Andrew Christian Zabriskie (May 30, 1853 – September 15, 1916) was an American heir and real estate investor.

Early life

Zabriskie was born in

New York City New York, often called New York City or NYC, is the List of United States cities by population, most populous city in the United States. With a 2020 population of 8,804,190 distributed over , New York City is also the L ...

on May 30, 1853. He was the son of Sarah Jane (

née A birth name is the name of a person given upon birth. The term may be applied to the surname, the given name, or the entire name. Where births are required to be officially registered, the entire name entered onto a birth certificate or birth re ...

Titus) Zabriskie (1822–1892) and Christian Andrew Zabriskie (1806–1879), who was prominent in Episcopal church circles in

Bergen County, New Jersey Bergen County is the most populous county in the U.S. state of New Jersey. His father never engaged in business, instead preferring the "quiet enjoyments of county life." His paternal grandparents were Mary (née Ryerson) Zabriskie, a direct descendant of

Joris Jansen Rapelje Joris Jansen Rapelje (28 April 1604 – 21 February 1662/63) was a member of the Council of Twelve Men in the Dutch West India Company colony of New Netherland. He and his wife Catalina (Catalyntje) Trico (1605–1689) were among the earliest se ...

, and Andrew Christian Zabriskie, who was born in

Paramus Paramus ( Waggoner, Walter H ''The New York Times'', February 16, 1966. Accessed October 16, 2018. "Paramus – pronounced puh-RAHM-us, with the accent on the second syllable – may have taken its name from 'perremus' or 'perymus,' Indian for ...

at the ancestral homestead. Besides his father, his paternal uncles were Martin, John, and John Jacob Zabriskie, all descended from

Albrycht Zaborowski Albrecht Zaborowskij (also rendered Saboroweski; Anglicisation, anglicized as Albert Zabriskie; 1638–1711) of Prussia (present-day Poland and Russia) settled in what is now New Jersey on August 31, 1662. Early life and emigration Saborowski, a ...

, who left

Ducal Prussia The Duchy of Prussia (german: Herzogtum Preußen, pl, Księstwo Pruskie, lt, Prūsijos kunigaikštystė) or Ducal Prussia (german: Herzogliches Preußen, link=no; pl, Prusy Książęce, link=no) was a duchy in the region of Prussia establish ...

after the

Thirty Years' War The Thirty Years' War was one of the longest and most destructive conflicts in European history The history of Europe is traditionally divided into four time periods: prehistoric Europe (prior to about 800 BC), classical antiquity (80 ...

, and came to

New Amsterdam New Amsterdam ( nl, Nieuw Amsterdam, or ) was a 17th-century Dutch settlement established at the southern tip of Manhattan Island that served as the seat of the colonial government in New Netherland. The initial trading ''factory'' gave rise ...

on the Dutch ship ''De Vos'' ship in 1662. Through his paternal aunt, Matilda Mary (née Zabriskie) Greene, he was a first cousin of Alister Greene, who served as Zabriskie's best man at his 1895 wedding. Through his uncle Martin, he was also a first cousin of

Eliot Zborowski William Elliott Morris Zborowski (1858 – April 1, 1903) was a racing driver. Born in Elizabethtown, New Jersey, USA, he was the son of Martin Zborowski (or Zabriskie) and Emma Morris. In 1892 he married a wealthy American heiress, born ...

, who married Margaret

Astor Astor may refer to: People * Astor (surname) * Astor family, a wealthy 18th-century American family who became prominent in 20th-century British politics * Astor Bennett, a character in the Showtime television series ''Dexter'' * Ástor Piazzol ...

Carey, a granddaughter of

William Backhouse Astor, Sr. William Backhouse Astor Sr. (September 19, 1792 – November 24, 1875) was an American business magnate who inherited most of his father John Jacob Astor's fortune. He worked as a partner in his father's successful export business. His massive in ...

His maternal grandparents were Captain William M. Titus, who served in the

War of 1812 The War of 1812 (18 June 1812 – 17 February 1815) was fought by the United States of America and its indigenous allies against the United Kingdom and its allies in British North America, with limited participation by Spain in Florida. It bega ...

, and Maria (née Gardner) Titus. Zabriskie was educated in private schools and, later, graduated from the School of Mines at Columbia University.

