer who worked in the decorative arts and is best known for his work in stained glass. He is most often associated with the Art Nouveau and Aesthetic movements. Tiffany was affiliated with a prestigious collaborative of designers known as the Associated Artists which included Lockwood de Forest, Candace Wheeler, and Samuel Colman. Tiffany designed stained glass windows and lamps, glass mosaics, blown glass, ceramics, jewelry, enamels and metalwork.

Vital records indicated that Louis was the son of Charles Lewis Tiffany, founder of Tiffany and Company, and Harriet Olivia Avery Young. Louis married Mary Woodbridge Goddard on May 15, 1872 in Norwich, Connecticut and had the following children: Mary Woodbridge Tiffany (1873-1963) who married Graham Lusk; Charles Louis Tiffany I (1874-1874); Charles Louis Tiffany II (1878-1947); and Hilda Goddard Tiffany (1879-1908).

After the death of his wife, he married Louise Wakeman Knox (1851-1904) on November 9, 1886. They had the following children: Louise Comfort Tiffany (1887-1974); Julia DeForest Tiffany (1887-1973) who married Gurdon S. Parker then married Francis Minot Weld; Annie Olivia Tiffany (1888-1892); and Dorothy Trimble Tiffany (1891-1979), who, as Dorothy Burlingham, later became a noted psychoanalyst and lifelong friend and partner of Anna Freud. Many of Tiffany’s descendants were active in the arts, politics, and the sciences.^[2]

Additionally, I was lucky enough to obtain a copy of Tiffany’s US Passport Application (See Figure 2). ^[2] From the passport, we can verify that Louis’ father was indeed Charles, and that Louis initially resided in Oyster Bay, Long Island. His official occupation was that of an artist. It is interesting to note that at the bottom, it states that Tiffany pledged to leave the US via the “Port of New York” via the “SS Berengaria” on June 30th. However, the year is not present. Following the date (June 30th), there is simply the number 192 followed by “crossing out” of a number or letter, perhaps. I intend to search other records, and determine when exactly Tiffany left New York, and how the departure date fits in with when he worked on the armory. Also, I will investigate whether or not he returned to the US (if he left at all), and how his travels affected his art.

Louis C. Tiffany's Passport Application

The Peopling of Park Avenue

References

1. ↑ Beaver Building Designation Report (PDF). New York Landmarks Preservation Commission, 13 February 1996. Retrieved 6 April 2007.
2. ↑ ^{2.0 2.1 2.2} Genealogy, Family Trees and Family History Records online - Ancestry.com. The Generations Network. 16 Apr. 2009 <http://www.ancestry.com>.

The End! If you skipped around, look at the menu below to see the varying pages of this wiki. I hope you enjoyed my narrative!

        Homepage User:Yanwar
        Stage 1: A Modest Proposal
        Stage 2: The Game Plan 
        Stage 3: 7th Regiment Armory and The People