Fayette B. Tower Papers, 1776-1891 (Bulk Dates, 1831-1842) 2 Boxes

Fayette B. Tower papers, 1776-1891 (bulk dates, 1831-1842) 2 boxes

Museum of the City of New York 1220 Fifth Avenue New York, NY 10029

Telephone: 212-534-1672 Fax: 212-423-0758 [email protected] www.mcny.org

Prepared by Lindsay Turley, April 2014 Description is in English.

Descriptive Summary Creator: F. B. (Fayette Bartholomew) Tower (1817-1857), and other Tower and Phelps family members. Title: Fayette B. Tower papers Dates: 1776-1891 (bulk dates, 1831-1842) Abstract: Fayette B. Tower worked as an engineer on the Croton Aqueduct, the water distribution system constructed between 1837 and 1842 to bring fresh water from the Croton River in Westchester County to a reservoir in New York City. This collection primarily includes correspondence to his family while a child at boarding school, and later from his post on the Croton Aqueduct. It also includes family mementos such as school copy books and genealogical documents. Extent: 2 boxes (1 regular document case, one oversize) MCNY Numbers: Activity #27992 and #27993 Language: English.

Biographical Note Fayette Bartholomew Tower (1817-1857) was born in Waterville, New York, to Reuben Tower (1787-1832) and Deborah Taylor (Pierce) Tower (1785-1864). Fayette was the fourth of eight children, seven of whom were boys, with only one sister. The Tower family resided in Waterville for most of Fayette’s life, though he attended boarding school nearby in Hamilton, Clinton, and Utica, New York. Reuben Tower was a New York State Legislator and instrumental in the completion of the Chenango Canal. Rueben died in 1832 from tuberculosis after journeying to St. Augustine Florida to improve his heath. It is assumed that this event precipitated the financial need for Fayette to leave school and enter the work force, as his earlier letters express a desire to attend college that was never realized.

In the mid-1830s, Fayette began work with a railroad company as a leveler, and it is likely that through this experience he acquired his post in the fall of 1837 as an engineer on the Croton Aqueduct. The Croton Aqueduct was a water distribution system constructed between 1837 and 1842 to bring fresh water from the Croton River in Westchester County to a reservoir in New York City 41 miles away. Fayette worked under the supervision of Chief Engineer, John B. Jervis. Fayette was originally posted outside of the city, near the village of Sing Sing, Westchester County (now absorbed into Ossining, New York), until he was transferred to work on the line in New York City in 1839. During this time, Fayette’s letters are sent from a place called Elmwood from which he commuted into the city. It is unclear where Elmwood was located, butit may refer to an estate on Hunts Point, in the Bronx. He later lived in Bloomingdale, an area of western Manhattan through which the Bloomingdale Road passed, and roughly described as extending north of 23rd Street up to the present day neighborhood of Morningside Heights.

In July of 1839, still employed as an engineer on the Croton Aqueduct, Fayette married Elizabeth Huntington Phelps (1818-1841) in Troy, New York. While it is not clear how the two met, Elizabeth writes that they knew each other for seven years before they were married in a letter to her mother-in-law. Elizabeth and Fayette were both plagued with poor health. Fayette is sick for several weeks with dysentery and influenza in the fall of 1839, and by the spring of 1840, Elizabeth’s health is poor, with symptoms of what is later confirmed as tuberculosis, or “consumption.” Fayette and Elizabeth appear to be exhausting themselves caring for each other, and they began making plans to go south for the winter to Cuba or Trinidad. Fayette secured a leave of absence of six months from his work on the Croton Aqueduct. Unfortunately, Elizabeth’s health deteriorates too quickly for them to make the trip to a warmer climate, and she dies in February 1841. In another letter to her mother-in-law, Elizabeth states that she feels Fayette has contracted tuberculosis in caring for her.

Over the next couple years, Fayette worked somewhat irregularly, taking trips to the warmer climates of South Carolina and Maryland to regain his health. During this time, he was also working on a publication of his Illustrations of the Croton Aqueduct, (Wiley and Putnam, 1843). In 1843, he mentioned staying with his sister-in-law, Anne Regina Phelps, in South Carolina. He married Anne, his deceased wife’s younger sister, on September 5th, 1843. The couple had two children: Lawrence, born 1845, and Clarence, born 1847, who dies in 1949. Anne herself died d just two weeks after the birth of Clarence, in 1847. Fayette remarried a third time, in 1850, to Anna L. Frary, and the couple settled in Cumberland, Maryland, again seeking a warmer climate for Fayette’s health. This marriage resulted in two more children: Floyd, born 1851, and Emily, born 1854. Fayette was selected for the Maryland legislature, and serves as mayor of Cumberland from 1853-1854. Fayette’s further declining health sent him home to Waterville, where he died shortly thereafter, in 1857, at just 40 years of age. While no sources provide the exact cause of death, based on family and personal history, as well as exposure to the disease, Fayette’s death was likely caused by tuberculosis. His third wife, Anna, dies in 1883.

