History of Queens County, New York : with illustrations, portraits, and sketches of prominent families and individuals., Part 74

Author:
Publication date: 1882
Publisher: New York : W.W. Munsell and Co.
Number of Pages: 703

USA > New York > Queens County > History of Queens County, New York : with illustrations, portraits, and sketches of prominent families and individuals. > Part 74

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Through Dr. Geissenhainer's efforts, and largely at his own personal cost, the Lutheran Cemetery at Middle Vil- lage was established, it being his design to open a place of sepulture where graves would be sold at such low

OFFICEAND BATE

PLEASANT HILL

UNION HILL

CHAPEL.

LUTHERAN CEMETERY, INCORPORATED MARCH 22ª 1852. MIDDLE VILLAGE, QUEENS CO., L.I.

UNION EVANGELICAL CHURCH OF CORONA, QUEENS CO., L. I.

397

REV. F. W. GEISSENHAINER-CHURCHES OF NEWTOWN.

prices as to render them obtainable by people of limited means, who were often taxed far beyond their ability to pay by the managers of other cemeteries. So entirely feasible was Dr. Geissenhainer's plan, and so good his management of the affairs of the cemetery (now in the hands of his son F. W. Geissenhainer, the present treas- urer), that the annual interments in the Lutheran Ceme- tery outnumber those in any other Protestant cemetery in the United States. This cemetery was opened in 1850 and incorporated March 22nd 1852.

Dr. Geissenhainer married Mary, daughter of Boltis Moore, of New York city, September 6th 1824. Three of their children-Frederick W., Mary L. (now Mrs. Hunter) and Jacob A .- are living. Boltis, another son, died at the age of two years, in 1827.

A portrait of Dr. Geissenhainer accompanies this ar- ticle. He was of about the medium height, sparely made, and even in his old age possessed a great amount of activity. It will be observed that his head was more long than round in its contour, with features of the Ger- man type, small and regularly moulded. His eyes were lit with a keen, often merry twinkle. He was a person of much vivacity and cheerfulness, and his conversational powers were such as to render him a most agreeable social companion, while his manners were not only cour- teous, but so kindly and unassuming that a stranger found himself on the best terms with him in the shortest possible time. He talked upon any subject with interest, knowledge and animation, and showed himself at once the profound scholar and thinker, the shrewd observer of passing events, and the genial, open-hearted gentleman. He preached an original and very practical sermon, and was a pointed, logical writer, and while he came very directly to the idea he wished to convey, his argument in maintaining every position was absolute and over- whelming. He dealt mostly with themes which invited a learned exposition of the Scriptures and of the moral obligations which are incumbent upon mankind. His people sought and obtained of him practical religious and moral instruction, given with the authority of a man holding a sacred commission to proclaim the truth, and with the tender concern of a father solicitous for their temporal and spiritual welfare. He had a clear, distinct voice and was emphatic in his manner of delivery, and equally acceptable as a speaker in the English and Ger- man languages, having them both at his command. There was an ever present dignity and seriousness about him in the pulpit, and everything lie did was in evident recog- nition of the sacredness of the place and occasion and the responsibility resting upon himself as a teacher.

MIDDLE VILLAGE M. E. CHURCH.

The Methodists built a church in 1785 at Middle Vil- lage. This was subsequently converted into a dwelling, and in 1836 a new edifice was built about a quarter of a mile from the former site, on the Williamsburgh and Ja- maica turnpike road. This was effected chiefly through the liberality and personal effort of Joseph Harper, who spent his entire life in this immediate vicinity-a period

of over eighty years. In 1839 a small Methodist Episco- pal church was erected at Newtown village, and in 1843 one at Astoria. For a time these three churches formed one charge, but that of Astoria subsequently withdrew. Until within a few years the churches of Middle Village and Newtown village have employed one pastor, but they are now distinct, the Newtown pulpit being supplied from the Methodist Book Concern.

CORONA.

Almost adjoining the village of Newtown and extend- ing nearly to Flushing Bay is the pretty little country village of Corona, on the Flushing and North Side Rail- road. Its location first suggested the name of West Flushing, but when the post-office was established here the name Corona was adopted for the office, and the village is more generally now known by that name.

