Annie Leary | |
|---|---|
| Countess of the Holy Roman Church | |
 | |
| Born | 1832 New York City, New York, U.S. |
| Died | April 26, 1919 (aged 86–87) New York City, New York, U.S. |
| Occupation | Philanthropist |
| Relatives | Arthur Leary (brother) |
Annie Leary, Countess of the Holy Roman Church (1832 – April 26, 1919) was an American Papal countess, prominent society figure, and philanthropist in late nineteenth- and early twentieth-century New York City. [1]
Annie was born in 1832 in New York City. She was the daughter of Catharine Leary (1803–1879) and James Leary (1792–1862), a hatter who was a childhood friend of William Backhouse Astor Sr. James later bought many beaver pelts from William's father, John Jacob Astor, and operated a shop in the basement of the original Astor House Hotel across from New York City Hall. She had three brothers: Arthur, Daniel and George, who made a fortune in shipping during the U.S. Civil War. Arthur was a bachelor who Annie accompanied to society functions in New York City as well as Newport, Rhode Island. [2] It has been suggested that James friendship with the Astors is what led to Arthur, and in turn Annie, being the only Catholics to be included on Mrs. Astor's "The 400". When Arthur died she inherited his fortune as well as his social prominence. [3]
Her maternal ancestors were Dutch immigrants and her paternal grandfather came from Ireland to the United States while he was a boy. [1]
After inheriting vast wealth, Annie Leary soon became an ardent philanthropist. Among her first projects was a predominantly Italian church in the Sullivan Street neighborhood where she taught a sewing class and increased the size of the congregation. She gave altars to a large number of churches, both in the United States and abroad. She built and outfitted several churches and brought an order of priests (the Order of the Fathers of the Blessed Sacrament) to the St. Jean Baptiste Church, and an order of sisters (the Sisters of the Order of the Reparation) to the U.S. to carry out her work. [4] She also donated the statue of Christopher Columbus in Columbus Circle. [5]
Among her notable bequests was $1 million for the construction of the Chapel of the Blessed Sacrament at Bellevue Hospital, the first Catholic chapel at Bellevue, which was donated in 1893 and dedicated in memory of her late brother Arthur in 1897. [6] The Chapel was razed in 1938 in order to make way for a Bellevue administration building that encompassed a new chapel where the original stained glass panels including nine made in Munich remain today. [7]
In 1903, Pope Leo XIII created her a Papal Countess, the first such title to have been bestowed upon a woman in the United States. [8]
Her closest friend was the businesswoman and financier Hetty Green, [9] who was known as "the richest woman in America" during the Gilded Age. [10] Leary, who did not marry, died at her home, 1032 Fifth Avenue in New York City, on April 26, 1919. [4] Her funeral was held at St. Ignatius Loyola Church on East 84th Street and Park Avenue. [4]
In her will, she allotted $200,000 to the Archbishop of New York for the erection of a sacristy for New York City's new St. Patrick's Cathedral as well as a vault for eight (the Countess and her family) to be placed beneath the altar. It turned out however that the management of her will was delegated to a niece of hers who was not fond of the departed philanthropist and the money was never given to the aforementioned clergyman. Legal action therefore followed, and by the time the will was resolved in 1926 there was no money left to pay for the vault. Consequently, the Countess's final resting place is in the catacombs of the Old St. Patrick's Cathedral. [9]
Caroline Webster "Lina" SchermerhornAstor was a prominent American socialite of the second half of the 19th century who led the Four Hundred. Famous for being referred to later in life as "the Mrs. Astor" or simply "Mrs. Astor", she was the wife of yachtsman William Backhouse Astor Jr. They had five children, including Colonel John Jacob Astor IV, who perished on the RMS Titanic. Through her marriage, she was a prominent member of the Astor family and matriarch of the male line of American Astors.
John Jacob Astor III was an American financier, philanthropist and a soldier during the American Civil War. He was a prominent member of the Astor family, becoming the wealthiest member in his generation and the founder of the British branch of the family.