The Tower Homestead, where Fayette grew up in Waterville, New York, is on the National Register of Historic Places. Descendants of Charlemagne, Fayette’s brother, lived there until it was sold in 1954.

Scope and Content This collection includes material collected by Fayette B. Tower’s descendants by his marriage to his second wife, Anne Phelps. The bulk of the material is correspondence set by Fayette to his mother and eldest brother, with some correspondence between other family members. The rest of the collection is comprised of family mementos such as school books, sketches, journals, writings, and some business documents. The majority of the material relates to family matters, with some documentation of Tower’s work on the Croton Aqueduct. The material dates from the late 19th century to late 19th century, with the bulk dating from the 1830s - early 1840s.

Arrangement The collection is arranged into three series. Series I is further subdivided in the two sub-series.

Series I: Correspondence (1829-1845) Sub-series A: Correspondence from Fayette B. Tower (1829-1843) Sub-series B: Other family members (1831-1845) Series II: Fayette B. Tower – personal materials (1822-1842) Series III: Tower and Phelps family personal and genealogical materials (1776-1891)

Series and Sub-Series Descriptions Sub-series I.A: Correspondence from Fayette B. Tower (1829-1843) Sub series I.A is the largest series, and includes correspondence from Fayette B. Tower to his family members. It is arranged alphabetically by first name of the recipient and then chronologically. Fayette’s two primary correspondents are his eldest brother Charlemagne (1809-1889) and his mother, Deborah Taylor (Pierce) Tower (1785 – 1864). Charlemagne appears to have taken control of family affairs following the death of Rueben Tower, the brothers’ father in 1832, and almost all of Fayette’s letters to him request money. Fayette’s other correspondents include his brothers Julius (b. 1811), James (b. 1823), his father Reuben, and his son Lawrence (b. 1845).

Most of Fayette’s letters prior to 1835 are written from Hamilton, and Clinton, New York, where he attends boarding school nearby. The content primarily relates to classes and requests for money for daily needs such as clothing, board, and courses. Fayette’s letters often speak of the shabby condition of his clothing in comparison to his other classmates and asks whether having teeth filled would be considered an “unnecessary expense,” suggesting the Tower family has limited finances. Fayette goes on to express his desire to further his education by attending college and his interests and engineering and drafting. During the mid-1830s Fayette writes from various locations, including Oswego and Oneida counties, where he is working as a leveler with a railroad company. Correspondence from this time and throughout the rest of his adult life occasionally alludes to family business prospects and real estate holdings.

Starting in 1838, Fayette’s letters are sent from Sing Sing, where he is working as an engineer on the Croton Aqueduct. The letters from the 1840s are sent from New York City and locations nearby, and while these letters document some of the activity related to the Croton Aqueduct, for the most part, they describe the decline of his first wife Elizabeth’s health and eventual death, along with his own failing health.

After spending some time in warmer climates of South Caroline and Maryland, in 1842, Fayette’s letters from New York City and Elmwood resume, and once again turn to the subject of his work on the Croton Aqueduct, mentioning a visit from John Jacob Astor to the site in June 1842. His letters from 1842-1843 relate his ongoing struggle with poor health and more time spent in warmer climates, his second marriage, and work to publish and sell Illustrations of the Croton Aqueduct.

Sub-series I.B: Other family members (1831-1845) The primary correspondent in Sub-Series II.B is Elizabeth Phelps Tower, Fayette’s first wife, who wrote frequently to Deborah Tower, her mother-in-law. Most of the correspondence relates to affairs of the home, and she updates Deborah on Fayette’s activities, as it seems the work on the Croton Aqueduct consumes a large amount of his time. Elizabeth’s letters provide more insight to her failing health, as well as Fayette’s struggles with his own health. She writes about her religious faith to her mother-in-law, and Series III contains some of her religious writings. The correspondence from Charlemagne Tower relates mostly to his efforts to place a copy of Illustrations of the Croton Aqueduct in the library at Harvard, his alma mater. Other correspondents in this sub- series include Ruben Tower, Fayette’s father-in-law John Phelps, and “C.” Tower (likely Charlemagne Tower, II (b.1848).)

