Archibald Gracie (June 25, 1755 – April 11, 1829) was a Scottish-born shipping magnate and early

American American(s) may refer to: * American, something of, from, or related to the United States of America, commonly known as the "United States" or "America" ** Americans, citizens and nationals of the United States of America ** American ancestry, pe ...

businessman and merchant in New York City and Virginia whose spacious home, Gracie Mansion, now serves as the residence of the

Mayor of New York City The mayor of New York City, officially Mayor of the City of New York, is head of the executive branch of the government of New York City and the chief executive of New York City. The mayor's office administers all city services, public property ...

Early life

Archibald Gracie was born June 25, 1755 in

Dumfries Dumfries ( ; sco, Dumfries; from gd, Dùn Phris ) is a market town and former royal burgh within the Dumfries and Galloway council area of Scotland. It is located near the mouth of the River Nith into the Solway Firth about by road from the ...

, Scotland. He was the son of a weaver named William Gracie. In 1776, Gracie moved to Liverpool and clerked for a London shipping firm. He used his earnings to purchase a part interest in a merchant ship.

Career

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 to Petersburg, Virginia, and engaged in the export of tobacco to Great Britain.''American Heritage'' magazine
Retrieved 2008-11-14. 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 of

Alexander Hamilton Alexander Hamilton (January 11, 1755 or 1757July 12, 1804) was an American military officer, statesman, and Founding Father who served as the first United States secretary of the treasury from 1789 to 1795. Born out of wedlock in Charlest ...

and a friend of John Jay.Morrison, p. 91. Gracie was a member of the Tontine 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 bank New York Bank for Savings. He was an incorporator of the Eagle Fire Insurance Company and vice president of the New York Insurance Company, a director of the United States Bank and of the Bank of America. He served as Vice-President of the New York Chamber of Commerce from 1800 to 1825 and the 18th president of the

St. Andrew's Society of New York The Saint Andrew's Society of the State of New York is the oldest charitable institution in the state of New York and is focused on helping Scots in the New York community. History The organization was founded in 1756 by Scottish founders in N ...

, serving from 1818 to 1823.

Gracie Mansion

In 1798, Gracie purchased a large tract of land on Horn's Hook near the East River, where the following year he constructed a large two-story wooden

mansion A mansion is a large dwelling house. The word itself derives through Old French from the Latin word ''mansio'' "dwelling", an abstract noun derived from the verb ''manere'' "to dwell". The English word '' manse'' originally defined a property l ...

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 the '' New-York Evening Post'', now the ''New York Post'', there), future United States president John Quincy Adams, and future French king Louis Phillippe. 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.

Personal life

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 of Samuel Fitch (1701–1787), a member of the House of Representatives of the Colony of Connecticut who was the brother of Thomas Fitch (1699–1774), former governor of the

Connecticut Colony The ''Connecticut Colony'' or ''Colony of Connecticut'', originally known as the Connecticut River Colony or simply the River Colony, was an English colony in New England which later became Connecticut. It was organized on March 3, 1636 as a settl ...

.Morrison, p. 91. Together, they had several children, including: * Eliza Gracie (1790–1825), who married Charles King (1789–1867), the president of Columbia University, and the second son of U.S. Senator

Rufus King Rufus King (March 24, 1755April 29, 1827) was an American Founding Father, lawyer, politician, and diplomat. He was a delegate for Massachusetts to the Continental Congress and the Philadelphia Convention and was one of the signers of the Unit ...

* Sarah Gracie (1791–1878), who married

James Gore King James Gore King (May 8, 1791 – October 3, 1853) was an American businessman and Whig Party politician who represented New Jersey's 5th congressional district in the United States House of Representatives for one term from 1849 to 1851. Earl ...

(1791–1853), a

U.S. congressman The United States House of Representatives, often referred to as the House of Representatives, the U.S. House, or simply the House, is the lower chamber of the United States Congress, with the Senate being the upper chamber. Together they ...

, and the third son of Rufus King * Archibald Gracie II (1795–1865), who married Elizabeth Davidson Bethune (d. 1863) * Esther Rogers Gracie (1801–1857), who married

William Beach Lawrence William Beach Lawrence (October 23, 1800 – March 26, 1881) was an American politician and jurist who served as lieutenant governor of Rhode Island from 1851 to 1852 under Governor Philip Allen. Early life Lawrence was born in New York City ...

(1800–1881),

Lieutenant Governor of Rhode Island The current lieutenant governor of Rhode Island is Sabina Matos, who was sworn in on April 14, 2021, after Daniel McKee succeeded to the office of governor. The first lieutenant governor was George Brown. In Rhode Island, the lieutenant gover ...

* Mary Ann Gracie (1805–1876), who married Judge Michael Ulshoeffer (1793–1881). After the death of his wife, Gracie married Elizabeth Fitch. His marriage yielded ten children.

Descendants

Gracie's grandson, Archibald Gracie III (1832–1864), a general in the

Confederate Army The Confederate States Army, also called the Confederate Army or the Southern Army, was the military land force of the Confederate States of America (commonly referred to as the Confederacy) during the American Civil War (1861–1865), fighting ...

, was killed at the Siege of Petersburg during the American 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 of James Stephens Bulloch (1793–1849) and the sister of Martha Bulloch (1835–1884), who married

Theodore Roosevelt, Sr. Theodore Roosevelt Sr. (September 22, 1831 – February 9, 1878) was an American businessman and philanthropist from the Roosevelt family. Roosevelt was also the father of President Theodore Roosevelt and the paternal grandfather of First Lady ...

(1831–1878). His granddaughter, Emily Sophia King (1823–1853), married Stephen Van Rensselaer Paterson (1817–1872), grandson of William Paterson (1745–1806), a

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 ...

, Governor of New Jersey and Justice of the Supreme Court of the United States. Gracie's great-grandson, Archibald Gracie IV (1858–1912), was a military officer and writer who survived the sinking of the RMS ''Titanic'' in 1912. Coincidentally, one of Gracie IV's fellow travellers on the ''Titanic'' was John Jacob Astor IV, great-grandson of frequent Gracie Mansion visitor, and personal friend of Gracie I, John Jacob Astor.''Twenty-fifth Annual Report of the American Scenic and Historic Preservation Society, 1920'', Albany: J. B. Lyon, p. 156.

References

;Notes ;Sources * Morrison Jr., George Austin, ''History of Saint Andrew's Society of the State of New York, 1756–1906''. New York: 1906.
''American Heritage'' magazine
{{DEFAULTSORT:Gracie, Archibald Scottish emigrants to the United States People from Dumfries Businesspeople from New York City American transportation businesspeople Gracie-King family 1755 births 1829 deaths Burials at Woodlawn Cemetery (Bronx, New York) Presidents of the Saint Andrew's Society of the State of New York