THE UNION EVANGELICAL CHURCH

of Corona originated in a Sunday-school, established in 1869 by Mrs. Page. Collecting a few truant children on her porch, she succeeded in interesting them in Bible stories. Her efforts were the means of others becoming interested in the work, among the number being Charles P. Leverich. At first meetings were held in the summer season in Barker's grove, and in the winter season in Mr. Leverich's house; The work grew until it was found very necessary to have some more suitable place of worship. Mr. Leverich donated the ground and building, which he dedicated to the memory of the late ministers of the town of Newtown. No church organization, however, was com- pleted until May 15th, 1873. Previous to this time the pulpit was supplied from the neighboring villages, but the insufficiency of this was now felt, and an earnest desire expressed to call a minister. In answer to this desire the Rev. William H. Ford was installed as first pastor, and was succeeded in April 1874 by the Rev. O. A. Kings- bury, a man of deep learning. The next regular pastor was Rev. William H. Ballaugh, who resigned in Novem- ber 1879. Supplies were furnished by the various evan- gelical institutes except the Episcopal, until June 1881, when Rev. Mr. Peck, the present pastor, was installed. The original members of the church were Mr. and Mrs. Isaac L. Moe, Mr. and Mrs. John Van Wickel, Mr. and Mrs. Earl Lee, Charles D. Leverich, George W. Smith, Mrs. Eliza A. Reed, Mrs. Mary Stuckey, Miss Charlotte Main and Mrs. R. Coddington. Charles P. Leverich died in January 1876, after having provided that this church, which he had founded, should forever remain undenomi- national and free. A handsome tablet has appropriately been placed in the church in memory of Mr. Leverich, reading as follows: " In Memory of Charles P'. Leverich, Founder of this Church. Died January 10 1876."

The officers for the year 1881 were: Trustees-Isaac L. Moe, Jolın Van Wickel, Charles D). Leverich, George W. Smith, Earl Lee, George W. Leonard, Allen J. Dennis; elders-Isaac L. Moe, John Van Wickel, Charles D. Leverich, Earl Lee, George W. Leonard; treasurer, Charles 1). Leverich; clerk, George W. Smith.

398

COLONEL EDWARD LEVERICH.

From the " Annals of Newtown " we copy the follow- ing account of the ancestry of the Leverich families of the present day, by way of tracing the descent of the subject of this sketch:

"The learned and Reverend William Leverich, than whom his descendants need wish no better ancestry, first appears as a student at Emanuel College, Cambridge [where he graduated with the degree of A. B. in 1625, receiving the degree of A. M. in 1629], and in the town records of Newtown it appears unquestionably that he wrote his name as above, though a few of his descend- ants now write Leveridge. [A large manuscript in his "John Leverich, son of Caleb and grandson of the Rev. William Leverich, died in or shortly prior to 1705, leaving a widow, Hannah, and children John 2nd, Wil- liam Benjamin, Hannah " and Martha. * own handwriting is still extant, and valued as the oldest records of the town of Newtown.] Engaging to become the minister of Dover in New Hampshire he embarked * * at London in the ship 'James,' and after a passage of eight weeks arrived at Salem, October 10th 1633. He immediately entered upon his work at Dover; but after a stay of less than two years he left and came to Boston, where lie united with the church August 9th 1635. [He was a man of great piety and meekness.] His residence here was also brief, for he soon became an assistant to the Rev. Mr. Partridge at Duxbury, where, in 1637, a home lot was assigned him. Three years later we find latter by the second marriage. him in office at Sandwich, on Cape Cod, and here he re- "William Leverich, son of John 2nd, was born October 5th 1723, and married, December 13th 1747, Hannah, daughter of John Way; and secondly, on September 15th mained a good many years, engaged in imparting relig- ious truth to the Indians and proving himself a worthy cotemporary of the apostle Eliot. In 1653 he became a 1751, Dorothy, daughter of Ephraim Morse and sister of

purchaser and settler at Oyster Bay, L. I., the inhabit- ants agreeing to give him £15 per year as minister among them. At this place, Huntington and Newtown he spent the rest of his life. *

* * He left sons Caleb and Eleazer, the former of whom took out letters of admin- istration on his estate June 19th 1667. * *

Caleb Leverich came with his father to Newtown at his first settlement here. He acquired much land in different sections of the town, enjoyed the esteem of his towns- men, and was one of the original members of the Presby- terian church. He died in 1717, aged 79, having sur- vived his wife Martha. His children were John Ist, Mary and Eleanor.

" John Leverich, son of John Ist, was born in 1696. He mar- ried first, on December 14th 1720, Amy Moore; secondly, Susannah, widow of John Sackett; and thirdly, Sarah, widow of Francis Cornish and daughter of Silas Titus. By the latter he had no issue. He died in 1780, aged 84, and was interred in the family cemetery in Train's Meadow, his widow surviving him many years. His children were John, William Samuel and Elnathan, the * * * "

401

COL. EDWARD LEVERICH-CHARLES P. LEVERICH.