Career

Zabriskie was one of the largest real estate owners in New York City and devoted much of his time to managing the estate. His office was located at 52 Beaver Street in a building built by his grandfather, William M. Titus, on land once owned by his great-grandfather, Thomas Gardner, "a wealthy resident of Paramus, and who was somewhat eccentric in disposition." He also served as president of the

Bergen Turnpike Bergen (), historically Bjørgvin, is a city and municipality in Vestland county on the west coast of Norway. , its population is roughly 285,900. Bergen is the second-largest city in Norway. The municipality covers and is on the peninsula of ...

, which was originally incorporated in 1802 with Colonel John Stevens as its first president. After joining the American Numismatic and Archaeological Society in 1874, he became a life member in 1894, served as third vice-president from 1880 to 1883 and then as first vice-president from 1884 to 1896, and lastly, the president for ten years beginning in 1896. He resigned in protest in December 1904 (and was succeeded by

Archer M. Huntington Archer Milton Huntington (March 10, 1870 – December 11, 1955) was a philanthropist and scholar, primarily known for his contributions to the field of Hispanic Studies. He founded The Hispanic Society of America in New York City, and made n ...

) following a financial crisis where he advocated for the merger of the Society with the

New-York Historical Society The New-York Historical Society is an American history museum and library in New York City, along Central Park West between 76th and 77th Streets, on the Upper West Side of Manhattan. The society was founded in 1804 as New York's first museum. ...

, but was rejected by the membership.

Military service

In 1873, he joined Company B of the 7th Regiment, N.Y.N.G. and served as Inspector of Rifle Practice for the 71st Regiment, where he served as Captain of Company C until his resignation in 1897. He was known as Captain Zabriskie for the rest of his life. Zabriskie donated a bronze trophy, known as the Zabriskie Trophy, "which is annually shot for by the various companies of the 71st Regiment."

Political career

In Duchess County, he was a member of the Democratic State Executive Committee and chairman of the Duchess County Board of Supervisors. In 1879, he served as treasurer of the Independent Republicans in the "revolt against Governor

Cornell Cornell University is a private statutory land-grant research university based in Ithaca, New York. It is a member of the Ivy League. Founded in 1865 by Ezra Cornell and Andrew Dickson White, Cornell was founded with the intention to teach an ...

's reelection." In

1908 Events January * January 1 – The British ''Nimrod'' Expedition led by Ernest Shackleton sets sail from New Zealand on the ''Nimrod'' for Antarctica. * January 3 – A total solar eclipse is visible in the Pacific Ocean, and is the 46 ...

, he was nominated as the Democratic candidate to represent the 21st District of New York in the

U.S. Congress The United States Congress is the legislature of the federal government of the United States. It is Bicameralism, bicameral, composed of a lower body, the United States House of Representatives, House of Representatives, and an upper body, ...

. He ran against the sitting Assistant Treasurer of the United States,

Hamilton Fish II Hamilton Fish II (April 17, 1849 – January 15, 1936) was an American lawyer and politician who served as Speaker of the New York State Assembly and a member of the United States House of Representatives. Early life Fish was born in Albany, Ne ...

, who was a son of former

U.S. Senator The United States Senate is the upper chamber of the United States Congress, with the House of Representatives being the lower chamber. Together they compose the national bicameral legislature of the United States. The composition and powe ...

and Secretary of State

Hamilton Fish Hamilton Fish (August 3, 1808September 7, 1893) was an American politician who served as the 16th Governor of New York from 1849 to 1850, a United States Senator from New York from 1851 to 1857 and the 26th United States Secretary of State fro ...

. Also from his district was neighbor and the incumbent Democratic Lt. Gov.,

Lewis Stuyvesant Chanler Lewis Stuyvesant Chanler (September 24, 1869 in Newport, Rhode Island – February 28, 1942 in New York City) was an American lawyer and politician who served as Lieutenant Governor of New York from 1907 to 1908. Early life He was the fifth ...

, who was running for Governor against the incumbent Republican,

Charles Evans Hughes Charles Evans Hughes Sr. (April 11, 1862 – August 27, 1948) was an American statesman, politician and jurist who served as the 11th Chief Justice of the United States from 1930 to 1941. A member of the Republican Party, he previously was the ...

