Louise Whitfield Carnegie
Encyclopedia
Louise Whitfield Carnegie (March 7, 1857 - June 24, 1946) was the wife of philanthropist Andrew Carnegie
.
Daughter of New York City merchant John D. Whitfield, Louise was born in the Gramercy Park
neighborhood of Manhattan. On April 22, 1887 she married Carnegie at her family's home in New York City in a private ceremony officiated by a pastor from the Church of the Divine Paternity, a Universalist church to which the Whitfields belonged. At the time of the marriage, Louise was 30; Carnegie was 51. As wedding gifts from her husband, Louise received an approximate annual income of $20,000 and a home (formerly owned by Collis Potter Huntington) at 5 West 51st Street
.
Louise gave birth to the couple's only child Margaret
in 1897. Louise and her daughter were members of the Brick Presbyterian Church in New York.
After Carnegie's death Louise continued making charitable contributions to organizations including American Red Cross
, the Y.W.C.A., the Cathedral of St. John the Divine, numerous World War II
relief funds, and $100,000 to the Union Theological Seminary
. She spent her summers at Skibo Castle
.
In 1934 she was honored with the Gold Medal of the Pennsylvania Society
.
She died at the age of 89 and was buried in Sleepy Hollow Cemetery
, in Sleepy Hollow, New York
.
Andrew Carnegie
Andrew Carnegie was a Scottish-American industrialist, businessman, and entrepreneur who led the enormous expansion of the American steel industry in the late 19th century...
.
Daughter of New York City merchant John D. Whitfield, Louise was born in the Gramercy Park
Gramercy Park
Gramercy Park is a small, fenced-in private park in the borough of Manhattan in New York City, United States. The park is at the core of both the neighborhood referred to as either Gramercy or Gramercy Park and the Gramercy Park Historic District...
neighborhood of Manhattan. On April 22, 1887 she married Carnegie at her family's home in New York City in a private ceremony officiated by a pastor from the Church of the Divine Paternity, a Universalist church to which the Whitfields belonged. At the time of the marriage, Louise was 30; Carnegie was 51. As wedding gifts from her husband, Louise received an approximate annual income of $20,000 and a home (formerly owned by Collis Potter Huntington) at 5 West 51st Street
51st Street (Manhattan)
51st Street is a long one-way street traveling east to west across Midtown Manhattan.-East 51st Street:*The route officially begins at Beekman Place which is on a hill overlooking FDR Drive...
.
Louise gave birth to the couple's only child Margaret
Margaret Carnegie Miller
Margaret Carnegie Miller was the only child of industrialist and philanthropist Andrew Carnegie and heiress to the Carnegie fortune.-Biography:...
in 1897. Louise and her daughter were members of the Brick Presbyterian Church in New York.
After Carnegie's death Louise continued making charitable contributions to organizations including American Red Cross
American Red Cross
The American Red Cross , also known as the American National Red Cross, is a volunteer-led, humanitarian organization that provides emergency assistance, disaster relief and education inside the United States. It is the designated U.S...
, the Y.W.C.A., the Cathedral of St. John the Divine, numerous World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
relief funds, and $100,000 to the Union Theological Seminary
Union Theological Seminary in the City of New York
Union Theological Seminary in the City of New York is a preeminent independent graduate school of theology, located in Manhattan between Claremont Avenue and Broadway, 120th to 122nd Streets. The seminary was founded in 1836 under the Presbyterian Church, and is affiliated with nearby Columbia...
. She spent her summers at Skibo Castle
Skibo Castle
Skibo Castle is located to the west of Dornoch in the Highland county of Sutherland, Scotland overlooking the Dornoch Firth. Although the castle dates back to the 12th century, the present structure is largely of the 19th century, and early 20th century, when it was the home of industrialist...
.
In 1934 she was honored with the Gold Medal of the Pennsylvania Society
Pennsylvania Society
The Pennsylvania Society is an annual weekend retreat for Pennsylvania's politicians and business leaders held in New York City. It began during the late 19th century as a meeting of Pennsylvanians living in New York City who gathered annually beginning in 1899 to discuss events in their home state...
.
She died at the age of 89 and was buried in Sleepy Hollow Cemetery
Sleepy Hollow Cemetery
Sleepy Hollow Cemetery in Sleepy Hollow, New York is the resting place of numerous famous figures, including Washington Irving, whose story "The Legend of Sleepy Hollow" is set in the adjacent Old Dutch Burying Ground. Incorporated in 1849 as Tarrytown Cemetery, it posthumously honored Irving's...
, in Sleepy Hollow, New York
Sleepy Hollow, New York
Sleepy Hollow is a village in the town of Mount Pleasant in Westchester County, New York, United States. It is located on the eastern bank of the Hudson River, about north of midtown Manhattan in New York City, and is served by the Philipse Manor stop on the Metro-North Hudson Line.Originally...
.
Further reading
- Hendrick, Burton Jesse, and Daniel Henderson. Louise Whitfield Carnegie; The Life of Mrs. Andrew Carnegie. New York: Hastings House, 1950.