Captain E. Morse of the French war. He occupied the place on the south side of Train's Meadow afterward the residence of his son William. * *

* Here he closed his life, June 13th 1787, his death resulting from a cold taken while assisting to draw stone for the foundation of the Presbyterian church, of which he was a trustee. His widow died April 17th 1814, in her 87th year. Their children were " John, Amy, Abigail, Hannah, Jesse, Pa- tience, William, Edward, Elizabeth, James, Sarah and Deborah.

Colonel Edward Leverich was born December 3d 1763, and married Elizabeth, daughter of Jacob Palmer, who died after having borne him ten children, as follows: Jacob Palmer, William H., James H., Henry S., Charles P., Ann P., Abigail, Eliza F., Jane P. and Aletta. He ities which his after life so fully developed. The old married for his second wife Patience, daughter of David Moore, who bore him two daughters, named respectively Ann and Sarah.

Colonel Leverich served in the war of 1812 and was stationed at different times at Sag Harbor and at Fort Greene. He was after the war connected with the New York State militia, during his identification with which the title by which he was afterward known was conferred upon him. Politically he was a Democrat of the staunch old-fashioned kind, and greatly interested in the public questions of his time. He took a strong and active in- terest in the affairs of the town, and was chosen justice of the peace and assessor, besides holding other offices in the gift of his townsmen. A letter written to Colonel Leverich by Rufus King, which the writer has seen, shows that they were both members of the county agri- cultural society as early as 1820. The conduct, in pub- lic and private, of Colonel Leverich was such that he was greatly respected by people of all classes. It comes down to us that his advice was often sought by the leading men of the county of his day, and documents are extant which prove that he was identified with the most important -public interests of his time. His death occurred June 14th 1835, in his seventy-second year.

There are two life· size portraits in oil of Colonel Lev- erich, one belonging to Henry S. Leverich, and the other hanging in the late residence of his other son, Charles P. Leverich, at Newtown, where it has been more than forty years.

CHARLES P. LEVERICH

was the fifth son of Colonel Edward Leverich, and through him was descended from one of the earliest res- idents of the town, viz. Rev. William Leverich, whose private life and public services, after more than two cen- turies, still shed lustre on the family fame. The open- ing and closing paragraphs in the short biography of his father, preceding, fill out this brief outline of the life of the gentleman whose portrait appears on the opposite page.

Charles P. Leverich was born July 17th 1809, and the family record states that he was baptized in the Presby- terian church at Newtown, January Ist 1810. He re- ceived his education in the public "district No. 2"

school of the town of Newtown, situated about a mile west from the old family homestead, where he was born and where his childhood days came and passed. The school-house is still standing, but the school site was changed during the year 1870. At about 18 years of age he went to New York city as clerk with Peter Remsen & Co., 109 and III Pearl street, in which firm his older brother, Henry S., soon became a partner. Here he laid the foundation of a thorough business training for that prosperous and honorable career which closed with his life on the morning of January roth 1876. His boy- hood and youth, although seeming uneventful to the casual reader, were marked by many exhibitions-says his old friend George W. Burroughs-of the manly qual-

Leverich homestead, where the subject of this memoir was born (at Corona, facing the meadows which lie be- tween Newtown and Flushing), is now the residence of John and George Elliott. The farm connected with this homestead was one of the largest and handsomest in the town. The massive barn and outbuildings for storage of hay, grain and other produce afforded shelter for the stock of horses, cattle, sheep, etc., of no mean kind. The Messrs. Elliott purchased the property about the year 1851 of Mr. Hendrickson, who bought it of Colonel Ed- ward Leverich some thirty years previous, after his pur- chase of the place now in possession of Henry S. Lever- ich and the heirs of Charles P. Leverich.

Among his early associates as clerks in Peter Remsen & Co.'s store were

Rudrow, - - Brent, C. J. Aldis, William N. Chadwick, Samuel Hicks, Edward Whitehouse, John McCoun, Henry Platt, Felix Garcia, Henry S. Wyckoff, William C. Maitland, and Henry S. Leverich. The house did business with nearly all the places of note over the world. An anecdote is told about their first importation of gongs from China, to the effect that after midnight Henry S. and Charles P. Lev- erich got two of the gongs from the store, took them into the street and there rung or beat them, much for their own pleasure, but to the fright and discomfiture of the resi- dents. These two brothers had lodgings together at Mrs. Peek's, Pearl street; then at Mrs. Baker's, No. 5 Nassau street, at $4 per week board; later they took a house in Greenwich street, and finally Charles married and set- tled in Mercer street, after which (about 1841) he pur- chased and built on some sixteen acres adjoining the second or present homestead, now occupied by Henry, at Newtown, L. I.

