Jonathan Edwards Woodbridge (January 16, 1844 – May 21, 1935) was an American shipbuilder and

naval architect This is the top category for all articles related to architecture and its practitioners. {{Commons category, Architecture occupations Design occupations Architecture, Occupations ...

from

Richmond, Virginia (Thus do we reach the stars) , image_map = , mapsize = 250 px , map_caption = Location within Virginia , pushpin_map = Virginia#USA , pushpin_label = Richmond , pushpin_m ...

. He served 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 ...

during the

American Civil War The American Civil War (April 12, 1861 – May 26, 1865; also known by other names) was a civil war in the United States. It was fought between the Union ("the North") and the Confederacy ("the South"), the latter formed by states th ...

and was one of the

Virginia Military Institute la, Consilio et Animis (on seal) , mottoeng = "In peace a glorious asset, In war a tower of strength""By courage and wisdom" (on seal) , established = , type = Public senior military college , accreditation = SACS , endowment = $696.8 mill ...

cadets who fought at the

Battle of New Market The Battle of New Market was fought on May 15, 1864, in Virginia during the Valley Campaigns of 1864 in the American Civil War. A makeshift Confederate army of 4,100 men defeated the larger Army of the Shenandoah under Major General Franz Si ...

. Woodbridge was the great grandson of the preacher

John Edwards Johnny Reid Edwards (born June 10, 1953) is an American lawyer and former politician who served as a U.S. senator from North Carolina. He was the Democratic nominee for vice president in 2004 alongside John Kerry, losing to incumbents George ...

and a prominent citizen of

Chester, Pennsylvania Chester is a city in Delaware County, Pennsylvania, United States. Located within the Philadelphia Metropolitan Area, it is the only city in Delaware County and had a population of 32,605 as of the 2020 census. Incorporated in 1682, Chester is ...

. He was married to Louise Deshong, the daughter of the wealthy Chester businessman John O. Deshong.

Early life, education, and military career

Woodbridge was born in Richmond, Virginia, to Reverend George and Rebecca (Nicolson) Woodbridge. In 1861, Woodbridge entered the

(VMI) in

Lexington, Virginia Lexington is an independent city in the Commonwealth of Virginia. At the 2020 census, the population was 7,320. It is the county seat of Rockbridge County, although the two are separate jurisdictions. The Bureau of Economic Analysis combines ...

, following in the footsteps of his grandfather, a

Brigadier general Brigadier general or Brigade general is a military rank used in many countries. It is the lowest ranking general officer in some countries. The rank is usually above a colonel, and below a major general or divisional general. When appointed ...

in the Virginia Militia, and his father, Reverend George Woodbridge, who graduated from

West Point The United States Military Academy (USMA), also known Metonymy, metonymically as West Point or simply as Army, is a United States service academies, United States service academy in West Point, New York. It was originally established as a f ...

. In 1864, Woodbridge had risen to the rank of

Sergeant major Sergeant major is a senior non-commissioned rank or appointment in many militaries around the world. History In 16th century Spain, the ("sergeant major") was a general officer. He commanded an army's infantry, and ranked about third in the ...

, the highest-ranking noncommissioned officer in the corps. In May 1864, Woodbridge was among the cadets who served in the

, commanded by General

John C. Breckinridge John Cabell Breckinridge (January 16, 1821 – May 17, 1875) was an American lawyer, politician, and soldier. He represented Kentucky in both houses of Congress and became the 14th and youngest-ever vice president of the United States. Serving ...

to repel the advance of General

Franz Sigel Franz Sigel (November 18, 1824 – August 21, 1902) was a German American military officer, revolutionary and immigrant to the United States who was a teacher, newspaperman, politician, and served as a Union major general in the American Civil W ...

in the

Shenandoah Valley The Shenandoah Valley () is a geographic valley and cultural region of western Virginia and the Eastern Panhandle of West Virginia. The valley is bounded to the east by the Blue Ridge Mountains, to the west by the eastern front of the Ridge- ...

. After the battle of New Market, Woodbridge was promoted to Adjutant of the Corps of cadets. In April 1865, Woodbridge was among a group of VMI cadets called to Richmond to man trenches left open by General Robert E. Lee's retreating forces. In July 1865, Woodbridge returned to VMI and graduated 10th in his class.

Shipbuilding career

After graduation, Woodbridge moved to Chester, Pennsylvania, where he worked in the drafting department of

Reaney, Son & Archbold Reaney, Son & Archbold was a 19th-century American iron shipbuilding company located on the Delaware River at Chester, Pennsylvania. The company was established in 1859 by Thomas Reaney (formerly of the firm Reaney, Neafie & Levy) but it was under ...

shipbuilding and continued in the department when it was purchased by the

Delaware River Iron Shipbuilding and Engine Works Delaware ( ) is a state in the Mid-Atlantic region of the United States, bordering Maryland to its south and west; Pennsylvania to its north; and New Jersey and the Atlantic Ocean to its east. The state takes its name from the adjacent Del ...

owned by John Roach. Woodbridge eventually became the Superintending Engineer at the Roach shipyard. In 1885, Woodbridge entered the U.S. government service and was employed at the Crane shipbuilding firm in

Philadelphia, Pennsylvania Philadelphia, often called Philly, is the largest city in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, the sixth-largest city in the U.S., the second-largest city in both the Northeast megalopolis and Mid-Atlantic regions after New York City. Sinc ...

, building ships for the Merchant Marines and U.S. Navy. He was employed for forty years as a naval architect and mechanical engineer.

Manor House

The Manor House was designed and built by Woodbridge in 1888 at 14th and Potter Street in Chester, Pennsylvania. It was a wedding gift to his wife Louise Deshong and was originally named "The Louise". It was modeled after the late 19th-century English country manor style and is unique for its hand made brick construction. The house was given to the city of Chester as a home for young women. In 1976,

Widener University Widener University is a private university in Chester, Pennsylvania. The university has three other campuses: two in Pennsylvania (Harrisburg and Exton) and one in Wilmington, Delaware. Founded as The Bullock School for Boys in 1821, the school ...

purchased the home for use as a student residence. It later became home to the

Phi Sigma Sigma Phi Sigma Sigma (), colloquially known as Phi Sig, was the first collegiate nonsectarian sorority to allow membership of women of all faiths and backgrounds. The sorority was founded on November 26, 1913, and lists 60,000 initiated members, 115 ...

sorority. The home is currently used by

as a student dormitory.

Personal life

Close up of Jonathan Edwards Woodbridge grave

Woodbridge married Louise Deshong on May 23, 1876. Louise was the daughter of wealthy businessman and banker John O. Deshong. They were married for 49 years until her death in 1925. Woodbridge is interred at the

Chester Rural Cemetery Chester Rural Cemetery is a historic rural cemetery founded in March 1863 in Chester, Pennsylvania. Some of the first burials were Civil War soldiers, both Union and Confederate, who died at the government hospital located at the nearby building w ...

in Chester, Pennsylvania.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Woodbridge, Jonathan 1844 births 1935 deaths 19th-century American businesspeople Burials at Chester Rural Cemetery American naval architects New Market cadets People from Chester, Pennsylvania People from Richmond, Virginia People of Virginia in the American Civil War