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Major Lewis Ginter (April 4, 1824 – October 2, 1897) was a prominent businessman, financier, military officer, real estate developer, and philanthropist centered in
Richmond Richmond most often refers to: * Richmond, Virginia, the capital of Virginia, United States * Richmond, London, a part of London * Richmond, North Yorkshire, a town in England * Richmond, British Columbia, a city in Canada * Richmond, Californi ...
,
Virginia Virginia, officially the Commonwealth of Virginia, is a state in the Mid-Atlantic and Southeastern regions of the United States, between the Atlantic Coast and the Appalachian Mountains. The geography and climate of the Commonwealth are ...
. A native of
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 ...
, Ginter accumulated a considerable fortune throughout his numerous business ventures and became one of Richmond's wealthiest citizens despite his exceptionally modest demeanor. While the Jefferson Hotel and
Ginter Park Ginter Park is a suburban neighborhood of Richmond, Virginia built on land owned and developed by Lewis Ginter. The neighborhood's first well known resident was newspaperman Joseph Bryan, who lived in Laburnum, first built in 1883 and later rebui ...
embody some of Ginter's major urban contributions to
Richmond Richmond most often refers to: * Richmond, Virginia, the capital of Virginia, United States * Richmond, London, a part of London * Richmond, North Yorkshire, a town in England * Richmond, British Columbia, a city in Canada * Richmond, Californi ...
, many of his philanthropic gifts were given anonymously to charitable organizations and individuals in need. Ginter played a major role in bringing Richmond back from the ravages of the Civil War. His continued devotion to the city is captured in his famous remark, "I am for Richmond, first and last."


Early life

Lewis Ginter was born to John and Elizabeth Ginter on April 4, 1824 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 ...
. His father owned a grocery store, but died soon after Ginter was born. Several years later, Ginter's mother died, leaving him to be raised by his married sister, Jane Ginter Arents.


Richmond


Early business

In 1842, at the age of eighteen, Ginter relocated to
Richmond Richmond most often refers to: * Richmond, Virginia, the capital of Virginia, United States * Richmond, London, a part of London * Richmond, North Yorkshire, a town in England * Richmond, British Columbia, a city in Canada * Richmond, Californi ...
,
Virginia Virginia, officially the Commonwealth of Virginia, is a state in the Mid-Atlantic and Southeastern regions of the United States, between the Atlantic Coast and the Appalachian Mountains. The geography and climate of the Commonwealth are ...
to open up a shop selling notions and toys. He had visited the city at least once before with an uncle. Ginter soon moved up to the "house furnishings" business. Then, in 1853, he began marketing wholesale notions and imported fancy goods to village and country merchants, and in early 1860 his nephew, George Arents, joined the partnership of Ginter, Alvey & Arents. It was known as "the largest wholesale notion house and handlers of white goods and Irish linen in the South."''Richmond Dispatch'', Oct. 3, 1897. Ginter traveled throughout the
United States The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country Continental United States, primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 U.S. state, states, a Washington, D.C., ...
and
Europe Europe is a large peninsula conventionally considered a continent in its own right because of its great physical size and the weight of its history and traditions. Europe is also considered a Continent#Subcontinents, subcontinent of Eurasia ...
in search of quality merchandise, and amassed a considerable fortune before the beginning of the
American Civil War The American Civil War (April 12, 1861 – May 26, 1865; also known by Names of the American Civil War, other names) was a civil war in the United States. It was fought between the Union (American Civil War), Union ("the North") and t ...
. Preparing for unpredictable times, Ginter invested in large quantities of
tobacco Tobacco is the common name of several plants in the genus '' Nicotiana'' of the family Solanaceae, and the general term for any product prepared from the cured leaves of these plants. More than 70 species of tobacco are known, but the ...
,
sugar Sugar is the generic name for sweet-tasting, soluble carbohydrates, many of which are used in food. Simple sugars, also called monosaccharides, include glucose, fructose, and galactose. Compound sugars, also called disaccharides or do ...
, and
cotton Cotton is a soft, fluffy staple fiber that grows in a boll, or protective case, around the seeds of the cotton plants of the genus '' Gossypium'' in the mallow family Malvaceae. The fiber is almost pure cellulose, and can contain minor pe ...
that were stored in
Richmond Richmond most often refers to: * Richmond, Virginia, the capital of Virginia, United States * Richmond, London, a part of London * Richmond, North Yorkshire, a town in England * Richmond, British Columbia, a city in Canada * Richmond, Californi ...
warehouses in order to protect his wealth.Burns, 48.


