Alfred O. Deshong
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Alfred Odenheimer Deshong (September 30, 1837 – April 19, 1913) was an American businessman, philanthropist and
art collector A private collection is a privately owned collection of works (usually artworks) or valuable items. In a museum or art gallery context, the term signifies that a certain work is not owned by that institution, but is on loan from an individual ...
from
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 i ...
. Deshong came from a wealthy family including his grandfather Peter Deshong and father John O. Deshong. He operated a successful
quarry A quarry is a type of open-pit mine in which dimension stone, rock, construction aggregate, riprap, sand, gravel, or slate is excavated from the ground. The operation of quarries is regulated in some jurisdictions to reduce their envir ...
business for years and was a director of the
Delaware County National Bank Delaware County National Bank is a historic bank building in Chester, Pennsylvania, located at the southwest corner of 3rd Street and Avenue of the States (formerly Market Square) adjacent to the Old St. Paul's Church burial ground. It was built ...
. He invested his fortune in the collection of art. Deshong donated liberally to support the Chester Hospital and upon his death, donated his 22-acre property, mansion and art collection to the city of Chester which resulted in the creation of Deshong Park and the Deshong Art Museum. At current valuations, the donation would be worth over $24 million.


Early life

Deshong was born on September 30, 1837, in Chester, Pennsylvania, to John O. Deshong and Emmeline L. (Terrill) Deshong. He was educated in the local schools and attended the Bolmar Academy in West Chester, Pennsylvania. In 1862, Deshong enlisted as a private in Company K, Tenth Regiment of the Pennsylvania Militia and served in the Battle of Antietam under Captain Thatcher. He was honorably discharged on September 27, 1862. In 1863, Deshong re-enlisted when Robert E. Lee invaded Pennsylvania. He enlisted in company A of the 37th Regiment, Emergency Corps, known as the "Slipher Phalanx". He served in the
Battle of Gettysburg The Battle of Gettysburg () was fought July 1–3, 1863, in and around the town of Gettysburg, Pennsylvania, by Union and Confederate forces during the American Civil War. In the battle, Union Major General George Meade's Army of the Po ...
and was honorably discharged on August 4, 1863.


Career

In 1865, he entered into partnership with his brother, John O. Deshong, Jr., and operated the Deshong
quarries A quarry is a type of open-pit mine in which dimension stone, rock, construction aggregate, riprap, sand, gravel, or slate is excavated from the ground. The operation of quarries is regulated in some jurisdictions to reduce their envir ...
in
Ridley Township, Pennsylvania Ridley Township is a township in Delaware County, Pennsylvania. The population was 30,768 at the 2010 census. Ridley Township contains the census designated places of Folsom and Woodlyn along with the unincorporated communities of Crum Lynne a ...
. The partnership was successful and lasted for 30 years until John's death on November 1, 1895. In 1895, Deshong was elected a director of the
Delaware County National Bank Delaware County National Bank is a historic bank building in Chester, Pennsylvania, located at the southwest corner of 3rd Street and Avenue of the States (formerly Market Square) adjacent to the Old St. Paul's Church burial ground. It was built ...
.


Philanthropy

Deshong donated liberally to support Chester Hospital, located at 9th and Barclay Streets in Chester. The Alfred O. Deshong sanitary cottage for the treatment of
tuberculosis Tuberculosis (TB) is an infectious disease usually caused by '' Mycobacterium tuberculosis'' (MTB) bacteria. Tuberculosis generally affects the lungs, but it can also affect other parts of the body. Most infections show no symptoms, i ...
was built by Deshong and donated to the Chester Hospital. After his death, he left in trust his art collection, mansion and 22-acre estate to the city of Chester. The value of the donation would be estimated at $24 million in current dollars. The bequest resulted in the establishment of the Deshong Park and the Deshong Art Museum.


Deshong Park

The Deshong mansion was built in 1850 on 22 acres off Edgemont Avenue in the Greek Revival
Italianate The Italianate style was a distinct 19th-century phase in the history of Classical architecture. Like Palladianism and Neoclassicism, the Italianate style drew its inspiration from the models and architectural vocabulary of 16th-century Italian ...
style by Alfred's father, John O. Deshong, Sr. It was willed to the people of Chester after Alfred's death. The land was turned into a public park named Deshong Park and an art museum was built on the property. The mansion and art museum fell into disrepair in the 1980s. The trust was dissolved and the property was taken over by the Delaware County Industrial Development Authority. The mansion suffered a partial collapse in 2013 and was demolished in 2014. In 2018, 60% of the park was sold for commercial development.


Deshong Memorial Art Gallery

The Deshong Memorial Art Gallery was built in 1914 after his death on the same property as the Deshong Mansion. The building was designed to be fireproof with exterior walls of Dover marble. The large main gallery for paintings was modeled after the
Emperor of Germany The German Emperor (german: Deutscher Kaiser, ) was the official title of the head of state and Hereditary monarchy, hereditary ruler of the German Empire. A specifically chosen term, it was introduced with the 1 January 1871 constitution and l ...
's gallery at Cassel. It housed over 300 pieces of art including carved Japanese ivory figures, Chinese carved hard stone vessels and 19th century American and European paintings including American Impressionists Edward Redfield, Robert Spencer and
George Loftus Noyes George Loftus Noyes (1864–1954) was a Canadian born artist who gained fame in the early 20th century as an American Impressionist. Noyes was born in Bothwell, Ontario and died in Peterborough, New Hampshire. Noyes' parents were both Ameri ...
Deshong's last art purchase was a pair of large Foo dogs cast in bronze. The statues were placed flanking the doors of the Deshong mansion. At one time it was the only public art gallery on the East Coast. From 1961 to 1978 the building was operated as a library, but over the years, it fell into disrepair. Between 1976 and 1979, teenager Laurence McCall from Chester, Pennsylvania, stole paintings from the art gallery. The museum had limited security and McCall was able to steal paintings valued at the time at $300,000, by simply taking them off the wall and sliding them out of the museum's windows. Many of the stolen items were sold through
Sotheby's Sotheby's () is a British-founded American multinational corporation with headquarters in New York City. It is one of the world's largest brokers of fine and decorative art, jewellery, and collectibles. It has 80 locations in 40 countries, an ...
in
New York City New York, often called New York City or NYC, is the most populous city in the United States. With a 2020 population of 8,804,190 distributed over , New York City is also the most densely populated major city in the Un ...
. McCall was eventually caught, and was sentenced to fifteen years in prison and served three. A majority of the artwork was recovered. In 1979,
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 ...
leased the building and restored the museum. In July 1984 the remaining trustees that managed the art museum dissolved the trust. The Asian and impressionistic art collection and $500,000 of the trust were given to Widener University where the collection is currently displayed.


Personal life

Deshong was known as a lavish host and entertained artists, musicians and political figures at the Deshong mansion. He never married and became reclusive toward the end of his life. He died on April 19, 1913, and was interred at
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 ...
. His grave is marked by the bronze sculpture, "Sorrow" by Samuel Murray. It was commissioned by Deshong and installed the year before his death.


References


External links


The Widener University Art Collection & Gallery
{{DEFAULTSORT:Deshong, Alfred O. 1837 births 1913 deaths 19th-century American businesspeople 20th-century American philanthropists American art collectors American bankers American mining businesspeople Burials at Chester Rural Cemetery People from Chester, Pennsylvania People of Pennsylvania in the American Civil War Philanthropists from Pennsylvania