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Bowen family papers

Collection Type

  • Manuscripts

Date

1774-1986, undated

Location Note

HGO-02-105-A-E-402; HGO-02-105-A-E-403; HGO-02-105-A-E-401; HGO-02-105-A-E-101; HGO-02-105-A-E-106; HGO-02-105-A-E-105\n

GUSN

GUSN-171963

Description

The Bowen family papers (MS006) reflect the life and work of the Bowen family of Woodstock, Connecticut, and life at Roseland Cottage in Woodstock, Connecticut, during the mid-nineteenth century through the early twentieth century. The collection is largely comprised of the papers of Henry Chandler Bowen (1813-1896) and his descendants; records relating to the construction of Roseland Cottage in Woodstock, Connecticut; and photographic material of the Bowen family. The collection is arranged in four series.

Background: In 1970, Historic New England purchased Roseland Cottage in Woodstock, Connecticut, from the Bowen family. The papers within the house at the time of purchase formed the bases of the collection: Bowen family papers, 1775-1965 (now MS006). In 1983, Deborah Shea, an intern and student in the Graduate Program in Archives Management at the University of Massachusetts in Boston, Massachusetts, processed the papers and created the original finding aid. Shea arranged the collection into three sub-groups.

Sub-group I. Bowen Family Papers. The subgroup included account books, cash books, bills and receipts, and other financial papers; correspondence, invitations, letters, and notes; property abstracts, contracts, and deeds; site plans; estate inventories, wills, and other probate records; address books and a travel journal; printed material; objects; and clippings. The subgroup was arranged chronologically, by generation, in sixteen series: Series 1. Papers of Matthew Bowen, Series 2. Papers of George Bowen, Series 3. Papers of Henry Chandler Bowen (Sub-series A. Legal Papers, Series 3, Sub-series B. Financial Papers, Series 3, Sub-series C. Auctioneer's Catalogues, Sub-series D. Printed Matter), Series 4. Papers of Lucy Bowen, Series 5. Papers of Edward A. Bowen, Series 6. Papers of Mary (Bowen) Holt, Series 7. Papers of Clarence Bowen, Series 8. Papers of Herbert W. Bowen, Series 9. Papers of John Eliot Bowen, Series 10. Papers of Franklin Bowen, Series 11. Papers of Ellen (Holt) Bowen, Series 12. Papers of George C. Holt, Series 13. Papers of Constance Holt, Series 14. Papers of Sylvia Holt, Series 15. Papers of Gardner Richardson, Series 16. Miscellany.

Sub-group II. Photographs on paper, wood, and tintypes. The subgroup included photographsand a cut-out photograph mounted on wood. The subgroup was arranged in six series: Series A. Photographs on paper: Portraits, Series B. Photographs on paper: Groups and Miscellaneous, Series C. Photographs on paper: Architecture, Series D. Photographs on paper: Scenery, Series E. Tintypes: Portraits, Series F. Tintypes: Groups.

Sub-group III. Papers Pertaining to the Construction of "Roseland Cottage." The subgroup included contracts and drafts of contracts; building specifications; architectural plans; correspondence; bills, receipts, and related financial accounts; printed material; clippings; and photographic material. The subgroup was arranged in seven series: Series 1. Contracts and Specifications, Series 2. Correspondence to Henry C. Bowen, Series 3. Plans for the Addition to the Barn, Series 4. Financial Records: Henry C. Bowen, Series 5. Financial Records: Lewis Chamberlin, Series 6. Financial Records: Edwin Eaton, Series 7. Miscellany.

When fully processed, the collection comprised 12 file boxes (approx. 5 linear ft.). Architectural papers related to Roseland Cottage, found among the papers of Henry Chandler Bowen (1813-1896) (Sub-group I, Series 3), were removed and placed into a separate sub-group: Sub-group III. Oversize material, which was comprised of newspapers (Sub-group I, Series 3, Sub-series D and Sub-group I, Series 16), was removed and housed within the vertical files/flat files. Photostats of building specifications and receipts for Roseland Cottage were separated from the collection and housed in Architecture Box 3, Folders 6A and 6B (now AR001). Additionally, three Goodspeeds catalogs, a Lippincott's Magazine, and the Connecticut Quarterly were separated from the collection as were other magazines, printed material, and four "magic lantern' slides; current location is unspecified.

