Samuel Richards (March 8, 1769 – January 4, 1842) was an American businessman and ironmaster. He was heavily involved in the

New Jersey New Jersey is a state in the Mid-Atlantic and Northeastern regions of the United States. It is bordered on the north and east by the state of New York; on the east, southeast, and south by the Atlantic Ocean; on the west by the Delaware ...

iron industry during the early 19th century, starting with his family's iron business in

Batsto Village, New Jersey Batsto Village (or simply Batsto) is a historic unincorporated community located on CR 542 within Washington Township in Burlington County, New Jersey, United States. It is located in Wharton State Forest in the south central Pine Barrens, and ...

, where he apprenticed under his father, William Richards. Richards would eventually come into ownership of Weymouth Furnace and Martha Furnace in 1808, in addition to the Atsion Iron Works in 1822. His half brother,

Benjamin Wood Richards Benjamin Wood Richards (November 12, 1797 – July 12, 1851) was an American lawyer and politician from Pennsylvania. Biography Richards was born in Batsto, New Jersey. He practiced law in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, for many years and wa ...

, became mayor of

Philadelphia 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 ...

Early life

Samuel Richards was born in the Richards family home in

Berks County, Pennsylvania Berks County ( Pennsylvania German: ''Barricks Kaundi'') is a county in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. As of the 2020 census, the population was 428,849. The county seat is Reading. The Schuylkill River, a tributary of the Delaware Ri ...

. Samuel was the third child of eleven born to William and Mary Richards of Batsto, New Jersey. Richards would begin his career in the New Jersey iron industry when his father obtained management of the Batsto Iron Works in 1784. By 1789, Samuel was managing the Richards family store in Philadelphia. Richards would marry his first wife, Mary Smith Morgan, on November 18, 1797, in

. The ceremony was officiated by Reverend

Ashbel Green Ashbel Green (July 6, 1762 – May 19, 1848) was an American Presbyterian minister and academic. Biography Born in Hanover Township, New Jersey, Green served as a sergeant of the New Jersey militia during the American Revolutionary War, and went ...

, a chaplain of the

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

. Mary Richards passed away in 1820 after giving birth to eight children, three living to adulthood. Richards would remarry in 1822 to Anna Maria Witherspoon of New York, who would have three children with Richards, two living to adulthood. In 1827, Thomas Sully would be commissioned for a portrait of Samuel Richards.

Career

Weymouth Iron Works

In 1808, Richards, along with his business partner Joseph Ball, each purchased a 3/8th share of Weymouth Iron Works in

Atlantic County, New Jersey Atlantic County is a county located along the southern coast of the U.S. state of New Jersey. As of the 2020 U.S. census, the county had a population of 274,534.

Atsion Iron Works

In 1822, Samuel Richards acquired the Atsion Iron Works in Shamong Township, New Jersey. By the time Richards took over ownership, Atsion had been seen as a ghost town for close to a decade. By 1824, Richards had rebuilt the old iron furnace on the site, bringing employment back to the dilapidated town. In 1826, Richards built his summer estate in the village, a mansion built in

Greek Revival architecture The Greek Revival was an architectural movement which began in the middle of the 18th century but which particularly flourished in the late 18th and early 19th centuries, predominantly in northern Europe and the United States and Canada, but ...

. The Richards family would spend their summers at this home, which overlooked the village and

Atsion Lake Atsion Lake is a man-made lake in Wharton State Forest in the Pine Barrens, in the community of Atsion, Burlington County, New Jersey. The lake is part of the Mullica River. It offers boating, hiking, fishing, swimming and camping facilities, a ...

Martha Furnace

Mays Landing

In addition to the iron furnace properties, Richards also held property in Mays Landing, New Jersey. In 1837, Richards would construct a three-story hotel known as the Samuel Richards Hotel, later known as the American Hotel.

Politics

Richards was the half brother of

, the 59th mayor of

. Benjamin Richards was a strong supporter of President

Andrew Jackson Andrew Jackson (March 15, 1767 – June 8, 1845) was an American lawyer, planter, general, and statesman who served as the seventh president of the United States from 1829 to 1837. Before being elected to the presidency, he gained fame as ...

, and was a member of the Democratic Party. Samuel, on the other hand, was a supporter of

Henry Clay Henry Clay Sr. (April 12, 1777June 29, 1852) was an American attorney and statesman who represented Kentucky in both the U.S. Senate and House of Representatives. He was the seventh House speaker as well as the ninth secretary of state, al ...

and a member of the Whig Party. Richards was unanimously elected the vice president of the Friends of Henry Clay meeting in Philadelphia in 1831.

Later years and Death

By the late 1830s, Richards began passing more of his business assets over to his son-in-law, Stephen Colwell. Richards was confined to his Philadelphia home on Arch Street due to declining health by 1841. Richards died at his Philadelphia home on January 4, 1842, from "inflammation of the bowels." Richards was buried in

Laurel Hill Cemetery Laurel Hill Cemetery is a historic rural cemetery in the East Falls neighborhood of Philadelphia. Founded in 1836, it was the second major rural cemetery in the United States after Mount Auburn Cemetery in Boston, Massachusetts. The cemetery is ...

References

{{reflist 1769 births 1842 deaths 19th-century American businesspeople American ironmasters Burials at Laurel Hill Cemetery (Philadelphia)