Harrison Phoebus
Encyclopedia
Harrison Phoebus was an American
19th century entrepreneur
and hotelier
who became the leading citizen and namesake of the town of Phoebus
in Elizabeth City County
, near Fort Monroe
, which is now part of the independent city
of Hampton, Virginia
.
, Harrison Phoebus served in the Union Army
during the Civil War
. After the War, he became an employee of Adams Express Company
where he gained a reputation for diligence and flexibility.
In 1866, he was transferred to become the resident agent for Adams Express at Old Point Comfort
in Elizabeth City County, Virginia
. He has been described by author Parke S. Rouse Jr.
as a "one-man industry", serving as Old Point's representative of shipping companies, postmaster, notary public, insurance agent and U.S. commissioner. Much of his work was related to the steamships which plied the Chesapeake Bay
on routes and routinely docked there.
In 1874, with financial backing from Samuel Shoemaker, a wealthy friend from Baltimore, he acquired the luxurious Hygeia Hotel. The red four story Victorian structure built in 1868 was the second on the site, rebuilt from an earlier hotel of the same name built in 1820 by William Armstrong while Fort Monroe was under construction. Managed by Marshall Parks of Norfolk, the earlier Hygeia had served until it was demolished by the Union Army in 1862 during the American Civil War.
Phoebus built additions to his hotel, chartered boats to bring visitors, and soon Old Point Comfort was on its way to becoming a place where diplomats and government officials mingled with the elite of Baltimore
, Philadelphia, Richmond
and the Deep South
. Amenities he added included hydraulic elevators, gaslights, electric call bells in each bedroom, and bathrooms on every floor. He installed several types of baths intended for medicinal purposes, a popular feature of the era.
Harrison Phoebus is credited with persuading Collis Huntington's Chesapeake & Ohio Railroad to extend its tracks of the Peninsula Subdivision from Newport News
to the community. The railroad named its station and post office after him.
Harrison Phoebus died suddenly of a heart ailment in 1886 at the age of 45. He was interred at the cemetery of St. John's Episcopal Church
in Hampton
. After the community of Chesapeake City
became incorporated as a town in 1900, it was renamed Phoebus in his honor. Roseland Manor, the home he was having built for his family at his untimely death, stood as a community landmark near Strawberry Banks until it was destroyed in a fire in 1985.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
19th century entrepreneur
Entrepreneur
An entrepreneur is an owner or manager of a business enterprise who makes money through risk and initiative.The term was originally a loanword from French and was first defined by the Irish-French economist Richard Cantillon. Entrepreneur in English is a term applied to a person who is willing to...
and hotelier
Hotel
A hotel is an establishment that provides paid lodging on a short-term basis. The provision of basic accommodation, in times past, consisting only of a room with a bed, a cupboard, a small table and a washstand has largely been replaced by rooms with modern facilities, including en-suite bathrooms...
who became the leading citizen and namesake of the town of Phoebus
Phoebus, Virginia
Phoebus was an incorporated town located in Elizabeth City County on the Virginia Peninsula in eastern Virginia. Upon incorporation in 1900, it was named in honor of local businessman Harrison Phoebus , who is credited with convincing the Chesapeake and Ohio Railway to extend its tracks to the...
in Elizabeth City County
Elizabeth City County, Virginia
Elizabeth City County was a county in southeastern Virginia from 1634 to 1952. Originally created in 1634 as Elizabeth River Shire, it was one of eight shires created in the Virginia Colony by order of the King of England. In 1636, it was subdivided, and the portion north of the harbor of Hampton...
, near Fort Monroe
Fort Monroe
Fort Monroe was a military installation in Hampton, Virginia—at Old Point Comfort, the southern tip of the Virginia Peninsula...
, which is now part of the independent city
Independent city
An independent city is a city that does not form part of another general-purpose local government entity. These type of cities should not be confused with city-states , which are fully sovereign cities that are not part of any other sovereign state.-Historical precursors:In the Holy Roman Empire,...
of Hampton, Virginia
Hampton, Virginia
Hampton is an independent city that is not part of any county in Southeast Virginia. Its population is 137,436. As one of the seven major cities that compose the Hampton Roads metropolitan area, it is on the southeastern end of the Virginia Peninsula. Located on the Hampton Roads Beltway, it hosts...
.
Biography
A native of Somerset County, MarylandSomerset County, Maryland
-2010:Whereas according to the 2010 U.S. Census Bureau:*53.5% White*42.3% Black*0.3% Native American*0.7% Asian*0.0% Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander*1.7% Two or more races*1.5% Other races*3.3% Hispanic or Latino -2000:...
, Harrison Phoebus served in the Union Army
Union Army
The Union Army was the land force that fought for the Union during the American Civil War. It was also known as the Federal Army, the U.S. Army, the Northern Army and the National Army...
during 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...
