William Henry Calhoun (1815–1865) was an American silversmith in the Antebellum South. He was trained in

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 ...

and became a jeweler in

Nashville, Tennessee Nashville is the capital city of the U.S. state of Tennessee and the county seat, seat of Davidson County, Tennessee, Davidson County. With a population of 689,447 at the 2020 United States census, 2020 U.S. census, Nashville is the List of muni ...

, where he designed silverware in the 1830s-1860s. A Grand Master of the Odd Fellows, he was arrested by the

Union Army During the American Civil War, the Union Army, also known as the Federal Army and the Northern Army, referring to the United States Army, was the land force that fought to preserve the Union (American Civil War), Union of the collective U.S. st ...

for his

Confederate Confederacy or confederate may refer to: States or communities * Confederate state or confederation, a union of sovereign groups or communities * Confederate States of America, a confederation of secessionist American states that existed between 1 ...

support in 1863. His work can be seen at the

Tennessee State Museum The Tennessee State Museum is a large museum in Nashville depicting the history of the U.S. state of Tennessee. The current facility opened on October 4, 2018, at the corner of Rosa Parks Boulevard and Jefferson Street at the foot of Capitol Hill ...

and the

Museum of Early Southern Decorative Arts Old Salem is a historic district of Winston-Salem, North Carolina that was originally settled by the Moravian community in 1766. This small city features a living history museum (operated by the non-profit Old Salem Museums & Gardens, organize ...

Early life

Calhoun was born in 1815 in

Pennsylvania Pennsylvania (; ( Pennsylvania Dutch: )), officially the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, is a state spanning the Mid-Atlantic, Northeastern, Appalachian, and Great Lakes regions of the United States. It borders Delaware to its southeast, ...

. His paternal grandfather, Robert, emigrated from Ireland with family, and his father Hugh was born on their voyage to America in 1789. Calhoun was of Scotch-Irish descent; his family had been silversmiths for generations in Ireland. Calhoun moved to Nashville, Tennessee with his parents before 1812, and his father returned to Pennsylvania to serve 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 ...

. After the war, the family moved to a farm in Ohio, where Calhoun's his younger brother, George Reid Calhoun, was born. Calhoun was "trained as a silversmith in

Career

Calhoun returned to Nashville in 1835, where he managed his father's jewelry store at 16 Public Square. He sold

Deringer Henry Deringer (October 26, 1786 – February 28, 1868) was an American gunsmith. He is best known for inventing and giving his name to the derringer pistol. Early life Deringer was born in Easton, Pennsylvania, on October 26, 1786, to colonia ...

pocket pistols. He designed cups for agricultural fairs like the one held by the Tennessee State Agricultural Society of Gallatin in 1855. He also designed cutlery like

salt spoon A salt spoon is a miniature utensil used with an open salt cellar for individual service. It is a historical and nostalgic item from a time before table salt was free-flowing, as it is today. The spoon itself ranges from 2 to 3 inches (5 to 7 ...

s, and

tea set Pink Floyd are an English rock band formed in London in 1965. Gaining an early following as one of the first British psychedelic groups, they were distinguished by their extended compositions, sonic experimentation, philosophical lyrics and ...

s including "pitchers, goblets, julep cups, ladles, flatware." Confederate General

Robert H. Hatton Robert Hopkins Hatton (November 2, 1826 – May 31, 1862) was a lawyer and politician from Tennessee. He was a state legislator and United States House of Representatives, US Representative, and a Confederate States Army, Confederate gene ...

owned silverware designed by Calhoun. By 1860, Calhoun was worth "$84,300 in real property and $40,000 in personal property." 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 ...

, Calhoun was a supporter of the

Confederate States of America The Confederate States of America (CSA), commonly referred to as the Confederate States or the Confederacy was an unrecognized breakaway republic in the Southern United States that existed from February 8, 1861, to May 9, 1865. The Confeder ...

. In February 1863, he was arrested for his Confederate support on the order of Union Brigadier General

Robert Byington Mitchell Robert Byington Mitchell (April 4, 1823January 26, 1882) was a brigadier general in the Union Army during the American Civil War and the Governor of the New Mexico Territory from 1866 to 1869. Early life and career Mitchell was born on April 4 ...

pending the release of Union prisoners. Calhoun resumed his activity as a jeweler in 1865.

Personal life, death and legacy

Calhoun married Mary Pickless; they had a daughter, Mary Ella Calhoun, who later married Robert Foote in 1888. Calhoun was the Grand Master of the Odd Fellows Grand Lodge of Tennessee in 1845.

Calhoun died in 1865. His wife died in 1891. His brother took over his store and acquired a farm on 21st Avenue; it later became Hillsboro Village. Calhoun's portrait, done by

Washington Bogart Cooper Washington Bogart Cooper (September 18, 1802 – March 30, 1888) was an American portrait painter, sometimes known as "the man of a thousand portraits".James Hoobler,Washington Bogart Cooper" ''Tennessee Encyclopedia of History and Culture'' ...

, was given to the Odd Fellows' Grand Lodge in 1896. His daughter Mary bequeathed her estate to

Vanderbilt University Vanderbilt University (informally Vandy or VU) is a private research university in Nashville, Tennessee. Founded in 1873, it was named in honor of shipping and rail magnate Cornelius Vanderbilt, who provided the school its initial $1-million ...

for the construction of Calhoun Hall in 1918. Even though the will was challenged in court by her heirs, the university won in 1924 and the building was completed in 1928. Calhoun's cutlery is in the collections of the

as well as the

. His work was auctioned by

Christie's Christie's is a British auction house founded in 1766 by James Christie (auctioneer), James Christie. Its main premises are on King Street, St James's in London, at Rockefeller Center in New York City and at Alexandra House in Hong Kong. It is ...

in 2008.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Calhoun, William Henry 1815 births 1865 deaths American people of Scotch-Irish descent People from Nashville, Tennessee American silversmiths

Early life

Career

Personal life, death and legacy

Further reading

References