He boarded near the office and store from youth up, until moving to Newtown; owing to the great amount of business-especially hand copying of accounts, letters, etc .- he was compelled to be there early and return after supper. The pleasures of the theater were indulged in about once a year. Moses Taylor, Edward Whitehouse, James Punnett, S. M. W. Gouveneur, George W. Bur- roughs, Jacob Vermilye, John L. Riker and John C. Jackson were among his early friends; but later the more prominent merchants and bankers of New York city, again others of our cities, often sought his com-

402

HISTORY OF QUEENS COUNTY.

pany for friendly social talk and for his views and coun- sel on all financial subjects.

The firm of Peter Remsen & Co. was the first and per- haps the largest house then doing a mercantile, commis sion, importing and jobbing business in the city, first at 26 South street, then in Hanover square (109 and 111 Pearl street). The partners of Peter Remsen were Daniel Remsen, who died in Rome; Francis Olmsted, James Strong, James McCall and Henry S. Leverich; the latter at the present writing is the only one surviving. This firm dissolved soon after Peter Remsen's death- about 1836.

In March 1833 Charles P. Leverich left Peter Remsen & Co. and started in business in New street, taking with him Peter R. Brinkerhoff as partner. They dissolved after being only one year together. Mr. Leverich then went to Boston, and there arranged with John H. Bradford & Co. to attend to the purchasing and selling of goods for them in New York city, which business proved success- ful and mutually remunerative. This inroad was detri- mental to the old house of Peter Remsen & Co., who at one time attended to all of J. H. Bradford & Co.'s busi- ness.

Later Mr. Leverich did a very large business with Mc- Closkey, Hagan & Co., of Mobile. During 1836 he had accepted bills for this house to the amount of $500,000 -most of which were held by the Bank of America, New York city; and had it not been for his prompt and ready tact this might have been financial death to him. The bills were accepted against shipments of cotton. The price fell and the vessels with the cotton were late in arriving. The bank of Mobile, being interested in the cotton by advances, was compelled to send him the bank's stock as collateral security, together with the bills of lading for the cotton.

Mr. Leverich's trips to New Orleans-where his two elder brothers William E. and James H. had been estab. lished since about 1819-were quite frequent, both by land and water. There, and at Natchez, Miss., he met with Dr. Stephen Duncan, Dr. William Newtown Mercer, the Davises, Surgets, Marshalls, Porters, Minors and other prominent men, and succeeded in acting in a great measure as their banker, merchant, adviser and friend. He furnished these men, who were growing cotton and sugar, with plantation supplies, and received the crops, aggregating many thousands of dollars. Twice did the Atlantic Mutual Insurance Company of New York city pay him the amount of $250,000 for losses of cargoes in one winter by the vessels being cut by the ice in the har- bor of New York.

Mr. Leverich was married to Matilda Duncan Gustine September 17th 1839, at No. 357 Walnut street, Philadel- phia, by Rev. Henry A. Boardman. His children were: Charles D., Sarah E. (died January 30th 1851), Stephen D., James Henry, Matilda R. and William E. (died Jan- uary 10th 1858). Charles D. married Julia L. Riker, who died February 28th 1866. She bore him two children, both of whom died in infancy. June 28th 1870 he mar- ried Fannie Floyd-Jones, of South Oyster Bay, Long

Island, by whom he has two children. Stephen D. niar- ried Mary W. De Forest, of New Haven, Conn .; they had one child. James Henry married Mary E. Wilmot, of Brooklyn, and has one child. Matilda R. married Dr. Theodore D). Bradford, of New York city; they have two children.

Mr. Leverich took great pride in his home and was always ready to extend that hospitality which is one of the great characteristics of the family. As a merchant and a banker few ever reached the esteem which he enjoyed and which made his opinion so often sought. He shrank from public office, not seeking notoriety, preferring the simple but active life of a business gentleman. On May 12th 1840 he was elected a director of the Bank of New York, the oldest bank in the city. On February 2nd 1853 he was chosen its vice-president, and on May 14th 1863 was made president. We find resolutions offered in 1858, 1859 and 1862 in recognition of his untiring devo- tion and his constant refusals to accept pecuniary com- pensation. A suite of three offices in the bank was ten- dered him for the business of his house, all of which he declined. Later an arrangement was effected for com- pensation when he became president, in which position he continued up to his death. He was director of many moneyed institutions, among them the Long Island, Knickerbocker, Hoffman, United States Life and Fire- men's insurance companies, trustee of the old Chambers street (now the Bleecker street) " Bank for Savings," and director in the Rutland Marble Company, the Panama Railroad Company, and other prominent institutions.

