Bradford Lee Gilbert (1853 - 1911)

Born 24 Mar 1853 in Watertown, Jefferson County, New York, United States

Ancestors

Husband of Maria (Foley) Gilbert — married 12 May 1891 in Cranford, Union, New Jersey, United States

Died 1 Sep 1911 at age 58 in Accord, Ulster County, New York, United States

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Biography

This profile is part of the Rockland, New York One Place Study.

Bradford Lee Gilbert (March 24, 1853 Watertown, New York,– September 1, 1911 Accord, New York) was a nationally active American architect based in New York City.[1][2][3]

Bradford was the son of civil engineer and banker Horatio Gates Gilbert and his wife Marie Antoinette (née Bacon). [1][2] His uncle was Jasper W. Gilbert, a justice with the New York Supreme Court.[2]

He attended Siglar's School in Newburg and the Sedgwick Institute in Great Barrington, Massachusetts.[2] Later, he had private tutors at home in Irvington, New York to get ready to attend Yale University, rather than his father's alma mater Norwich University.[2] However, Gilbert decided to forgo college as he was very anxious to learn architecture.[2] He became a student with the architectural firm J. Cleveland Cady in New York City for five years, beginning in 1872.[1]

In 1872, Gilbert married Cora Rathbone, daughter of the late Captain John Rathbone, in Brooklyn, New York.[2][62] He was 19 and she was seventeen or eighteen years older.[62] From its beginning, this was an unhappy marriage.[62]

Gilbert separated from his wife in January 1887.[68] In June 1887, he filed for an annulment in Jersey City, New Jersey, on the basis that he was underaged at the time of his marriage, with his wife being seventeen years his senior.[68][62] On October 13, 1887, Cora Gilbert served her husband with divorce papers during the intermission of a prayer meeting at Cremorne Mission.[68][69][70] Her claim was based on infidelity, to be heard in the superior court at White Plains.[71] At the same time, she served Maria McAuley with a $50,000 lawsuit for alienation of affections, with allegations that "were numerous and specific."[68] Cora claimed she had been driven from her home, that her husband was abusive, and his attention had been diverted to Mrs. McAuley.[70]

On October 16, 1887, at the Mission, Gilbert made a public announcement saying, "If it did not affect this mission and the noble Christian woman who conducts it, I would remain silent. I suppose you have all read in today's papers…a story reflecting upon Mrs. McAuley and myself. I pronounce it false. All those who know me will take my word, and all those who do not know me will see by the result that what I say is true."[72] Standing by Gilbert were banker A.S Hatch, real estate agent Sidney Whittemore, Franklin W. Coe, and other ladies and gentlemen associated with McAuley Mission.[68] Hatch also spoke, saying "The very fact that I am on this platform tonight is sufficient for the purpose without saying a word; but I may add that my faith in Mrs. McAuley and Mr. Gilbert has not been shaken one jot by what has appeared in print, and I continue to have unwavering confidence in both."[68] McAuley "emphatically denied" the allegations.[68] Later, Gilbert said his wife was influenced by would-be blackmailers.[69][62] After Gilbert obtained a divorce, Cora withdrew the lawsuit against Maria.[6][73]

There is evidence that Gilbert and Maria were close, with her joining him on various business trips.[81][82] While designing the 1895 Cobblestone Church in Schenectady, New York, Gilbert donated $800 to build its clock tower in honor of Maria.[83] He incorporated a clock he acquired from the New York Central Railroad.[83] Gilbert, who was notoriously against ornamentation, also added Celtic designs to several buildings around the time of his marriage to Maria, including the Mason Stables and the Tower Building.[6]

Maria McAuley Five years later, McAuley's health declined and doctors believed she would die.[64] She resigned from her position at Cremorne Mission and moved to Cranford, New Jersey.[74] Gilbert discontinued his association with the Mission when McAuley left.[74]

On May 12, 1892, in Cranford, Gilbert married McAuley "when her health was poor and took care of her."[75][64][3] The newspaper announcement said they had courted for five years.[75] He was 38 and she was 55 years old.[73] The Gilberts initially lived in a cottage on Madison Avenue, before moving to 225 Park Place in Brooklyn.[3][76] They also owned a summer home in the Catskills.[3] They adopted their niece Blossom, the daughter of Maria's sister.[64][77]

Gilbert was an elder with the University Presbyterian Church in New York City, and later an elder with the Westminster Presbyterian Church.[2] He was a member of the American Institute of Architects—New York Chapter, the Architectural League of New York, the National Arts Club, the National Sculpture Society, the Quill Club, the Riding Club, and the Transportation Club, as well as the Chicago Club in Illinois.[2]

Gilbert was a supporter and trustee of the McAuley Water Street Mission (now the New York City Rescue Mission) which was founded in 1887 by missionaries Jerry McAuley and his wife Maria, to give shelter and food to the poor.[6][63][2] McAuley and his wife were Christian converts who were previously an alcoholic convict and an alcoholic prostitute, respectively.[64][63] After her husband's death in 1884, Maria McAuley (née Fahy) became the Matron of the Cremorne Mission which Gilbert was a trustee.[65][64][6] ^[1] This later became the base of Dundas Castle.

On September 1, 1911, at age 58, Gilbert died of dropsy at his summer house in Accord, New York.[3][90][77]

Sources

1. ↑ Wikipedia entry: Wikipedia contributors, "Dundas Castle (Roscoe, New York)"
   Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia (accessed 15 March 2024)

• "New York State Census, 1855," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:K63Q-BJ2 : 13 March 2018), Bradford L Gilbert in household of Horatio G Gilbert, E.D. Northern, Ward 8, Albany City, Albany, New York, United States; citing p. 98, line #26, family #87, county clerk offices, New York; FHL microfilm 521,922.

• "New Jersey Marriages, 1678-1985", database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:FZP9-4LQ : 20 January 2020), Bradford L. Gilbert, 1891.

• "United States Passport Applications, 1795-1925," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:Q24F-6G3K : 16 March 2018), Bradford L Gilbert, 1893; citing Passport Application, New York, United States, source certificate #, Passport Applications, 1795-1905., 411, NARA microfilm publications M1490 and M1372 (Washington D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, n.d.).

• "New York Passenger Arrival Lists (Ellis Island), 1892-1924", database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:J61Y-5ZW : 21 August 2019), Bradford L. Gilbert, 1894.

• [Bradford is on the last line of page 9A, image 17; Maria tops the next page.]
• "United States Census, 1900," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:MSKF-271 : accessed 8 April 2020), B L Gilbert, Borough of Manhattan, Election District 14 New York City Ward 27, New York County, New York, United States; citing enumeration district (ED) 734, sheet 9A, family 100, NARA microfilm publication T623 (Washington, D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, 1972.); FHL microfilm 1,241,113.

• "New York, State Death Index, 1880-1956", database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:QG2S-M99Q : 20 October 2019), Bradford L Gilbert, 1911.

• "New York, Kings County Estate Files, 1866-1923," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:N7G2-T2C : 11 March 2018), Bradford L Gilbert, 1911; Surrogate Court, Brooklyn; FHL microfilm 004414881.