Melchior S. Beltzhoover

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Melchior Stewart Beltzhoover (1868-1918) was an American businessman in the oil and cotton industry. He was a resident of Natchez, Mississippi, and Irvington, New York.

Contents

Biography

A postcard of "Rochroane", Beltzhoover's residence in Irvington, New York. Rochroane Castle.jpg
A postcard of "Rochroane", Beltzhoover's residence in Irvington, New York.
The Tiffany Window from Rochroane on display at the Corning Museum of Glass. Corning Museum of Glass - 20220312 - 42 - Stained-glass window with landscape scene from Rochroane Castle, Irvington-on-Hudson, New York (Louis C. Tiffany, 1905).jpg
The Tiffany Window from Rochroane on display at the Corning Museum of Glass.

Melchior Stewart Beltzhoover was the adoptive son of Melchior Wallace Beltzhoover, a descendant of the family that the Beltzhoover neighborhood in Pittsburgh is named for. He was born on May 22, 1868, in Monmouth, Illinois. His mother was listed in records as Malona Stewart Gulick, who was married to John Walker Gulick, and his birth name has also been reported as Melchior Stewart Gulick Beltzhoover. He was educated abroad and moved to Natchez, Mississippi, around 1890. [1] In 1891, he married Virginia Lee Koontz, his adoptive first cousin. [2] Koontz's father was a prominent banker in Natchez, and the couple inherited Green Leaves, the family mansion in Natchez. [3] They had two children, Melchior Roch Beltzhoover and Virginia Roane Beltzhoover Robinson. [2]

An oil and cotton magnate, Beltzhoover owned many plantations in the area around Natchez and other parts of Mississippi. He also served as vice president of the Britton and Koontz Bank, the bank founded by his father-in-law, and was the principal owner of the Natchez Department Store. [1] [4] During a major bank run in Natchez, Beltzhoover came to the rescue of financial institutions in Natchez following the failure of First Natchez Bank. [5] He was also involved in stock farming, having imported Jersey cattle that reportedly became known as prize winners throughout the country. His stock farm near Natchez, called "Anchorage", was one of the major show places in Mississippi. [1] [4]

In 1902, Beltzhoover commissioned New York City architect Arthur J. Manning to design a 44-room Gothic revival castle in Irvington near the Hudson River. Modeled on a Rhineland castle and constructed with rock quarried from the site, the structure contained a music room with a pipe organ and a stained glass window designed by Louis Comfort Tiffany, which depicts a view of the Hudson River from the castle. This window is reportedly one of the most well-known works of Tiffany glass. Construction was completed in 1905. [6] [7] [8] Beltzhoover served as the "President" of Irvington from 1904 to 1916, [9] [10] and was considered a summer resident of the village, living in Natchez most of the time. [11]

Beltzhoover died on July 20, 1918, in Natchez after a short illness, and was buried in the Natchez City Cemetery. [12] [13] Shortly after his death, his fortune was estimated to be worth over $2 million (~$27 million in 2024), [11] with his total net worth estimated at $7 to $8 million (~$96.6 million to ~$110 million in 2024). [4]

Legacy

Beltzhoover's estate was sold by his widow to James D. Shields, the president of the Standish Worsted Company, in 1920. [10] In 1927, the property was sold to Benjamin and Katherine Halsey, who renamed the castle Grey Towers. The property later became the possession of Immaculate Conception Church. [14] Scenes from the 1973 Burt Reynolds film Shamus were filmed in and around the castle. [15] The castle burned in 1977, and the respective portion of the property was sold to developers. The Tiffany Window was removed from the structure before its demolition, and is now on display in the Corning Museum of Glass. The lake on the property and a smaller structure known as the Beltzhoover Teahouse are now part of a public park. [14] Green Leaves in Natchez was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1979, and is still owned by Beltzhoover's descendants. [16] [17]

References

  1. 1 2 3 "M. S. Beltzhoover Succumbs; Entire City Mourns His Loss". The Natchez Democrat. July 21, 1918. pp. 1, 4 . Retrieved 26 November 2025.
  2. 1 2 "Melchior Stewart Gulick Beltzhoover". familysearch.org. FamilySearch. Retrieved 8 November 2025.
  3. ↑ "History". greenleavesnatchez.com. Green Leaves. Retrieved 8 November 2025.
  4. 1 2 3 "Millionaire Dies; Natchez Pays Tribute to Memory of M. S. Beltzhoover". Jackson Daily News. Jackson, Mississippi. July 23, 1918. p. 5. Retrieved 26 November 2025.
  5. ↑ "Millionaire Dies. M. S. Beltzhoover Succumbs at Home Near Natchez". The Commercial Appeal. Memphis. July 21, 1918. p. 19. Retrieved 26 November 2025.
  6. ↑ "Window from Rochroane Castle, Irvington-on-Hudson, New York". cmog.org. Corning Museum of Glass. Retrieved 8 November 2025.
  7. ↑ "Rochroane/Grey Towers, Beltzhoover-Halsey Castle". New York Heritage Digital Collections. Retrieved 8 November 2025.
  8. ↑ McDermott, Mary (August 5, 2015). "A Stained-Glass Window to the World". Westchester Magazine.
  9. ↑ Dale, Howard (March 23, 2014). "Beltzhoover Teahouse on Halsey Pond (plaque)". aheadworld.com. Retrieved 8 November 2025.
  10. 1 2 "BUYS IRVINGTON ESTATE.; Beltzhoover Property and Castle Sold to James D. Shields". The New York Times. October 10, 1920. Section S, Page 110. Retrieved 8 November 2025.
  11. 1 2 "Beltzhoover Estate Appraised". The Yonkers Statesman. March 14, 1919. Retrieved 8 November 2025.
  12. ↑ "Obituary 2 -- No Title". The New York Times. July 22, 1918. p. 11. Retrieved 8 November 2025.
  13. ↑ "Beloved Citizen Is Laid To Rest; Melchoir S. Beltzhoover is Mourned by the Entire City". The Natchez Democrat. July 23, 1918. p. 1. Retrieved 26 November 2025.
  14. 1 2 Seaman, Barrett (December 6, 2021). "Irvington Planning Board Close to A Deal On Halsey Pond Development". The Hudson Independent. Retrieved 8 November 2025.
  15. ↑ Toth, Henrietta (Spring 2023). "The Rise in Local Location Filming" (PDF). The Neighborhood Buzz. 1 (2): 3. Retrieved 26 November 2025.
  16. ↑ "Nomination form". National Register of Historic Places. National Park Service. March 1979. Retrieved 2011-07-13.
  17. ↑ Brown, Jane Roy (September 8, 2012). "Fall Pilgrimage unfolds a layer of history in Natchez, Miss". The Boston Globe . Boston, Massachusetts. Retrieved 2017-12-28.
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