(later the Secretary of State and Chief Justice of the United States). Both Zabriskie and Chanler lost in their bids. Fish received 22,832 votes to Zabriskie's 19,725 votes.

Residences

In New York City, the Zabriskies variously lived at 12 East 30th Street, 2 West 56th Street and 34 West 53rd Street. In addition, the Zabriskie's owned two country estates,

Province Island Province Island (french: Île de la Province) is an island mostly in the Canadian province of Québec, but partly in the U.S. state of Vermont. It is situated in Lake Memphremagog. The island's area is . Although (9%) at its southern point i ...

on Lake Memphramagog and Blithewood at

Annandale-on-Hudson, New York Annandale-on-Hudson is a hamlet in Dutchess County, New York, United States, located in the Hudson Valley town of Red Hook, across the Hudson River from Kingston. The hamlet consists mainly of the Bard College campus. Municipal services Emerge ...

. Province Island, at 100 plus acres, was the largest island on Lake Memphramagog and was located mostly in

Magog, Quebec Magog (; ) is a city in southeastern Quebec, Canada, about east of Montreal at the confluence of Lake Memphremagog—after which the city was named—with the Rivière aux Cerises and the Magog River. It is a major centre and industrial city in ...

Canada Canada is a country in North America. Its ten provinces and three territories extend from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean and northward into the Arctic Ocean, covering over , making it the world's second-largest country by tot ...

with a few acres at the southern tip located in Newport, Vermont. Around 1886, Zabriskie built a large mansion, a boathouse, and wharf on the Canadian side and the island was known as Zabriskie's Island. Zabriskie kept his

steam yacht A steam yacht is a class of luxury or commercial yacht with primary or secondary steam propulsion in addition to the sails usually carried by yachts. Origin of the name The English steamboat entrepreneur George Dodd (1783–1827) used the term ...

''Dodo'' docked at the island. In 1917, after his death, the island was bought by Benjamin Howard, father of Canadian Senator

Charles Benjamin Howard Charles Benjamin Howard (27 September 1885 – 25 March 1964) was a Liberal party member of the House of Commons of Canada. He was born in Smith's Mills, Quebec in Stanstead County and became a businessman, industrialist and lumber mercha ...

and was renamed Howard's Island. Around 1968, the residence built by Zabriskie was demolished due to the cost of its maintenance. In 1899, Zabriskie purchased Blithewood from John Bard's 1,000-acre estate and commissioned

Francis L. V. Hoppin Colonel Francis Laurens Vinton Hoppin (October 7, 1866 – October 9, 1941) was a prominent American architect and painter from Providence, Rhode Island. Early life Hopping was born on October 7, 1866 in Providence, Rhode Island. He was a son of ...

, a

McKim, Mead and White McKim, Mead & White was an American architectural firm that came to define architectural practice, urbanism, and the ideals of the American Renaissance in fin de siècle New York. The firm's founding partners Charles Follen McKim (1847–1909), Wil ...

alumnus, to tear down the old home and build a new 42-room

Georgian-style Georgian architecture is the name given in most English-speaking countries to the set of architectural styles current between 1714 and 1830. It is named after the first four British monarchs of the House of Hanover—George I, George II, Geor ...

manor house in the Beaux-Arts style. Bard had purchased Blithewood in 1853 from

Robert Donaldson Jr. Robert Donaldson Jr. (June 15, 1800 – June 18, 1872) was an American banker and patron of the arts. Early life Robert Donaldson was born on June 15, 1800, in Fayetteville, North Carolina, the eldest of six children of Sarah (née Henderson) Don ...

, who had hired landscape designer

Andrew Jackson Downing Andrew Jackson Downing (October 31, 1815 – July 28, 1852) was an American landscape designer, horticulturist, and writer, a prominent advocate of the Gothic Revival in the United States, and editor of ''The Horticulturist'' magazine (1846–5 ...

to transform the grounds upon his 1835 purchase of the 92-acre estate, then known as Annandale (owned by John Church Cruger, the father of Stephen Van Rensselaer Cruger and son-in-law of

Stephen Van Rensselaer Stephen Van Rensselaer III (; November 1, 1764January 26, 1839) was an American landowner, businessman, militia officer, and politician. A graduate of Harvard College, at age 21, Van Rensselaer took control of Rensselaerswyck, his family's mano ...