Military office

Although he was originally from the North, Ginter supported his adopted home in the Confederacy by buying Confederate bonds and waiving outstanding debts. Shortly after the war broke out, he volunteered in the Confederate Quartermaster Department in Richmond, amassing supplies for the troops. He joined 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), fighti ...
as a commissary with the rank of Major in 1862 and received praise from his superiors for his heroic deeds on and off the battlefield, which earned him the nickname "The Fighting Commissary." Major Ginter served under Generals
Robert E. Lee Robert Edward Lee (January 19, 1807 – October 12, 1870) was a Confederate general during the American Civil War, towards the end of which he was appointed the overall commander of the Confederate States Army. He led the Army of Nor ...
,
Joseph R. Anderson Joseph Reid Anderson (February 16, 1813 – September 7, 1892) was an American civil engineer, industrialist, politician and soldier. During the American Civil War he served as a Confederate general, and his Tredegar Iron Company was a major ...
,
Stonewall Jackson Thomas Jonathan "Stonewall" Jackson (January 21, 1824 – May 10, 1863) was a Confederate general during the American Civil War, considered one of the best-known Confederate commanders, after Robert E. Lee. He played a prominent role in nearl ...
, A.P. Hill and Edward Lloyd Thomas, and retained this title from affectionate Southerners long after the war ended.Ryan and Rennie, 5. As fate would have it, Major Ginter was in the Confederate capital on official business during the Evacuation and capture of Richmond and retreated to
Amelia Court House, Virginia Amelia Court House (also known as Amelia Courthouse and Amelia) is the county seat of Amelia County in the U.S. state of Virginia and a census-designated place (CDP). The population as of the 2010 census was 1,099. The town was named for Princes ...
, to meet up with the remnants of his brigade. He was present during Lee's surrender at
Appomattox Court House Appomattox Court House could refer to: * The village of Appomattox Court House, now the Appomattox Court House National Historical Park, in central Virginia (U.S.), where Confederate army commander Robert E. Lee surrendered to Union commander Ulyss ...
, and returned to
Richmond Richmond most often refers to: * Richmond, Virginia, the capital of Virginia, United States * Richmond, London, a part of London * Richmond, North Yorkshire, a town in England * Richmond, British Columbia, a city in Canada * Richmond, Californi ...
several days later.


New York

Upon his return to Richmond, Ginter found the city in a state of ruin. His warehouse stores of tobacco and sugar were destroyed in a fire that consumed much of the business district, though his cotton remained unscathed. With little economic opportunity in Richmond, he sold his cotton and returned to
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 ...
to pursue a career in banking. First joining the firm of Harrison & Company, he experienced great financial success. But his renewed fortune was short-lived. The Black Friday gold panic in 1869 forced Ginter to use his personal fortune to settle heavy debts his firm incurred. Having lost all of his wealth once again, Ginter sold tobacco on consignment in New York for Richmond tobacconist John F. Allen. In 1872, Ginter decided to return to affordable Richmond.


