Frederick W. Tilton
Encyclopedia
Frederick William Tilton (ca. 1821 - June 6, 1890) was a New Orleans, Louisiana
, businessman and philanthropist
who endowed the F.W. Tilton Library
at Tulane University
.
Tilton was born in the coastal city of Portsmouth, New Hampshire
, to Timothy Tilton and the former Clarissa Wheeler. He was educated at Pittsfield
Academy and by private tutoring. While he was still a teenager, Tilton formed a friendship with Henry Van Wart
, a hardware
manufacturer in Birmingham
, England
.
Tilton moved to New Orleans in 1840 and worked for a time in a hardware business before he became Van Wart's agent. He married the former Caroline Stannard; they had no children. Though he was of northern extraction, Tilton supported the Confederate States of America
in the Civil War
. He went to Britain to purchase arms. Most of his property was seized by United States
troops when they occupied New Orleans under General
Benjamin Franklin Butler, Jr.
, of Massachusetts
.
Thereafter, Tilton rebuilt his fortune as an importer of railroad iron. He was a patron of the arts
and contributed to many cultural organizations. Before he died, Tilton expressed a desire to assist Tulane. After his death, Mrs. Tilton donated funds for the Tulane library which bears her husband's name. The cornerstone
of the library was laid on June 8, 1901, and the structure was completed in 1903.
The Tiltons are buried in Metairie Cemetery
in New Orleans.
Louisiana
Louisiana is a state located in the southern region of the United States of America. Its capital is Baton Rouge and largest city is New Orleans. Louisiana is the only state in the U.S. with political subdivisions termed parishes, which are local governments equivalent to counties...
, businessman and philanthropist
Philanthropist
A philanthropist is someone who engages in philanthropy; that is, someone who donates his or her time, money, and/or reputation to charitable causes...
who endowed the F.W. Tilton Library
Library
In a traditional sense, a library is a large collection of books, and can refer to the place in which the collection is housed. Today, the term can refer to any collection, including digital sources, resources, and services...
at Tulane University
Tulane University
Tulane University is a private, nonsectarian research university located in New Orleans, Louisiana, United States...
.
Tilton was born in the coastal city of Portsmouth, New Hampshire
Portsmouth, New Hampshire
Portsmouth is a city in Rockingham County, New Hampshire in the United States. It is the largest city but only the fourth-largest community in the county, with a population of 21,233 at the 2010 census...
, to Timothy Tilton and the former Clarissa Wheeler. He was educated at Pittsfield
Pittsfield, Massachusetts
Pittsfield is the largest city and the county seat of Berkshire County, Massachusetts, United States. It is the principal city of the Pittsfield, Massachusetts Metropolitan Statistical Area which encompasses all of Berkshire County. Its area code is 413. Its ZIP code is 01201...
Academy and by private tutoring. While he was still a teenager, Tilton formed a friendship with Henry Van Wart
Henry van Wart
Henry van Wart , an American who became British by special act of Parliament, founded the Birmingham Stock Exchange and served as one of Birmingham's first Aldermen and a director of the Birmingham Banking Company....
, a hardware
Hardware
Hardware is a general term for equipment such as keys, locks, hinges, latches, handles, wire, chains, plumbing supplies, tools, utensils, cutlery and machine parts. Household hardware is typically sold in hardware stores....
manufacturer in Birmingham
Birmingham
Birmingham is a city and metropolitan borough in the West Midlands of England. It is the most populous British city outside the capital London, with a population of 1,036,900 , and lies at the heart of the West Midlands conurbation, the second most populous urban area in the United Kingdom with a...
, England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
.
Tilton moved to New Orleans in 1840 and worked for a time in a hardware business before he became Van Wart's agent. He married the former Caroline Stannard; they had no children. Though he was of northern extraction, Tilton supported the Confederate States of America
Confederate States of America
The Confederate States of America was a government set up from 1861 to 1865 by 11 Southern slave states of the United States of America that had declared their secession from the U.S...
in the Civil War
American Civil War
The American Civil War was a civil war fought in the United States of America. In response to the election of Abraham Lincoln as President of the United States, 11 southern slave states declared their secession from the United States and formed the Confederate States of America ; the other 25...
. He went to Britain to purchase arms. Most of his property was seized by United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
troops when they occupied New Orleans under General
General
A general officer is an officer of high military rank, usually in the army, and in some nations, the air force. The term is widely used by many nations of the world, and when a country uses a different term, there is an equivalent title given....
Benjamin Franklin Butler, Jr.
Benjamin Franklin Butler (politician)
Benjamin Franklin Butler was an American lawyer and politician who represented Massachusetts in the United States House of Representatives and later served as the 33rd Governor of Massachusetts....
, of Massachusetts
Massachusetts
The Commonwealth of Massachusetts is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States of America. It is bordered by Rhode Island and Connecticut to the south, New York to the west, and Vermont and New Hampshire to the north; at its east lies the Atlantic Ocean. As of the 2010...
.
Thereafter, Tilton rebuilt his fortune as an importer of railroad iron. He was a patron of the arts
ARts
aRts, which stands for analog Real time synthesizer, is an audio framework that is no longer under development. It is best known for previously being used in KDE to simulate an analog synthesizer....
and contributed to many cultural organizations. Before he died, Tilton expressed a desire to assist Tulane. After his death, Mrs. Tilton donated funds for the Tulane library which bears her husband's name. The cornerstone
Cornerstone
The cornerstone concept is derived from the first stone set in the construction of a masonry foundation, important since all other stones will be set in reference to this stone, thus determining the position of the entire structure.Over time a cornerstone became a ceremonial masonry stone, or...
of the library was laid on June 8, 1901, and the structure was completed in 1903.
The Tiltons are buried in Metairie Cemetery
Metairie Cemetery
Metairie Cemetery is a cemetery in New Orleans, Louisiana, United States. The name has caused some people to mistakenly presume that the cemetery is located in Metairie, Louisiana, but it is located within the New Orleans city limits, on Metairie Road .-History:This site was previously a horse...
in New Orleans.