Personal life

In June 1895, Zabriskie was married to Frances Hunter (1866–1951) at the Madison Square Presbyterian Church. Frances was the daughter of Juliana M. W. (née Zabriskie) Hunter and Charles Frederick Hunter, former president of the People's Bank of New York. Frances' maternal grandparents were George Zabriskie and Susan Van Campen (née Romeyn) Zabriskie. Together, were the parents of two children: * Julia Romeyn Zabriskie (1897–1931), a débutante who married Edward Powis Jones (1880–1927), a

Harvard Law School Harvard Law School (Harvard Law or HLS) is the law school of Harvard University, a private research university in Cambridge, Massachusetts. Founded in 1817, it is the oldest continuously operating law school in the United States. Each class ...

educated lawyer, in 1918. * Christian Andrew Zabriskie (1899–1970), a noted bibliophile and collector of art. In 1937, he donated a Mortlake tapestry known as "The Seizure of Cassandra by Ajax from a set of The Horses", to the

Metropolitan Museum of Art The Metropolitan Museum of Art of New York City, colloquially "the Met", is the largest art museum in the Americas. Its permanent collection contains over two million works, divided among 17 curatorial departments. The main building at 1000 ...

. He was a noted collector of medals, giving speeches and writing a book on the topic. He was "particularly proud of his collection of medallions of

Abraham Lincoln Abraham Lincoln ( ; February 12, 1809 – April 15, 1865) was an American lawyer, politician, and statesman who served as the 16th president of the United States from 1861 until his assassination in 1865. Lincoln led the nation thro ...

." Zabriskie was a member of the St. Nicholas Society, the Holland Society, the

Society of Colonial Wars The Society of Colonial Wars is a hereditary society composed of men who trace their descents from forebears who, in military, naval, or civil positions of high trust and responsibility, by acts or counsel, assisted in the establishment, defense, ...

, the Military Society of the War of 1812, the

Union Club of the City of New York The Union Club of the City of New York (commonly known as the Union Club) is a private social club in New York City that was founded in 1836. The clubhouse is located at 101 East 69th Street on the corner of Park Avenue, in a landmark building de ...

, the Army and Navy Club, the Riding Club the

Aero Club of America The Aero Club of America was a social club formed in 1905 by Charles Jasper Glidden and Augustus Post, among others, to promote aviation in America. It was the parent organization of numerous state chapters, the first being the Aero Club of New E ...

, and the

Metropolitan Club The Metropolitan Club of New York is a private social club on the Upper East Side of Manhattan in New York City. It was founded as a gentlemen's club in 1891 for men only, but it was one of the first major clubs in New York to admit women, t ...

. On September 15, 1916, Zabriskie died at Blithewood, his country home in

. He was buried at Woodlawn Cemetery in the Bronx. His estate, consisting mainly of an estimated $5,000,000 to $10,000,000 of real estate, was left entirely to his widow. After the death of his widow in 1951, Zabriskie's son donated 825 acres of the Blithewood estate, including its manor house, seven other houses, three barns, and two garages on the property, to

Bard College Bard College is a private college, private Liberal arts colleges in the United States, liberal arts college in Annandale-on-Hudson, New York. The campus overlooks the Hudson River and Catskill Mountains, and is within the Hudson River Historic ...

, in exchange for $1. Today Blithewood is home to the

Levy Economics Institute Founded in 1986 as the Jerome Levy Economics Institute, the Levy Economics Institute of Bard College is a nonprofit, nonpartisan public policy think tank. The purpose of its research and other activities is to enable scholars and leaders in busi ...

References

;Notes ;Sources

External links

* *
The Seizure of Cassandra by Ajax from a set of The Horses
', , at the

(gifted by his son in 1937). *
Snap the Whip
', 1872 by

Winslow Homer Winslow Homer (February 24, 1836 – September 29, 1910) was an American landscape painter and illustrator, best known for his marine subjects. He is considered one of the foremost painters in 19th-century America and a preeminent figure in ...

, at the

(gifted by his son in 1950). {{DEFAULTSORT:Zabriskie, Andrew C. 1853 births 1916 deaths American people of Dutch descent American people of Polish descent Columbia School of Engineering and Applied Science alumni