Update: In 2013-2014, through a National Historical Publications and Records Commission grant (Award Number: NAR13-RH-50051-13: "Family Manuscript Collections: Expanding Online Access to New England Heritage Project"), twenty-six Historic New England manuscript collections of family papers were re-evaluated and processed/reprocessed to meet current archival standards and "best practices;" corresponding finding aids were created/updated to be DACS-compliant and converted into electronic Microsoft Word document form; and the finding aids were made accessible/searchable online through the use of the Minisis M2A archival database of the Minisis Collections Management System. The Bowen family papers (MS006) were part of the grant project.

Since 1983, following the initial processing of the collection and creation of the original finding aid, subsequent acquisitions/accessions had been integrated into the collection; material was periodically rehoused, or renumbered; and notations and additional pages were inserted into the finding aid.

During the 2013-2014 collection reprocessing/updating, the 1983 arrangement scheme was updated; most of the original folder titles were maintained (appropriate headings and folder titles were supplied, as applicable); discrepancies between actual folder titles and the original 1983 finding aid were corrected; related folders were combined or rearranged, as applicable; the accumulated unprocessed material (prior to 2005) was incorporated into the collection; scope and content notes were updated to reflect the changes; and additional research was added to the biographical/historical sketch and genealogy. Preservation issues were identified and basic preservation methods were applied, as applicable; papers throughout the collection were removed from envelopes (if applicable), unfolded, flattened, and related pages were noted with corresponding information in brackets ([x-1/3], [x-2/3], [x-3/3]; and objects, oversize material, and photographic material were rehoused appropriately (or materials were interleafed within file boxes), as applicable. The collection was rehoused (in acid-free folders and boxes), numbered, labeled, barcoded, and stored accordingly; subsequent accessions were tracked and noted with their corresponding items; and related collections held by Historic New England and other repositories were researched and noted. The original 1983 paper document finding aid was updated to be DACS-compliant, as applicable; converted into an electronic 2010-2013 Microsoft Word document finding aid (with corresponding paper finding aid); and entered into the collection record in the Minisis M2A online database.

2013 extent of collection (prior to updating): 3 cartons (letter-wise)= 3.75 linear feet; 12 file boxes (legal-size)= 5.01 linear feet; 02 file boxes (letter-size)= 0.83 linear feet; 2 multi-purpose boxes; Vertical files/flat files. Note: Yale linear footage calculator: approximately 9.59 linear feet (3 cartons, 14 file boxes), plus 2 multi-purpose boxes and vertical files.

NOTE: Processing/updating the collection and making the finding aid accessible online were made possible through grants from the National Historical Publications and Records Commission (Award Number: NAR13-RH-50051-13), the Bedford Family Foundation, and an anonymous donor.

Details

Descriptive Terms

abolitionists
account books
address books
architects
authors
bills (legislative records)
black-and-white photographs
books
business (commercial function)
businessmen
cabinet photographs
card photographs (photographs)
cartes-de-visite (card photographs)
clippings (information artifacts)
color photographs
contracts
correspondence
deeds
ephemera
estate inventories
family papers
financial records
genealogies
Gothic Revival
invitations
journals (accounts)
lawyers
legal documents
letters (correspondence)
memorabilia
merchants
military personnel
newspapers
notebooks
notes
obituaries
orators
pamphlets
personal correspondence
personal papers
photograph albums
photographs
photographic materials
poems
politicians
probate records
professional papers
publications
receipts (financial records)
ration books
site plans
speeches
swatches
tintypes (prints)
travel
wills
writings (document genre)
family papers

Physical Description

Family papers: 4.8 linear ft. (11 file boxes, 1 half file box) plus 2 folio boxes, 1 multi-purpose box, 7 oversize folders

Finding Aid Info

An electric finding aid is available through Historic new England's Collections Access Portal. A paper finding aid is available in the Library and Archives.