Return to Richmond


Tobacco

In 1872, Ginter joined John F. Allen to form John F. Allen & Company, which manufactured chewing tobacco, pipe tobacco and a small line of cigars. Shortly after, at Ginter's urging, the firm was the first to manufacture cigarettes with mild, 100% domestic bright leaf tobacco, grown in the Virginia and North Carolina piedmont, rather than with strong "Turkish" tobaccos. When the firm released its first cigarettes in 1875, it was the first in the South to manufacture cigarettes as its primary branded product.Enstad, 22. Early production began in a factory with twenty young, white women, who hand-rolled the cigarettes. Initially, the cigarettes weren't successful in the South, where men overwhelmingly preferred chewing tobacco. Around 1880, the firm was renamed
Allen & Ginter Allen & Ginter was a Richmond, Virginia, tobacco manufacturing company formed by John F. Allen and Lewis Ginter around 1880. The firm created and marketed the first cigarette cards for collecting and trading in the United States. Some of the no ...
. Ginter's "Richmond Gem" cigarettes were first a hit in London where, with help from his agent,
John Morgan Richards John Morgan Richards (February 16, 1841''With John Bull and Jonathan'' – August 11, 1918), was an American businessman and entrepreneur who made his fortune from the promotion of patent medicines and American cigarettes in Britain. He was the ...
, they were marketed as a foreign novelty. Allen & Ginter also manufactured cigarettes with "Turkish" tobacco or blends. Their brands included "Richmond Straight-Cut No. 1," "The Pet," "Dubec," "Opera Puffs," and "Our Little Beauties." In 1881, with growing competition in the
tobacco industry The tobacco industry comprises those persons and companies who are engaged in the growth, preparation for sale, shipment, advertisement, and distribution of tobacco and tobacco-related products. It is a global industry; tobacco can grow in any ...
, Ginter began leasing
James Bonsack __NOTOC__ James Albert Bonsack (October 9, 1859,
. URL last accessed 2006-10-11.
's newly-invented cigarette rolling machine. By 1888, Allen & Ginter employed over 1,000 workers and cigarette production increased from 100,000 per month to 2,000,000 per day. The firm eventually opened offices in
London London is the capital and List of urban areas in the United Kingdom, largest city of England and the United Kingdom, with a population of just under 9 million. It stands on the River Thames in south-east England at the head of a estuary dow ...
,
Paris Paris () is the capital and most populous city of France, with an estimated population of 2,165,423 residents in 2019 in an area of more than 105 km² (41 sq mi), making it the 30th most densely populated city in the world in 2020. Si ...
, and
Berlin Berlin ( , ) is the capital and largest city of Germany by both area and population. Its 3.7 million inhabitants make it the European Union's most populous city, according to population within city limits. One of Germany's sixteen constitu ...
in order to meet foreign demand for their products. Allen & Ginter continued to prosper until they merged with J. B. Duke,
Kinney Brothers Tobacco Company The Kinney Tobacco Company was an American cigarette manufacturing firm that created the ''Sweet Caporal'' cigarette brand and promoted it with collectible trading cards. Being a leading cigarette manufacturer of the 1870-1880s, it merged in 1890 i ...
,
Goodwin & Company Goodwin & Company was an American tobacco manufacturer from New York City. Initially E. Goodwin and Brother, the company was founded before the American Civil War. It was known for its cigarette brands "Gypsy Queen" and "Old Judge". In 1890, the ...
and W.S. Kimball & Company to form the
American Tobacco Company The American Tobacco Company was a tobacco company founded in 1890 by J. B. Duke through a merger between a number of U.S. tobacco manufacturers including Allen and Ginter and Goodwin & Company. The company was one of the original 12 members ...
in January 1890. Ginter was offered the presidency, but declined and remained a director until his death.Ryan and Rennie, 7.


