William Pryor Letchworth
Encyclopedia
William Pryor Letchworth (May 26, 1823 – December 1, 1910) was an American
businessman notable for his charitable work.
on May 26, 1823, the fourth of eight children born to Josiah and Ann Hance Letchworth. Raised as a Quaker, Letchworth learned the values of hard work, charity, and development of the intellect from his family.
At age 15, Letchworh was hired as a clerk at Hayden & Holmes, a saddlery and hardware company. Letchworth succeeded at his tasks and in business in general, and by age 22 was partner at Pratt & Letchworth, a company involved in the "malleable iron" business.
flowed. In 1859 he purchased his first tract of land near Portage Falls.
Letchworth hired noted landscape architect
William Webster
to design the grounds of the estate, which Letchworth named Glen Iris.
He bequeathed his 1000 acres (4 km²) estate to New York in 1906, which now forms the heart of Letchworth State Park
.
and poor children. From this research he wrote two books entitled "The Insane in Foreign Countries" and "Care and Treatment of Epileptics". Many of his methods would later be used by Craig Colony, a State epileptic hospital he helped to establish in Western New York in 1896.
His charity work was extended as he served as President for the National Association for the Study of Epilepsy and the Care of Treatment of Epilepsy, and as President of the First New York State Conference of Charities and Corrections, as well as President of the National Conference of Charities and Correction held in St. Louis in 1884.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
businessman notable for his charitable work.
Early years
William was born in Brownville, New YorkBrownville, New York
Brownvile, New York may refer to:*Brownville , New York*Brownville , New York...
on May 26, 1823, the fourth of eight children born to Josiah and Ann Hance Letchworth. Raised as a Quaker, Letchworth learned the values of hard work, charity, and development of the intellect from his family.
At age 15, Letchworh was hired as a clerk at Hayden & Holmes, a saddlery and hardware company. Letchworth succeeded at his tasks and in business in general, and by age 22 was partner at Pratt & Letchworth, a company involved in the "malleable iron" business.
Glen Iris Estate
Although successful, Letchworth found the day-to-day operations of business burdensome. He sought refuge from the business world and decided to build a home. He settled on the location while as a tourist gazing at the view in what the Seneca Indians called the Sehgahunda Valley through which the Genesee RiverGenesee River
The Genesee River is a North American river flowing northward through the Twin Tiers of Pennsylvania and New York. The river provided the original power for the Rochester area's 19th century mills and still provides hydroelectric power for downtown Rochester....
flowed. In 1859 he purchased his first tract of land near Portage Falls.
Letchworth hired noted landscape architect
Landscape architect
A landscape architect is a person involved in the planning, design and sometimes direction of a landscape, garden, or distinct space. The professional practice is known as landscape architecture....
William Webster
William Webster
William Webster may refer to:* William Webster , British clergyman* William Bennett Webster , doctor, amateur geologist and political figure in Nova Scotia, Canada...
to design the grounds of the estate, which Letchworth named Glen Iris.
He bequeathed his 1000 acres (4 km²) estate to New York in 1906, which now forms the heart of Letchworth State Park
Letchworth State Park
Letchworth State Park is a New York state park located 35 miles southwest of Rochester and 60 miles southeast of Buffalo in Livingston and Wyoming counties. The park is roughly 17 miles long, covering of land along the Genesee River...
.
Charity and social work
In 1873, he accepted an appointment to the New York State Board of Charities. "In 1875 he had inspected all the orphan asylums, poor-houses, city alms houses, and juvenile reformatories in the state which had an aggregate population of 17,791 children." The result of his investigation was a successful recommendation to remove all children under 2 years of age from these institutions. In 1878, Letchworth was elected to President of the Board. Letchworth resigned from the State Board of Charities in 1897. He then spent the next few years traveling around Europe and the United States at his own expense to explore the plight of the insane, epilepticsEpilepsy
Epilepsy is a common chronic neurological disorder characterized by seizures. These seizures are transient signs and/or symptoms of abnormal, excessive or hypersynchronous neuronal activity in the brain.About 50 million people worldwide have epilepsy, and nearly two out of every three new cases...
and poor children. From this research he wrote two books entitled "The Insane in Foreign Countries" and "Care and Treatment of Epileptics". Many of his methods would later be used by Craig Colony, a State epileptic hospital he helped to establish in Western New York in 1896.
His charity work was extended as he served as President for the National Association for the Study of Epilepsy and the Care of Treatment of Epilepsy, and as President of the First New York State Conference of Charities and Corrections, as well as President of the National Conference of Charities and Correction held in St. Louis in 1884.