Hetty Green was an American businesswoman and financier known as "the richest woman in America" during the Gilded Age. Those who knew her well referred to her admiringly as the "Queen of Wall Street" due to her willingness to lend freely and at reasonable interest rates to financiers and city governments during financial panics. Her extraordinary discipline during such times enabled her to amass a fortune as a financier at a time when nearly all major financiers were men.
William Waldorf Astor, 1st Viscount Astor was an American-English attorney, politician, businessman, and philanthropist. Astor was a scion of the very wealthy Astor family of New York City. He moved to England in 1891, became a British subject in 1899, and was made a peer as Baron Astor in 1916 and Viscount Astor in 1917 for his contributions to war charities. The census-designated place of Waldorf, Maryland is named after him.
Beechwood is a Gilded Age mansion and estate located at 580 Bellevue Avenue in Newport, Rhode Island best known for having been owned by the Astor family. Part of the Bellevue Avenue Historic District, the first version of the residence was built between 1852 and 1853 and designed in the Italianate style by Andrew Jackson Downing and Calvert Vaux. Following a fire in 1855, Vaux rebuilt the house with modified plans. Richard Morris Hunt renovated the estate in 1881 after it was bought the year before by William Backhouse Astor, Jr.
Harriet Sylvia Ann Howland Robinson Green Wilks was one of the wealthiest women in the United States.
Grace Graham Vanderbilt was an American socialite. She was the wife of Cornelius Vanderbilt III. She was one of the last Vanderbilts to live the luxurious life of the "head of society" that her predecessors such as Alice and Alva Vanderbilt enjoyed.
William Backhouse Astor Jr. was an American businessman, racehorse owner/breeder, and yachtsman who was a member of the prominent Astor family. His elder brother, financier and philanthropist John Jacob Astor III, became head of the British line of Astors in the United Kingdom. William Jr. was head of the American line of Astors, while his wife, Caroline Schermerhorn, served as the leader of New York society's "Four Hundred" during the Gilded Age.
Beaulieu, or Beaulieu House, is a historic mansion located on Bellevue Avenue in Newport, Rhode Island, built in 1859 by Federico Barreda. Subsequent owners of Beaulieu have included John Jacob Astor III, Cornelius Vanderbilt III, and his wife Grace Vanderbilt, née Grace Graham Wilson.
Sophia Augusta Brown Sherman was an American heiress and socialite who was prominent in New York and Newport society during the Gilded Age.
The Gilded Age is an American historical drama television series created and written by Julian Fellowes for HBO that is set in the United States during the Gilded Age, the boom years of the 1880s in New York City. Originally announced in 2018 for NBC, it was later announced in May 2019 that the show was moved to HBO. The first season premiered on January 24, 2022, and the second on October 29, 2023. In December 2023, the series was renewed for a third season. The series has received positive reviews, with particular praise for the costumes and for the performances of lead actors Carrie Coon, Morgan Spector, Cynthia Nixon, and Christine Baranski.
Mary Lorillard Barbey was a prominent American member of New York Society during the Gilded Age. She was a daughter of Pierre Lorillard III of the Lorillard Tobacco Company.
Matthew Astor Wilks was an American clubman who was prominent in New York society during the Gilded Age.
Gabriel Mead Tooker was an American lawyer and clubman who was prominent in New York Society during the Gilded Age. He was a member of Mrs. Astor's list named the "Four Hundred".
Sybil Kent Kane was an American socialite who was prominent in New York Society during the Gilded Age.
Cora Randolph Trimble was an American socialite during the Gilded Age.
Henry Asher Robbins was an American manufacturer who was prominent member of New York society during the Gilded Age.
Duncan Elliot was an American banker and soldier who was prominent in New York society during the Gilded Age.
Arthur Leary was an American merchant and clubman who was prominent in New York society during the Gilded Age.
John Innes Kane was an American explorer, scientist and philanthropist who was prominent in New York Society during the Gilded Age.
Hetty Green was that rarity, a woman who largely through her own efforts amassed a ton of money during the Gilded Age, a time when virtually everyone else getting rich -- Rockefeller, Morgan, Carnegie -- was a man. By nearly all accounts she was also a thoroughly unpleasant individual, greedy, petty and often downright nasty.
