Longworth family
Encyclopedia
The Longworth family is most closely associated with Cincinnati, Ohio
, and was one of Cincinnati's better-known families during the 19th and 20th centuries. The founder of the Ohio family, Nicholas Longworth
(16 January 1783 - 10 February 1863), came to Cincinnati from Newark, New Jersey
sometime before 1808. He married Susanna Howell, three years his junior, daughter of Silas and Hannah (Vaughan) Howell, on Christmas Eve
, 1807.
Nicholas Longworth
was a winemaker
who has been called the "Father of the American wine
industry." He capitalized on the German-American movement into Cincinnati, producing a wine that replicated a drink native to Germany
. During the late 1840s and throughout the 1850s, the family patriarch's wine ventures were increasingly profitable
. However, the root of the Longworth family wealth
was Longworth's real estate
success.
He and his wife Susanna had five children, namely:
Oldest daughter Mary married John Stettinius, and was the matriarch of the Cincinnati family of that name. But the Longworth fame continued on through the second-youngest child and only son, Joseph.
On 13 April 1841, Joseph Longworth married Anna Maria Rives. His wife was the daughter of Landon Cabell Rives and Anna Maria Towles. Longworth's in-laws were a fairly well known central Virginia
family, and Landon Cabell Rives was a doctor who studied medicine at the University of Pennsylvania
. Anna, her sister Margaret, and brother Landon Jr. were born in Nelson County, Virginia
, and had come to Cincinnati with their parents in 1829. Their uncle was the American ambassador to France
, United States Senator and member of the Confederate Senate, William Cabell Rives
.
Joseph and Anna Maria (Rives) Longworth had a few descendants of note. Their daughter Maria Rives (Longworth) Nichols Storer founded Rookwood Pottery in Cincinnati, named for the Grandin Road home of the Longworth family on the east side of Cincinnati. (The house was so called because loud rooks - blackbirds of the family corvidae
- constantly hovered around the place.) Their grandson was the Cincinnati lawyer
, and member of the United States House of Representatives
Nicholas Longworth
, namesake of the Longworth House Office Building
in Washington, D.C.
. Their granddaughter Clara Eleanor (Longworth) DeChambrun wrote about her brother and the larger family in a book called The Making of Nicholas Longworth: Annals of an American Family.
Cincinnati, Ohio
Cincinnati is a city in the U.S. state of Ohio. Cincinnati is the county seat of Hamilton County. Settled in 1788, the city is located to north of the Ohio River at the Ohio-Kentucky border, near Indiana. The population within city limits is 296,943 according to the 2010 census, making it Ohio's...
, and was one of Cincinnati's better-known families during the 19th and 20th centuries. The founder of the Ohio family, Nicholas Longworth
Nicholas Longworth (1783 - 1863)
Nicholas Longworth was born in Newark, New Jersey in 1783. In 1804 he moved to Cincinnati, Ohio where he became a banker and a successful winemaker as well as founder of the Longworth family in Ohio...
(16 January 1783 - 10 February 1863), came to Cincinnati from Newark, New Jersey
Newark, New Jersey
Newark is the largest city in the American state of New Jersey, and the seat of Essex County. As of the 2010 United States Census, Newark had a population of 277,140, maintaining its status as the largest municipality in New Jersey. It is the 68th largest city in the U.S...
sometime before 1808. He married Susanna Howell, three years his junior, daughter of Silas and Hannah (Vaughan) Howell, on Christmas Eve
Christmas Eve
Christmas Eve refers to the evening or entire day preceding Christmas Day, a widely celebrated festival commemorating the birth of Jesus of Nazareth that takes place on December 25...
, 1807.
Nicholas Longworth
Nicholas Longworth (1783 - 1863)
Nicholas Longworth was born in Newark, New Jersey in 1783. In 1804 he moved to Cincinnati, Ohio where he became a banker and a successful winemaker as well as founder of the Longworth family in Ohio...
was a winemaker
Winemaker
A winemaker or vintner is a person engaged in winemaking. They are generally employed by wineries or wine companies, where their work includes:*Cooperating with viticulturists...
who has been called the "Father of the American wine
Wine
Wine is an alcoholic beverage, made of fermented fruit juice, usually from grapes. The natural chemical balance of grapes lets them ferment without the addition of sugars, acids, enzymes, or other nutrients. Grape wine is produced by fermenting crushed grapes using various types of yeast. Yeast...
industry." He capitalized on the German-American movement into Cincinnati, producing a wine that replicated a drink native to Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
. During the late 1840s and throughout the 1850s, the family patriarch's wine ventures were increasingly profitable
Profit (economics)
In economics, the term profit has two related but distinct meanings. Normal profit represents the total opportunity costs of a venture to an entrepreneur or investor, whilst economic profit In economics, the term profit has two related but distinct meanings. Normal profit represents the total...
