David Hunter McAlpin (1816-1901)was a prominent industrialist and real estate owner in New York City. He owned the D.H. McAlpin Tobacco Company. Among his children was a Civil War General and a prominent physician.
Biography
editDavid Hunter McAlpin | |
|---|---|
 David Hunter McAlpin portrait (oil on canvas) circa 1890 | |
| Born | 6 November 1816 Pleasant Valley, Dutchess County New York |
| Died | 8 February 1901 New York, NY |
| Cause of death | Stroke |
| Employer | D.H. McAlpin & Co |
| Known for | Owner and CEO of D.H. McAlpin & Co a large tobacco manufacturer in New York City |
| Title | Proprietor |
| Board member of | D.H. McAlpin & Co
Eleventh Ward Bank German-American Real Estate Title and Guarantee Co Home Insurance Company Manhattan Life Insurance Co National Bank of the Republic Standard Gas Light Co Union Trust Co |
| Spouse | Adelaide Rose McAlpin Mrs A.D. Chamberlain |
| Children | General Edward Augustus McAlpin
Dr. David Hunter McAlpin George L McAlpin Charles W McAlpin William W McAlpin Mrs James Tolman Pyle |
| Parent | James & Jane Hunter McAlpin |
Early Life
editDavid Hunter McAlpin was born on 6 November 1816 in Pleasant Valley New York to James and Jane Hunter McAlpin. His father had immigrated from Ireland only a few years before his birth[1] after participating in the Irish Rebellion of 1798[2]. In 1836 McAlpin moved to New York City where he opened a tobacco store on Catherine Street. Over the next few years he opened additional stores in the city.
D.H. McAlpin & Co. Tobacco Company
editIn 1857 McAlpin became a partner in the firm of John Cornish & Co., tobacco manufacturers. In 1860 he bought out his partner upon his retirement taking sole control of the company and renamed it D.H. McAlpin & Co. His company was the first to introduce Virginia tobacco to the New York market branding it Virgin Leaf which contributed to the firm's growth[3]. In 1868 as the firm grew, McAlpin bought two entire blocks and built a large manufacturing facility at 150 Ave D (and 10th street) in Manhattan. After McAlpin's death, the D.H. McAlpin & Co was sold on 23 November 1901 to Consolidated Tobacco Co.[4]
Directorships
editAt the time of his death, McAlpin was a director of:
- D.H. McAlpin & Co
- Eleventh Ward Bank
- German-American Real Estate Title and Guarantee Co
- Home Insurance Company
- Manhattan Life Insurance Co
- National Bank of the Republic
- Standard Gas Light Co
- Union Trust Co
Marriage
editMcAlpin was married three times.[5] His first wife was Adelaide Rose, daughter of Joseph Rose in whom he married in 1846. The ceremony was held at the Market Street Church, which eventually became the Church of Sea and Land. His second wife was Mrs A.D. Chamberlain, and his third wife was Adelaide's sister.
Real Estate Interests
editMcAlpin accumulated several pieces of real estate in Manhattan and the surrounding area. According to the New York Times, he owned the “block on the east side of Broadway between 33rd and 34th streets, and on the southern end of the Alpine apartment house which got its title from the family name. This title retained the final “e” of the family name, which Mr. McAlpin had for many years omitted.[6] Additionally, he owned 1,500 acres of land with a summer home at Morristown, NJ, where he spent time in the summer.
Death
editMcAlpin died at 4:00 pm on 8 February 1901 at his home at 40 West 48th Street in Manhattan of stroke. He had spent the day at the company's manufacturing facility followed by a board meeting of the Eleventh Ward Bank, of which he was a director. His son, General Edward Augustus McAlpin detected that he was feeling ill and moved him to his home where he was attend by another son, Dr. David Hunter McAlpin. Unable to restore McAlpin to consciousness, the family was called and was at his bedside at the time of his death. Funeral services were held at Brick Presbyterian Church[7] in New York and he was intered in Greenwood Cemetary.
Children
editMcAlpin had ten children, all by his first wife Adelaide, six of whom survived him:
- General Edward Augustus McAlpin
- Dr. David Hunter McAlpin
- George L McAlpin
- Charles W McAlpin
- William W McAlpin
- and daughter Mrs James Tolman Pyle
Additionally he had two step daughters
- Frances Knox
- and Adelaide McAlpin Stiles
References
edit- ^ "David H. McAlpin Dead". New York Times. 9 February 1901.
- ^ Young, James (1896). The National Cyclopaedia of American Biography. New York: James T. White & Co. p. 298.
- ^ Young, James (1896). The National Cyclopaedia of American Biography. New York: James T. White & Co. p. 298.
- ^ Moody, John (1904). The Truth About the Trusts. New York: Moody Publishing Company. p. 88.
- ^ Young, James (1896). The National Cyclopaedia of American Biography. New York: James T. White & Co. p. 298.
- ^ "David H. McAlpin Dead". New York Times. 9 February 1901.
- ^ "Webpage of Brick Presbyterian Church". Retrieved 2008-06-07.