Jonathan Emanuel

At the center of a one of Magnolia Cemetery's historic lots is a handsome monument dedicated to the memory of Jonathon Emanuel. The monument notes that he was born in the English town of Tavistock in the county of Devonshire on October 26, 1796 and died in Mobile on February 1, 1875. He immigrated to New York in 1821. There he established himself as a merchant and moved to Mobile in 1824.

He set his business up bringing goods from New York into the growing city and became rich. Emanuel enticed a Manhattan widow, Isabella Hunter King, to join him in Mobile. Marriage records show that they were married in Mobile on March 26,1832. Within approximately four years, Emanuel built his wife what was arguably the finest residence in the city.

The design of the house has been attributed to James Gallier. It is certainly plausible that the great architect did design the house. He was already in the city at the time, and his plans for Government Street Presbyterian Church as well as Barton Academy were being drawn at this period. The large lot was on the south west corner of Government and Joachim streets.

Emanuel continued to prosper as a merchant and cotton broker and retired in 1856. He then presided over the Mobile Insurance Company. In 1859 the firm advertised that it had $200,000 in capital and insured "against fire, marine and river risks." Offices were located at 40 St. Francis Street. Emanuel also served as a director for the Mobile and Ohio Railroad. He held office in Mobile's Chamber of Commerce and served as a public school commissioner as well as a city councilman.

Magnolia Messenger (see attached)

The Staples Pake Building was originally constructed in the 1850’s as office space for Jonathan Emanuel, a cotton broker and prominent Mobile business leader who later became president of Mobile Mutual Insurance Company. The “Emanuel” building was acquired in 1903 by the newly organized Bank of Mobile and subsequently remodeled by George B. Rogers, a prominent Mobile architect.

• Reference: Ancestry Genealogy - SmartCopy: Oct 26 2018, 18:21:54 UTC