Joseph Meeks Esq. (1771 - 1868)

Born 4 Sep 1771 in New York City, New York

Ancestors

Husband of Sarah Clark (Van Dyk) Meeks — married 29 Jun 1800 in Second River Church, Essex, NJ

Descendants

Died 21 Jul 1868 at age 96 in Islip, Suffolk, New York, United States

Problems/Questions Profile manager: Andrew Meeks [send private message]

Biography

Mr. Joseph Meeks of this city died on the 21st inst., at his summer residence at Islip at the ripe age of 97 years. His father was Captain John Meeks of the American Army, and his mother the daughter of the French Huguenot minister here. He was present at the first interview between Washington and Lafayette, and the officers of our French Allies under Rochambeau. It was at his mother's house in New Jersey, and she acted as interpreter for some time between Washington and the French Generals. He often saw Washington, Lafayette, Wayne, Schuyler, Steuben, Kosciusko, Pulaski, and Rochambeau. Mrs. Washington one time stopped at his mother's. November 25, 1783, when British power forever left this country, he was on the Battery and assisted in pulling down the cross of St. George, and hoisting the starts and stripes. He was one of the founders of the Tammany Society. Nearly eighty years ago he began the wholesale and retail furniture trade in Broad Street, and for many years supplied the markets, from Boston to New Orleans, with the most expensive, elegant and durable cabinet-work made in America. His grandson still continues the business, though his warehouse up Broadway is on a spot nearly two miles beyond the settlements where the house was founded. The deceased invested his profits in real estate in Broad Street and vicinity, and retired from active life thirty years ago. His faith in New York made him rich and his love of country was so great that when the rebellion (American Civil War) broke out, though ninety years of age, he said if more soldiers were wanted, he would himself volunteer to put down what he called the descendants of the Tories of the Revolution. He was a true disciple of Izaak Walton and when over four score and ten, could hook more trout in the brooks of Long Island or black fish in the bay, than any young man. Till within two years he read the papers daily without spectacles, and retained distinct and minute recollections of events of the first sixty years of his life.^[1]

J. & J.W. Meeks Over the years, the Meeks' companies produced furniture for the middle class up to the aristocracy in the Empire, Gothic, and Rococo Revival forms.

The most notable pieces in today's market are the Rococo items in patterns such as "Stanton Hall, "Hawkins", and "Henry Ford". Meeks Rococo pieces were at earlier times confused with and attributed to John Henry Belter.

Meeks as a business name first appears in New York Directories in 1797 for Joseph and Edward Meeks. The chronology of the family and it's involvement in the business is as follows:

1797 - Joseph and Edward Meeks begin

1801 - Joseph embarks on his own

1820s -John and Joseph W. (sons of Joseph) join Joseph Sr. Washington, William H., and John Jr. may have also been active in the firm at a later time.

1821 - Joseph W. opens a warehouse in New Orleans

1832 - Joseph's son, Theodore takes charge of the New Orleans store while Joseph returns to New York

1833 - J & JW Meeks have an organized system of outlets in place from Boston to New Orleans

1834-36 - Joseph Meeks retires

1838 - Directories show J.W. and T. Meeks & Company

1868 Joseph dies and the family abandons the furniture business to tend to their vast real estate holdings

The Dubrow book, "American Furniture of the 19th Century" recounts an interesting story about Joseph Sr. from The American Furniture Gazette for December 1, 1882: "On November 25, 1781, when the British fleet evacuated New York at the end of the American Revolution, he went down to the Battery to see the British fleet sail off and assisted in hoisting, under the orders of George Washington, the first American flag that ever floated over New York".

According to the book, "Art & Enterprise", "The 1833 Joseph Meeks and Sons advertisement is the earliest known surviving illustrated public record of the products of an American furniture company."

New York Locations: 59 Broad Street - 1797-1808 57 & 59 Broad Street - 1811 61 Broad Street - 1814 43 Broad Street - 1819 - 1826 43 or 45 Broad Street - 1828 - 1833 14 Vessey Street - 1836 - 1855 New Orleans Locations:

29 Chartres Street - 1830 29 Chartres and 39 Royal - 1834 23 Chartres Street - 1838^[2]

Death

Death: Y

Date: 21 JUL 1868

Place: Islip, NY

Cause: Old Age

Record ID Number

Record ID Number: MH:I20

Sources

• WikiTree profile Meeks-197 created through the import of i2f9f4_5524042z4w54bsf29ef4t1.ged on Feb 20, 2012 by Drew Meeks. User ID: 9O41162F-45D7-L143-M5FA-M5FA73O24813. See the Changes page for the details of edits by Drew and others.

1. ↑ Obituary of Joseph Meeks--New York Herald, July 24, 1868
2. ↑ [1]