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Historical records matching John David Wolfe
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About John David Wolfe
John David Wolfe
He was born in New York City and was "educated in the best schools". He entered the hardware business established by his father and then established the firm of J.D. & Christopher Wolfe at Maiden Lane which eventually became Wolfe, Dash & Spies, of 38 Warren Street. He was also a co-founder of the Chemical Bank and a Director of the Hudson River Railroad. He lived at 744 Broadway before building 13 Madison Avenue where he died with a $4-million fortune. He also kept a country home, the Doric Mansion, at Throgg's Neck where he kept live stock and more particularly poultry. He married Dorothea, daughter and co-heiress of Pierre Lorillard II and had 3-children, notably Catharine Lorillard Wolfe who shared his passion for philanthropy.
On retiring from business with a "large fortune" in 1842, he devoted his life to philanthropy. He was Vice-President of the New York Hospital; President of the New York Prison Association; Vice-President of the New York Association for Improving the Condition of the Poor; Vice-President of the New York Society for the Relief of the Ruptured & Crippled; Senior Warden of Grace Church; and, President of the American Museum of Natural History. He was involved in funding church schools in Denver; building the Episcopal Church at Rome in Italy; and, purchased the library of Buckingham Smith for the New-York Historical Society. He was fondly recalled as, "a cheerful giver".
An article appeared in the Galaxy listing the ten wealthiest men in New York. He came in seventh on the list with a fortune estimated at $3,997,000, behind his brother-in-law, Pierre Lorillard III in sixth place and ahead of M.M. Hendricks in eighth place.
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Ref.: "A Memorial of John David Wolfe by Evert A. Duyckinck, Read Before The New York Historical Society, June 4, c1872, With a Notice of Proceedings", Printed For the Society, New York, 1872.
"John David Wolfe was born in the city of New York July 24, 1792, and consequently at the time of his death in this city on the evening of the 17th of May, 1872, had nearly completed his eightieth year. The family was brought to this country and city by his grandfather, John David Wolfe, a native of Saxony, during the first quarter of the century."
After his father, [Capt.] David Wolfe and partner, brother John Albert, retired from their hardware business in NYC, at the NW corner of Maiden Lane, about 1816, John David and his cousin, John Albert, [sons of the two brothers] carried on with the business.
"At about the age of fifty Mr. Wolfe retired from active participation in the business. He had acquired sufficient wealth, and his judicious investments in real estate were rising in value with the growth of the city. Always a man of probity and conscientiousness, we find him henceforth engaged in those works of charity and beneficence under the sanction of religious influences which, enlarging as he advanced in life and fortune, became the distinguishing pursuit of his later years."
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John David Wolfe's Timeline
| 1792 |
July 24, 1792
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New York, New York County, New York, United States
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| 1823 |
May 3, 1823
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| 1825 |
July 18, 1825
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| 1828 |
March 8, 1828
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New York, New York, United States
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| 1872 |
May 17, 1872
Age 79
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New York, New York County, New York, United States
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May 21, 1872
Age 79
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Green-Wood Cemetery, 500 25th Street, Brooklyn, Kings County, New York, 11232, United States
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