. After the War, he became an employee of Adams Express Company
Adams Express Company
The Adams Express Company is a publicly traded diversified equity fund that traces its roots to a 19th century freight and cargo transport company. The Company uses a conservative investment philosophy, and the portfolio is managed with the expectation that it will generate solid returns with...
where he gained a reputation for diligence and flexibility.
In 1866, he was transferred to become the resident agent for Adams Express at Old Point Comfort
Old Point Comfort
Old Point Comfort is a point of land located in the independent city of Hampton. It lies at the extreme tip of the Virginia Peninsula at the mouth of Hampton Roads in the United States....
in Elizabeth City County, Virginia
Elizabeth City County, Virginia
Elizabeth City County was a county in southeastern Virginia from 1634 to 1952. Originally created in 1634 as Elizabeth River Shire, it was one of eight shires created in the Virginia Colony by order of the King of England. In 1636, it was subdivided, and the portion north of the harbor of Hampton...
. He has been described by author Parke S. Rouse Jr.
Parke S. Rouse Jr.
Parke Shepherd Rouse Jr. was a journalist, writer and historian in Tidewater Virginia.-Early life:Parke S. Rouse Jr. was a native of the Town of Smithfield. He spent most of his childhood in Newport News, Virginia and was a 1937 graduate of Washington and Lee University in Lexington, Virginia. He...
as a "one-man industry", serving as Old Point's representative of shipping companies, postmaster, notary public, insurance agent and U.S. commissioner. Much of his work was related to the steamships which plied the Chesapeake Bay
Chesapeake Bay
The Chesapeake Bay is the largest estuary in the United States. It lies off the Atlantic Ocean, surrounded by Maryland and Virginia. The Chesapeake Bay's drainage basin covers in the District of Columbia and parts of six states: New York, Pennsylvania, Delaware, Maryland, Virginia, and West...
on routes and routinely docked there.
In 1874, with financial backing from Samuel Shoemaker, a wealthy friend from Baltimore, he acquired the luxurious Hygeia Hotel. The red four story Victorian structure built in 1868 was the second on the site, rebuilt from an earlier hotel of the same name built in 1820 by William Armstrong while Fort Monroe was under construction. Managed by Marshall Parks of Norfolk, the earlier Hygeia had served until it was demolished by the Union Army in 1862 during the American Civil War.
Phoebus built additions to his hotel, chartered boats to bring visitors, and soon Old Point Comfort was on its way to becoming a place where diplomats and government officials mingled with the elite of Baltimore
Baltimore
Baltimore is the largest independent city in the United States and the largest city and cultural center of the US state of Maryland. The city is located in central Maryland along the tidal portion of the Patapsco River, an arm of the Chesapeake Bay. Baltimore is sometimes referred to as Baltimore...
, Philadelphia, Richmond
Richmond, Virginia
Richmond is the capital of the Commonwealth of Virginia, in the United States. It is an independent city and not part of any county. Richmond is the center of the Richmond Metropolitan Statistical Area and the Greater Richmond area...
and the Deep South
Deep South
The Deep South is a descriptive category of the cultural and geographic subregions in the American South. Historically, it is differentiated from the "Upper South" as being the states which were most dependent on plantation type agriculture during the pre-Civil War period...
. Amenities he added included hydraulic elevators, gaslights, electric call bells in each bedroom, and bathrooms on every floor. He installed several types of baths intended for medicinal purposes, a popular feature of the era.
Harrison Phoebus is credited with persuading Collis Huntington's Chesapeake & Ohio Railroad to extend its tracks of the Peninsula Subdivision from Newport News
Newport News, Virginia
Newport News is an independent city located in the Hampton Roads metropolitan area of Virginia. It is at the southeastern end of the Virginia Peninsula, on the north shore of the James River extending southeast from Skiffe's Creek along many miles of waterfront to the river's mouth at Newport News...
to the community. The railroad named its station and post office after him.
Harrison Phoebus died suddenly of a heart ailment in 1886 at the age of 45. He was interred at the cemetery of St. John's Episcopal Church
St. John's Episcopal Church (Hampton, Virginia)
St. John's is an Episcopal church located in Hampton, Virginia within the Episcopal Diocese of Southern Virginia.-Overview:St. John's Episcopal Church, established in 1610, is the oldest English-speaking parish in continuous existence in the United States of America. -History:English settlers...
in Hampton
Hampton, Virginia
Hampton is an independent city that is not part of any county in Southeast Virginia. Its population is 137,436. As one of the seven major cities that compose the Hampton Roads metropolitan area, it is on the southeastern end of the Virginia Peninsula. Located on the Hampton Roads Beltway, it hosts...
. After the community of Chesapeake City
Chesapeake City, Virginia
Chesapeake City, Virginia was an unincorporated town in Elizabeth City County, Virginia on the north side of Hampton Roads on the Virginia Peninsula from 1871 to 1900...
became incorporated as a town in 1900, it was renamed Phoebus in his honor. Roseland Manor, the home he was having built for his family at his untimely death, stood as a community landmark near Strawberry Banks until it was destroyed in a fire in 1985.