David Hunter McAlpin
Encyclopedia
David Hunter McAlpin 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.
, New York
to James and Jane Hunter McAlpin. His father had immigrated from Ireland in 1811, only five years before his birth after participating in the Irish Rebellion of 1798
. In 1836 McAlpin moved to New York
City where he opened a tobacco store at 84 Catherine Street in partnership with William W Hughes. Over the next few years they opened additional stores in the city and the partnership dissolved in 1839 after which McAlpin continued the business alone.
in New York City from 1872 to his death in 1901, and provided generously for the provision of the Seminary. He endowed a chair in theology, known as the "Skinner and McAlpin" Chair, with $25,000, along with an additional $55,000 from others. In 1884 he donated a multi-thousand volume collection to the seminary's library known as the "McAlpin Collection"
McAlpin erected a church, the Olivet Chapel, on Second Street, Manhattan in memory of his son, Joseph Rose McAlpin.
built the world's largest hotel known as the Hotel McAlpin
in 1912. Additionally, he owned 1500 acres (6.1 km²) of land with a summer home at Morristown, NJ, which he called Glen Alpine, where he spent time in the summer. He owned additional property in Morristown itself, including a parcel at the corner of Speedwell Ave and Park Place, and properties known as the Postoffice Block and the United States Hotel.
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 Edwin 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 in New York and he was interred in Greenwood Cemetery
.
Additionally he had two step daughters
Early life
David Hunter McAlpin was born on 6 November 1816 in Pleasant ValleyPleasant Valley (town), New York
Pleasant Valley is a town in Dutchess County, New York, United States. The population was 9,066 at the 2000 census. The town is centrally located in the county, northeast of the City of Poughkeepsie. US Route 44 passes through the town.-History:...
, New York
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
to James and Jane Hunter McAlpin. His father had immigrated from Ireland in 1811, only five years before his birth after participating in the Irish Rebellion of 1798
Irish Rebellion of 1798
The Irish Rebellion of 1798 , also known as the United Irishmen Rebellion , was an uprising in 1798, lasting several months, against British rule in Ireland...
. In 1836 McAlpin moved to New York
City where he opened a tobacco store at 84 Catherine Street in partnership with William W Hughes. Over the next few years they opened additional stores in the city and the partnership dissolved in 1839 after which McAlpin continued the business alone.
D.H. McAlpin & Co. Tobacco Company
In 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. 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. for a reported price of $2,500,000.Directorships
At 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
Union Theological Seminary
McAlpin sat on the board of the Union Theological SeminaryUnion Theological Seminary in the City of New York
Union Theological Seminary in the City of New York is a preeminent independent graduate school of theology, located in Manhattan between Claremont Avenue and Broadway, 120th to 122nd Streets. The seminary was founded in 1836 under the Presbyterian Church, and is affiliated with nearby Columbia...
in New York City from 1872 to his death in 1901, and provided generously for the provision of the Seminary. He endowed a chair in theology, known as the "Skinner and McAlpin" Chair, with $25,000, along with an additional $55,000 from others. In 1884 he donated a multi-thousand volume collection to the seminary's library known as the "McAlpin Collection"
McAlpin erected a church, the Olivet Chapel, on Second Street, Manhattan in memory of his son, Joseph Rose McAlpin.
Marriage
McAlpin was married three times. 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. Adelaide died in 1870. His second wife was Mrs A.D. Chamberlain (Adelia) whom he married in 1873 and who died in 1891. McAlpin's third wife, who he married in 1892, and his third wife was Adelaide's sister, Cordelia (Rose) Shackelton, widow of Dr. Shackelton.Real Estate Interests
McAlpin 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. It was on this parcel of land that McAlpin's son, General Edwin A. McAlpinEdwin A. McAlpin
General Edwin Augustus McAlpin was president of the D.H. McAlpin & Co., a tobacco manufacturer. He built the Hotel McAlpin in New York City, at the time the largest hotel in the world. He had an active military career in the New York National Guard and was appointed Adjutant General by the Governor...
built the world's largest hotel known as the Hotel McAlpin
Hotel McAlpin
The Hotel McAlpin was constructed in 1912 on Herald Square, at the corner of Broadway and 34th street in Manhattan, New York City by General Edwin A. McAlpin, son of David Hunter McAlpin. When opened it was the largest hotel in the world. The hotel was designed by the noted architect Frank Mills...
in 1912. Additionally, he owned 1500 acres (6.1 km²) of land with a summer home at Morristown, NJ, which he called Glen Alpine, where he spent time in the summer. He owned additional property in Morristown itself, including a parcel at the corner of Speedwell Ave and Park Place, and properties known as the Postoffice Block and the United States Hotel.
Death
McAlpin died at 4:00 pm on 8 February 1901 at his home at 40 West 48th Street in ManhattanManhattan
Manhattan is the oldest and the most densely populated of the five boroughs of New York City. Located primarily on the island of Manhattan at the mouth of the Hudson River, the boundaries of the borough are identical to those of New York County, an original county of the state of New York...
of stroke
Stroke
A stroke, previously known medically as a cerebrovascular accident , is the rapidly developing loss of brain function due to disturbance in the blood supply to the brain. This can be due to ischemia caused by blockage , or a hemorrhage...
. 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 Edwin Augustus McAlpin
Edwin A. McAlpin
General Edwin Augustus McAlpin was president of the D.H. McAlpin & Co., a tobacco manufacturer. He built the Hotel McAlpin in New York City, at the time the largest hotel in the world. He had an active military career in the New York National Guard and was appointed Adjutant General by the Governor...
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 in New York and he was interred in Greenwood Cemetery
Green-Wood Cemetery
Green-Wood Cemetery was founded in 1838 as a rural cemetery in Brooklyn, Kings County , New York. It was granted National Historic Landmark status in 2006 by the U.S. Department of the Interior.-History:...
.
Children
McAlpin had ten children, all by his first wife Adelaide, six of whom survived him:- General Edward Augustus McAlpinEdwin A. McAlpinGeneral Edwin Augustus McAlpin was president of the D.H. McAlpin & Co., a tobacco manufacturer. He built the Hotel McAlpin in New York City, at the time the largest hotel in the world. He had an active military career in the New York National Guard and was appointed Adjutant General by the Governor...
, later Adjutant General of New York - Dr. David Hunter McAlpin, Princeton graduate and noted physician, who married Emma Rockefeller
- George L McAlpin, graduate of Yale
- Charles W McAlpin, graduated of Princeton
- William W McAlpin
- Frances Adelaide McAlpin who married James Tolman Pyle
Additionally he had two step daughters
- Frances Knox
- Adelaide McAlpin Stiles