John Eberhard Faber
Encyclopedia
John Eberhard Faber (December 6, 1822 – March 2, 1879), was born in Stein
, Bavaria
, Germany
.
, Germany. His father, George Leonard Faber, was a descendant of the famous Faber family, one of ancient lineage in Bavaria engaged in the profession of manufacturing lead pencils.
He did his primary schooling at a Volksschule
and then enrolled to study law at the University of Heidelberg. But he left his studies mid-way to pursue a career in commerce in America.
He moved to the United States in 1848 and in 1849, opened a stationery store at No. 133 William Street, NYC. The store was later moved to Nos. 718-720 Broadway in 1877.
In 1852, he started to export red cedar logs to the Faber pencil factories in Stein, having realized that the red cedar available in America was ideal for lead pencils.
In 1861, he opened the first lead pencil factory along the East River, between 41st and 43rd Streets, New York City. He dropped his Christian name and hence the factory was established under the name of Eberhard Faber.
In 1872, a fire destroyed the factory in New York City, hence a new improved factory was built on a site on Kent and West streets in the Greenpoint district of Brooklyn. The new factory was designed for expansion and by the time Faber died his factory was the largest of its kind in United States and the Faber name was known all over the world.
Eberhard Faber died on March 2, 1879 in New York City.
. She was the daughter of Ludwig and Johanna (Mangstel) Haag, members of old Bavaria
n families. They had six children:
1. Bertha, born April 11, 1856.
2. Sophia, born August 14, 1857.
3. John Eberhard, born March 14, 1859.
4. Lothar W., born September 27, 1861.
5. Louise, born January 2, 1866.
6. Rosie, born February 3, 1871.
Stein, Bavaria
Stein is a municipality in the district of Fürth, in Bavaria, Germany. It is situated 7 km south of Fürth, and 7 km southwest of Nuremberg ....
, Bavaria
Bavaria
Bavaria, formally the Free State of Bavaria is a state of Germany, located in the southeast of Germany. With an area of , it is the largest state by area, forming almost 20% of the total land area of Germany...
, 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...
.
Biography
Johann Eberhard Faber was born on December 6, 1822 in the village of Stein, near the city of NurembergNuremberg
Nuremberg[p] is a city in the German state of Bavaria, in the administrative region of Middle Franconia. Situated on the Pegnitz river and the Rhine–Main–Danube Canal, it is located about north of Munich and is Franconia's largest city. The population is 505,664...
, Germany. His father, George Leonard Faber, was a descendant of the famous Faber family, one of ancient lineage in Bavaria engaged in the profession of manufacturing lead pencils.
He did his primary schooling at a Volksschule
Volksschule
A Volksschule was an 18th century system of state-supported primary schools established in the Habsburg Austrian Empire and Prussia . Attendance was supposedly compulsory, but a 1781 census reveals that only one fourth of school-age children attended. At the time, this was one of the few examples...
and then enrolled to study law at the University of Heidelberg. But he left his studies mid-way to pursue a career in commerce in America.
He moved to the United States in 1848 and in 1849, opened a stationery store at No. 133 William Street, NYC. The store was later moved to Nos. 718-720 Broadway in 1877.
In 1852, he started to export red cedar logs to the Faber pencil factories in Stein, having realized that the red cedar available in America was ideal for lead pencils.
In 1861, he opened the first lead pencil factory along the East River, between 41st and 43rd Streets, New York City. He dropped his Christian name and hence the factory was established under the name of Eberhard Faber.
In 1872, a fire destroyed the factory in New York City, hence a new improved factory was built on a site on Kent and West streets in the Greenpoint district of Brooklyn. The new factory was designed for expansion and by the time Faber died his factory was the largest of its kind in United States and the Faber name was known all over the world.
Eberhard Faber died on March 2, 1879 in New York City.
Marriage and family
On July 1, 1854, Eberhard Faber married Jenny Haag, who was born on November 23, 1836, in MunichMunich
Munich The city's motto is "" . Before 2006, it was "Weltstadt mit Herz" . Its native name, , is derived from the Old High German Munichen, meaning "by the monks' place". The city's name derives from the monks of the Benedictine order who founded the city; hence the monk depicted on the city's coat...
. She was the daughter of Ludwig and Johanna (Mangstel) Haag, members of old Bavaria
Bavaria
Bavaria, formally the Free State of Bavaria is a state of Germany, located in the southeast of Germany. With an area of , it is the largest state by area, forming almost 20% of the total land area of Germany...
n families. They had six children:
1. Bertha, born April 11, 1856.
2. Sophia, born August 14, 1857.
3. John Eberhard, born March 14, 1859.
4. Lothar W., born September 27, 1861.
5. Louise, born January 2, 1866.
6. Rosie, born February 3, 1871.