On November 21st 1860 was formed the first "Loan Committee" authorized by the association of the banks. of New York, Philadelphia and Boston. It consisted of Moses Taylor, James Punnett, Reuben W. Howes, A. S. Fraser and Charles P. Leverich. This committee repre- sented the banks in loaning to the United States gov- ernment $50,000,000 to enable it to carry on the war for the suppression of the Rebellion. The country had no funds nor ammunition, and ex-Secretary Floyd had gotten possession of all the arms. The timely action of the banks of New York city saved the country, and the pro- found thanks of the populace are ever due to the five gentlemen above named. Mr. Taylor was chairman of this committee and Mr. Leverich was made custodian. Three times did he act in this capacity, having under his sole charge the enormous sum of $150,000,000 in securi- ties, which were lodged with him and certificates repre- senting them were issued. On the retiring of these cer- tificates and the exchanging of the securities all were returned without a mistake and nothing lost. For this, a service of plate and a dinner were repeatedly tendered to Mr. Leverich, but each time declined.

He took an active part in the clearing house associa- tion of the banks of New York, and on October 6th 1863 was unanimously elected chairman, which position of honor and trust he declined.

Another of the noble acts of his life was building and giving to his friends and neighbors at Corona (West Flushing) a little chapel for both Sabbath-school and

HOMESTEAD OF CHARLES D. LEVERICH, CORONA, QUEENS, CO., L. I.

AMERICAN PATENT PORTABLE HOUSE MANUFG. CO.

AMERICAN PATENT PORTABLE HOUSE MANUFACTURING CO., CORONA, QUEENS CO., L.I. Sam. Willets, Treas!". B. Mozley, Vice Pres .! C.D. Leverich, Pres ..

405

CHARLES P. LEVERICH-MANUFACTORIES AT CORONA.

church services. This was done during the year 1871. He called it the Union Evangelical Church at Corona, and deeded it forever as a free church. In one corner of this edifice-which is a monument, living as it were, speaking volumes as to his character, integrity and useful- ness-we find a handsome marble slab, the upper portion containing his likeness, a side view in bas relief, and under it the following inscription: "In memory of Charles P. Leverich, Founder of this Church. Died January 10 1876."

In January 1872, on confession of faith, Mr. Leverich joined the Fifth avenue and Nineteenth street Presby- terian church, New York, under the charge of Rev. John Hall, D. D.

The funeral of Mr. Leverich occurred January 12th 1876 at the Fifth Avenue Presbyterian Church, New York, and was very largely attended. He was buried in the family vault in the Presbyterian church-yard at New- town, Long Island. One greatly respected, valued and loved is gone, and his posterity would be worse than negligent did they not honor the memory of their ancestor.

His widow now resides at No. 15 West Forty-eighth street, New York, during the winter months, having her daughter and family with her. Charles D. and James H. Leverich are in the stock and bond brokerage business at 31 Wall street, and Stephen D. Leverich takes charge of his mother's summer home on Cayuga Lake, in the cen- tral part of the State.

PORTABLE HOUSE MANUFACTORY.

The latest industry established here is the manufac- ture of portable buildings, and, although the factory is scarcely in operation at the date of this writing, the en- terprise bids fair to rapidly become a leading feature of the village. In 1880 Earl Lee secured letters patent on a system of making light, cheap, portable houses, which might supply the demand heretofore imperfectly met by the various kinds of tents, and began their construction on a small scale at his shop at Corona .. Bringing to the business not only the resources of an inventor but his extensive experience as an architect and builder, Mr. Lee very soon made the experiment a success, and the portable houses at once found a place in the market both at home and abroad, and before the close of 1881 larger facilities were demanded for their manufacture.

About this time Charles D. Leverich became interested in having Mr. Lee locate a factory at Corona. Upon in- vestigating the merits of his invention Mr. Leverich saw that to operate successfully would require more than in- dividual effort, and accordingly a stock company was in- corporated under the name of the American Patent Port- able House Manufacturing Company, with the following board of officers: President, Charles D. Leverich; vice- president, B. Mozley; secretary and treasurer, Samuel Willets. Mr. Lee, the inventor, became the manager at

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History of Queens County, New York : with illustrations, portraits, and sketches of prominent families and individuals., Part 74

Author: Publication date: 1882 Publisher: New York : W.W. Munsell and Co. Number of Pages: 703

Author:
Publication date: 1882
Publisher: New York : W.W. Munsell and Co.
Number of Pages: 703