Series II: Fayette B. Tower – personal materials (1822-1842) Series II contains material collected by Fayette throughout his life, such as small sketches, accounts of trips, school mementos and copybooks, prints, autographs, invitations from politicians, copies of photographs, and a hand drawn business card. A small amount of documents may pertain to Fayette’s business interests mentioned in Sub-series I.A.

Series III: Tower and Phelps family personal and genealogical materials (1776-1891) Series III contains material related to or collected by other members of the Tower and Phelps families, including school mementos and copybooks, religious writings, and genealogical documents. The series also includes published material such as The Tower Genealogy by Charlemagne Tower (1809-1889), Cambridge University Press, 1891, and Charlemagne Tower’s copy of Illustrations of the Croton Aqueduct.

Language of Materials Materials are in English.

Access and Use The Museum of the City of New York collections must be examined on site. Appointments to examine materials must be made in advance by contacting the Archivist through e-mail at [email protected].

Collection use is subject to all copyright laws. Permission to publish materials must be obtained in writing from the Rights and Reproductions Office at the Museum of the City of New York. For more information please contact: Rights and Reproductions office Museum of the City of New York 1220 Fifth Avenue New York, NY 10029 Telephone: 212-534-1672, ext. 3375 Fax: 917-492-3960 [email protected]

Administrative Information Preferred Citation Title, date. Fayette B. Tower papers, 1776-1891. Museum of the City of New York. Accession #.

Custodial History A number of items in this collection were loaned to the Museum of the City of New York in 1942 by Lawrence Phelps Tower, II, great-grandson of Fayette Tower, along with a series of drawings of the Croton Aqueduct and a few jewelry items including a ring, cufflink, and shirt studs of Tower family origin. It appears these materials remained in the Museum’s custody on long term loan until 2001, when Helen Tower Wilson, Lawrence Phelps Tower, II’s daughter and heir, signed off on the change of status (Activity 27993, Accession #2002.34). At that time, Ms. Wilson donated additional Tower material still in her possession (Activity 27992, Accession #2002.33).

Acquisition Information The collection was formally accessioned as two gifts of Helen Tower Wilson, great-great granddaughter of Fayette B. Tower, in 2002.

Processing Information The collection was processed in March-April 2014 by Lindsay Turley, Manuscripts and Reference Archivist.

Related Material Museum of the City of New York The Museum holds eight drawings of the Croton Aqueduct by Fayette B. Tower, and three prints made from drawings by Tower in the Photographs, Prints, and Drawings Collection. The Museum also holds shirt studs, a wedding ring, cuff links, and a matchbox of Tower family origin in the Costumes and Textiles Collection.

Collections in Other Repositories Croton Free Library, Croton-on-Hudson, New York Croton Aqueduct Archive

Croton Historical Society Croton Dam and Aqueduct Collection, 1885-1977

Jervis Public Library, Rome, New York John Bloomfield Jervis Papers http://clrc.org/digital/jervis/jervisindex.htm New York State Library Records, 1847-1883, Croton Aqueduct Commission

New York Public Library New York City Croton Aqueduct Records, New York Commissioners of the Croton Aqueduct Department, 1835-1884 http://nypl.bibliocommons.com/item/show/19523680052907_new_york_city_croton_aqueduct_re cords

Access Points Personal names Jervis, John B. (John Bloomfield), 1795-1885 Tower, Anne Phelps, 1822-1847 Tower, Charlemagne, 1809-1889 Tower, Deborah Taylor, 1785-1864 Tower, Elizabeth Phelps 1818-1841 Tower, F. B. (Fayette Bartholomew), 1817-1857 Tower, Julius, b.1811 Tower, Reuben, 1787-1832

Corporate names New York (N.Y.) Croton Aqueduct Department

Topical subjects Aqueducts Education Engineering Tuberculosis Water – distribution Water-supply - engineering

Geographic subjects Albany (N.Y.) Charleston (S.C.) Clinton (N.Y.) Columbia (S.C.) Ellicott City (Md.) Hamilton (N.Y) New York City (N.Y.) Oneida County (N.Y.) Oriskany Falls (N.Y.) Ossining (N.Y.) Troy (N.Y.) Utica (N.Y.) Waterville (N.Y.)