. However, the root of the Longworth family wealth
Wealth
Wealth is the abundance of valuable resources or material possessions. The word wealth is derived from the old English wela, which is from an Indo-European word stem...
was Longworth's real estate
Real estate
In general use, esp. North American, 'real estate' is taken to mean "Property consisting of land and the buildings on it, along with its natural resources such as crops, minerals, or water; immovable property of this nature; an interest vested in this; an item of real property; buildings or...
success.
He and his wife Susanna had five children, namely:
- Mary Longworth (7 October 1808 - 4 January 1886)
- Eliza Longworth (9 December 1809 - 1891)
- Sarah Longworth (21 October 1811 - 14 September 1812)
- Joseph Longworth (2 October 1813 - 30 December 1883)
- Catherine Longworth (22 October 1815 - 20 June 1893)
Oldest daughter Mary married John Stettinius, and was the matriarch of the Cincinnati family of that name. But the Longworth fame continued on through the second-youngest child and only son, Joseph.
On 13 April 1841, Joseph Longworth married Anna Maria Rives. His wife was the daughter of Landon Cabell Rives and Anna Maria Towles. Longworth's in-laws were a fairly well known central Virginia
Virginia
The Commonwealth of Virginia , is a U.S. state on the Atlantic Coast of the Southern United States. Virginia is nicknamed the "Old Dominion" and sometimes the "Mother of Presidents" after the eight U.S. presidents born there...
family, and Landon Cabell Rives was a doctor who studied medicine at the University of Pennsylvania
University of Pennsylvania
The University of Pennsylvania is a private, Ivy League university located in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States. Penn is the fourth-oldest institution of higher education in the United States,Penn is the fourth-oldest using the founding dates claimed by each institution...
. Anna, her sister Margaret, and brother Landon Jr. were born in Nelson County, Virginia
Nelson County, Virginia
As of the census of 2000, there were 14,445 people, 5,887 households, and 4,144 families residing in the county. The population density was 31 people per square mile . There were 8,554 housing units at an average density of 18 per square mile...
, and had come to Cincinnati with their parents in 1829. Their uncle was the American ambassador to France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
, United States Senator and member of the Confederate Senate, William Cabell Rives
William Cabell Rives
William Cabell Rives was an American lawyer, politician and diplomat from Albemarle County, Virginia. He represented Virginia as a Jackson Democrat in both the U.S. House and Senate and also served as the U.S. minister to France....
.
Joseph and Anna Maria (Rives) Longworth had a few descendants of note. Their daughter Maria Rives (Longworth) Nichols Storer founded Rookwood Pottery in Cincinnati, named for the Grandin Road home of the Longworth family on the east side of Cincinnati. (The house was so called because loud rooks - blackbirds of the family corvidae
Corvidae
Corvidae is a cosmopolitan family of oscine passerine birds that contains the crows, ravens, rooks, jackdaws, jays, magpies, treepies, choughs and nutcrackers. The common English names used are corvids or the crow family , and there are over 120 species...
- constantly hovered around the place.) Their grandson was the Cincinnati lawyer
Lawyer
A lawyer, according to Black's Law Dictionary, is "a person learned in the law; as an attorney, counsel or solicitor; a person who is practicing law." Law is the system of rules of conduct established by the sovereign government of a society to correct wrongs, maintain the stability of political...
, and member of the United States House of Representatives
United States House of Representatives
The United States House of Representatives is one of the two Houses of the United States Congress, the bicameral legislature which also includes the Senate.The composition and powers of the House are established in Article One of the Constitution...
Nicholas Longworth
Nicholas Longworth
Nicholas Longworth IV was a prominent American politician in the Republican Party during the first few decades of the 20th century...
, namesake of the Longworth House Office Building
Longworth House Office Building
The Longworth House Office Building is one of four office buildings used by the United States House of Representatives. The building is located south of the Capitol, bounded by Independence Avenue, New Jersey Avenue, C Street S.E., and South Capitol Street, in southeast Washington...
in Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly referred to as Washington, "the District", or simply D.C., is the capital of the United States. On July 16, 1790, the United States Congress approved the creation of a permanent national capital as permitted by the U.S. Constitution....
. Their granddaughter Clara Eleanor (Longworth) DeChambrun wrote about her brother and the larger family in a book called The Making of Nicholas Longworth: Annals of an American Family.