Real estate

Although Ginter had lived in Richmond for several decades, he did not purchase his first home until 1876. He invited his sister, Jane Arents, and three of her daughters, Grace, Joanna, and Minnie, to live with him at 405 East Cary Street. In 1891, he completed construction of a freestyle,
Richardsonian Romanesque Richardsonian Romanesque is a style of Romanesque Revival architecture named after the American architect Henry Hobson Richardson (1838–1886). The revival style incorporates 11th and 12th century southern French, Spanish, and Italian Romanes ...
mansion in an elite neighborhood at 901 West Franklin Street. Even today, the structure is known as the
Ginter House Ginter House is the historic 1892 former residence of Lewis Ginter. It is owned by Virginia Commonwealth University (VCU) and is home to the Provost's office. It was used as Richmond's first public library from 1925 until 1930, was used as part of ...
. Ginter was inspired by the suburban developments in
Melbourne Melbourne ( ; Boonwurrung/ Woiwurrung: ''Narrm'' or ''Naarm'') is the capital and most populous city of the Australian state of Victoria, and the second-most populous city in both Australia and Oceania. Its name generally refers to a metro ...
and
Sydney Sydney ( ) is the capital city of the state of New South Wales, and the most populous city in both Australia and Oceania. Located on Australia's east coast, the metropolis surrounds Sydney Harbour and extends about towards the Blue Mounta ...
that he visited on one of many business trips marketing for
Allen & Ginter Allen & Ginter was a Richmond, Virginia, tobacco manufacturing company formed by John F. Allen and Lewis Ginter around 1880. The firm created and marketed the first cigarette cards for collecting and trading in the United States. Some of the no ...
. Beginning in 1888, Ginter and John Pope began assembling large tracts of land just north of Richmond in
Henrico County Henrico County , officially the County of Henrico, is located in the Commonwealth of Virginia in the United States. As of the 2020 census, the population was 334,389 making it the fifth-most populous county in Virginia. Henrico County is incl ...
, with the intention of developing an upscale
streetcar suburb A streetcar suburb is a residential community whose growth and development was strongly shaped by the use of streetcar lines as a primary means of transportation. Such suburbs developed in the United States in the years before the automobile, when ...
. Their purchases included part of the original Westbrook Plantation, which they developed into their own country estate. Ginter's renovated and enlarged Westbrook house included a private barbershop. An outbuilding featured an automated, one-lane bowling alley." Ginter and Pope divided the large swaths of land into residential plots and provided many extravagant amenities, such as fresh artesian wells, tile sewer lines, roads covered with crushed stone, and the extension of the
Richmond Union Passenger Railway The Richmond Union Passenger Railway, in Richmond, Virginia, was the first practical electric trolley (tram) system, and set the pattern for most subsequent electric trolley systems around the world. It is an IEEE milestone in engineering. Th ...
, the nation's first large-scale electric streetcar system. The neighborhood, known as
Ginter Park Ginter Park is a suburban neighborhood of Richmond, Virginia built on land owned and developed by Lewis Ginter. The neighborhood's first well known resident was newspaperman Joseph Bryan, who lived in Laburnum, first built in 1883 and later rebui ...
, attracted the Union Theological Seminary and was eventually annexed to the City of Richmond."History." ''Ginter Park Residents Association Newsletter''. http://www.ginterpark.org/ginter-park-history.php. Ginter also laid the groundwork for several adjoining neighborhoods, including Bellevue Park and Sherwood Park. He established the Lakeside Wheel Club in 1895, and Lakeside Park in 1896. Always eager to improve Richmond, Ginter hired famed architects
Carrère and Hastings Carrère and Hastings, the firm of John Merven Carrère ( ; November 9, 1858 – March 1, 1911) and Thomas Hastings (March 11, 1860 – October 22, 1929), was one of the outstanding American Beaux-Arts architecture firms. Located in New York City ...
in 1892 to design a world-class hotel known as the Jefferson. An estimated 5 to 10 million dollars was invested in the realization of the hotel before it opened on October 31, 1895. It was immediately praised as one of the finest hotels in the country. Ginter commissioned Edward V. Valentine to create a life-size sculpture of
Thomas Jefferson Thomas Jefferson (April 13, 1743 – July 4, 1826) was an American statesman, diplomat, lawyer, architect, philosopher, and Founding Fathers of the United States, Founding Father who served as the third president of the United States from 18 ...
from
Carrara Carrara ( , ; , ) is a city and ''comune'' in Tuscany, in central Italy, of the province of Massa and Carrara, and notable for the white or blue-grey marble quarried there. It is on the Carrione River, some west-northwest of Florence. Its mot ...
marble to be displayed as the centerpiece of the upper lobby. Additional novelties included exotic palm trees from Central and South America, numerous antiques, Turkish and Russian baths, electric elevators, and for a brief period, alligators in the lobby fountain. Not only did the Jefferson become an icon of Ginter's immeasurable dedication to his adopted city, it symbolized Richmond's growing post-war prosperity.


John Pope

While working 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 ...
after the war, Ginter met John Pope, a messenger boy who delivered packages to his firm. Pope 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 ...
in 1856 to a
German German(s) may refer to: * Germany (of or related to) **Germania (historical use) * Germans, citizens of Germany, people of German ancestry, or native speakers of the German language ** For citizens of Germany, see also German nationality law **Ge ...
immigrant family. His father was a shoemaker, and Pope acquired the delivery job at the age of 14 to help his family make ends meet. Ginter eventually hired Pope to work in the New York tobacco depot. When Ginter relocated back to Richmond, he brought Pope along with him as his apprentice. The two began an enduring business partnership that would last for the remainder of their lives. Pope grew to become Ginter's trusted business partner and assumed a number of executive roles, including Vice President of
Allen & Ginter Allen & Ginter was a Richmond, Virginia, tobacco manufacturing company formed by John F. Allen and Lewis Ginter around 1880. The firm created and marketed the first cigarette cards for collecting and trading in the United States. Some of the no ...
in 1888, and President of the Crystal Ice Company, James River Marl and Bone Phosphate Company, and Powhatan Clay Manufacturing Company. When the American Tobacco Company was formed in 1890, Pope served as vice-president and managed the centralized cigarette operations in Richmond. Like Ginter, Pope was involved in a number of philanthropic activities, and strove to avoid the public eye. Ginter and Pope remained lifelong bachelors, both living in Ginter's home, until Pope's premature death in 1896.Marschak and Lorch, 12. Pope was buried in a plot in Hollywood Cemetery that Ginter had reserved for himself. While the intimate details of their relationship are unknown, Pope's obituary said he "lived quietly with Major Ginter, for whom he possessed the most ardent affection." And Ginter's obituary said he "never pointedly sought" the company of women.