Container List Series Folder Box # Series Title Folder Title Date # # Correspondence from Fayette I.A 1 1 Charlemagne Tower 1831-1832 B. Tower Correspondence from Fayette I.A 1 2 Charlemagne Tower 1833 B. Tower Correspondence from Fayette I.A 1 3 Charlemagne Tower 1834 -1835 B. Tower Correspondence from Fayette I.A 1 4 Charlemagne Tower 1838-1839 B. Tower Correspondence from Fayette I.A 1 5 Charlemagne Tower 1840-1841 B. Tower Correspondence from Fayette I.A 1 6 Charlemagne Tower 1842 B. Tower Correspondence from Fayette I.A 1 7 Charlemagne Tower 1843 B. Tower Correspondence from Fayette I.A 1 8 Deborah Taylor Tower 1827-1828 B. Tower Correspondence from Fayette I.A 1 9 Deborah Taylor Tower 1829 B. Tower Correspondence from Fayette I.A 1 10 Deborah Taylor Tower 1832-1833 B. Tower Correspondence from Fayette I.A 1 11 Deborah Taylor Tower 1834-1836 B. Tower Correspondence from Fayette I.A 1 12 Deborah Taylor Tower 1837 B. Tower Correspondence from Fayette I.A 1 13 Deborah Taylor Tower 1838 B. Tower Correspondence from Fayette I.A 1 14 Deborah Taylor Tower 1839-1840 B. Tower Correspondence from Fayette I.A 1 15 Deborah Taylor Tower 1841 B. Tower Correspondence from Fayette I.A 1 16 Deborah Taylor Tower 1842-1843 B. Tower Correspondence from Fayette I.A 1 17 James Tower 1838 B. Tower Correspondence from Fayette I.A 1 18 James Tower 1841-1842 B. Tower Correspondence from Fayette I.A 1 19 Julius Tower 1828-1829 B. Tower Correspondence from Fayette I.A 1 20 Julius Tower B. Tower 1831-1836 Correspondence from Fayette I.A 1 21 Julius Tower B. Tower 1839 Correspondence from Fayette I.A 1 22 Julius Tower B. Tower 1840 Correspondence from Fayette I.A 1 23 Colonel Ruben Tower B. Tower 1829 Correspondence from Fayette I.A 1 24 B. Tower Ruben Tower's Sons 1842 Correspondence from Fayette I.A 1 25 B. Tower Lawrence Tower 1856 Correspondence - other family I.B 1 26 Colonel Ruben Tower to members Fayette B. Tower 1831 Correspondence - other family I.B 1 27 Elizabeth Tower to members Deborah Tower 1839-1841 Correspondence - other family I.B 1 28 John Phelps to Fayette B. members Tower 1848 Correspondence - other family I.B 1 29 C. Tower to Lawrence members Tower 1896 Correspondence - other family I.B 1 30 members Charlemagne Tower 1844-1845 1 Fayette B. Tower - personal 31 1822 - 1836, II. material Business documents undated Fayette B. Tower - personal Invitations to dinners with II. 2 material oversize governor and president 1829-1841 Fayette B. Tower - personal School notebook (mostly 1830 - 1832 II. 2 material oversize blank) 1 Fayette B. Tower - personal II. material 32 Utica Gymnasium 1831-1832 Fayette B. Tower - personal II. 2 material oversize Lithograph portfolio 1838 1 Fayette B. Tower - personal Journal of Washington II. material 33 D.C. visit 1841 1 Fayette B. Tower - personal Charles Dickens II. material 34 Autograph 1842 Fayette B. Tower - personal Print of Croton Water II. 2 material oversize Celebration 1842 Fayette B. Tower and Ann 1 Fayette B. Tower - personal Phelps Tower (copies of II. material 35 photographs) undated 1 Fayette B. Tower - personal II. material 36 Drawings undated Tower and Phelps family Elizabeth Phelps, Troy personal and genealogical Seminary student III. 2 material oversize copybook 1834-1838 Tower and Phelps family 1 personal and genealogical III. material 37 John Phelps 1829 Tower and Phelps family 1 personal and genealogical III. material 38 Timothy Phelps 1776 Tower and Phelps family personal and genealogical Tower Genealogy (1637- III. 2 material oversize 1890) 1891 Tower and Phelps family 1 personal and genealogical III. material 39 Anne Phelps Tower 1844 Tower and Phelps family 1 personal and genealogical III. material 40 Charlemagne Tower 1844 Tower and Phelps family 1 personal and genealogical III. material 41 Elizabeth Tower 1840 Tower and Phelps family 1 personal and genealogical III. material 42 Jonathan Tower 1787 Tower and Phelps family personal and genealogical Jonathan Tower's III. 2 material oversize guardianship agreement 1785 Tower and Phelps family 1 personal and genealogical III. material 43 Joseph Tower 1779 Julius Tower's copy of Tower and Phelps family Illustrations of the Croton personal and genealogical Aqueduct, from his III. 2 material oversize brother 1843 Tower and Phelps family 1 personal and genealogical III. material 44 Colonel Ruben Tower 1830 Tower and Phelps family 1 personal and genealogical Mrs. Ruben Tower III. material 45 (Deborah Taylor Tower) 1828