Death

The death of Ginter's close companion John Pope left him noticeably distraught. Ginter also suffered from
diabetes Diabetes, also known as diabetes mellitus, is a group of metabolic disorders characterized by a high blood sugar level ( hyperglycemia) over a prolonged period of time. Symptoms often include frequent urination, increased thirst and increased ...
, and his health quickly declined before being bedridden at his Westbrook estate. After two months of severe debilitation, Ginter died on October 2, 1897. His funeral was regarded as one of the largest in Richmond's history, and about a year later his remains were placed in a private
mausoleum A mausoleum is an external free-standing building constructed as a monument enclosing the interment space or burial chamber of a deceased person or people. A mausoleum without the person's remains is called a cenotaph. A mausoleum may be cons ...
in Hollywood Cemetery, overlooking the
James River The James River is a river in the U.S. state of Virginia that begins in the Appalachian Mountains and flows U.S. Geological Survey. National Hydrography Dataset high-resolution flowline dataThe National Map , accessed April 1, 2011 to Chesap ...
.Ryan and Rennie, 17.


Legacy

At the time of his death, Ginter had amassed one of the largest personal fortunes in the South. His enduring commitment to Richmond is evidenced in his significant investments in real estate, business, and most notably, his philanthropic activity. Even while Ginter was traveling abroad, he reportedly ordered items from Richmond to support local merchants. His will included gifts to almost every charity and public institution in the city. The remainder of his wealth was left to his relatives, including his niece,
Grace Arents Grace Evelyn Arents (1848 – June 20, 1926) was an heiress, Christian activist and philanthropist in Richmond, Virginia. She inherited $20 million from her uncle Lewis Ginter, a tobacco business magnate and philanthropist, and she used the ...
, who continued in her uncle's charitable footsteps. Arents converted the Lakeside Wheel Club into a progressive farm known as Bloemendaal, which she later arranged to become
Lewis Ginter Botanical Garden Lewis Ginter Botanical Garden is a , botanical garden in Henrico County, just outside of Richmond, Virginia. It features over a dozen themed gardens, a conservatory, library, and café. Regular daily admission is $17 for adults, $14 for seniors, $ ...
. She also developed St. Andrew's Episcopal Church and St. Andrew's School, built playgrounds, and funded numerous schools and medical institutions.Burns, 198. In 1897, the ''Richmond Dispatch'' praised Ginter as "one whose public spirit and broad charity have made his name familiar and honored throughout this city, which he loved so well, did so much to build up and beautify."


Notes


References

*Burns, Brian. ''Lewis Ginter: Richmond's Gilded Age Icon''. Charleston, SC: History Press, 2011. *Enstad, Nan. ''Cigarettes, Inc.: An Intimate History of Corporate Imperialism.'' Chicago, IL: University of Chicago Press, 2018. *"History." ''Ginter Park Residents Association Newsletter''. April 7, 2014. http://www.ginterpark.org/ginter-park-history.php. Retrieved February 13, 2021. *"History." "The Jefferson". April 7, 2014. http://www.jeffersonhotel.com/experience/history. Retrieved February 13, 2021. *''The Industries of Richmond: Her Trade, Commerce, Manufactures.'' Richmond: Metropolitan Publishing Company, 1886. https://archive.org/stream/industriesofrich00wood#page/n1/mode/2up. Retrieved February 13, 2021. *"John Pope." ''The Virginia Magazine of History and Biography'' 4, no. 3 (1897): 320-321. *"Lewis Ginter." ''The Virginia Magazine of History and Biography'' 5, no. 3 (1898): 348-349. *Marschak, Beth, and Alex Lorch. ''Lesbian and Gay Richmond''. Charleston, SC: Arcadia Pub., 2008. *''Richmond Dispatch''. Oct. 3, 1897. *''Richmond Daily Whig'', March 21, 1860. *Ryan, David D., and Wayland W. Rennie. ''Lewis Ginter's Richmond: Bellevue, Bloemendaal, Ginter Park, "Laburnum," Laburnum Park, Sherwood Park, the Jefferson Hotel, "Westbrook," Post Civil War to Present.'' S.I.: s.n., 1991. {{DEFAULTSORT:Ginter, Lewis 1824 births 1897 deaths American people of Dutch descent Philanthropists from New York (state) American tobacco industry executives Burials at Hollywood Cemetery (Richmond, Virginia) Businesspeople from New York City Confederate States Army officers Businesspeople from Richmond, Virginia Military personnel from Richmond, Virginia People of Virginia in the American Civil War 19th-century American philanthropists 19th-century American businesspeople Philanthropists from Virginia Military personnel from New York City Northern-born Confederates