Custodial History

1970: Purchase of Roseland Cottage in Woodstock, Connecticut, and all its contents from the Bowen family of Woodstock, Connecticut. 1973 (June 20): Gift of Karen N. McFarlan (Mrs. F. Warren McFarlan) of Belmont, Massachusetts [account book and letter] (#1.1-2.4). 1983: Gift of Henry Bowen White of Manchester, Massachusetts [invitations, photographs, and printed material] (#3.5, 4.16, 6.22, 10.31, 11.1, 11.3, OB.2.5). 1985 (July 5): Gift of Karen N. McFarlan (Mrs. F. Warren McFarlan) of Belmont, Massachusetts [correspondence] (#1.3). 1986: Gift of William Darr [correspondence] (#1.20). 1986: Subsequent material added from Roseland Cottage, Woodstock, Connecticut [photograph album] (#FB.2.1). 1987: Gift of Continental Insurance Company of New York [photographic and printed material] (#7.1, 8.17, 8.25, 8.29, OB.3.9). 1992: Subsequent material added from Roseland Cottage, Woodstock, Connecticut [invitations] (#6.22). 2005 (September 27): Gift of anonymous donor [printed material] (#5.1-5.5, 6.3). 2005 (July 1): Purchased from Hamilton Holt (1872-1951) [family papers] (Series IV, unprocessed). 2006: Subsequent material added from Roseland Cottage, Woodstock, Connecticut [photograph] (#10.19). Undated: Gift of Paul Archer [biographical material] (#6.8). Undated: Gift of Jane McClellan [correspondence] (#1.3). 1974: Gift of Henry Bowen White [papers removed from lap desk] (#6.28) [SPNEA #1974.370]. ·2014 (October): Subsequent material added from Historic New England's Haverhill storage site, Haverhill, Massachusetts [photograph - accession number: 1970.689] (#10.32)


Collection Code

MS006

Collection Name

Bowen family papers

Date of Acquisition

1970

Reference Code

MS006

Abstract

Account books, bills and receipts, and other financial records; address books; biographical and genealogical material; contracts, deeds, and other legal documents; correspondence and invitations; journals and notebooks; photographic material; printed material; ration books; site plans and specifications; clippings; etc.; reflecting the personal, social, and professional lives of the Bowen family of Woodstock, Connecticut, and life at Roseland Cottage in Woodstock, Connecticut.

Acquisition Type

Museum Purchase

Credit Line

Purchased from the Bowen family, 1971.

Places

Athens (Periféreia Protevoúsis, Greece)
Barcelona (Barcelona province, Catalonia, Spain)
Belgium
Belmont (Middlesex county, Massachusetts)
Berlin (Berlin state, Germany)
Bern canton (Switzerland) [canton]
Brookline (Norfolk county, Massachusetts)
Brooklyn (New York City, New York state) [borough]
Chaplin (Windham county, Connecticut)
Caracas (Distrito Federal, Venezuela)
Dudley (Worcester county, Massachusetts)
Enfield (Hartford county, Connecticut)
Farmington (Hartford county, Connecticut)
Florence (Firenze province, Tuscany, Italy)
Hague, The (South Holland, Netherlands)
Liverpool (Liverpool urban district, Merseyside, England, United Kingdom)
Middle East [general region]
Naples (Napoli province, Campania, Italy)
New London (New London county, Connecticut)
New York City (New York state)
Northampton (Hampshire County, Massachusetts)
Paris (Ville de Paris department, Île-de-France, France)
Persia (Asia) [historical region]
Pomfret (Windham county, Connecticut)
Poughkeepsie (Dutchess county, New York state)
Putnam (Windham county, Connecticut)
Rome (Roma province, Latium, Italy)
Roseland Park (Windham county, Connecticut)
Stamford (Fairfield county, Connecticut)
Toronto (Toronto Metropolitan Area, Ontario, Canada)
Troy (Rensselaer county, New York state)
Vienna (Vienna state, Austria)
Wales (United Kingdom) [country]
Williamsburg (Williamsburg Indep. City, Virginia)
Winter Park (Orange county, Florida)
Woodstock (Windham county, Connecticut)
Worcester (Worcester county, Massachusetts)

Record Details

Originator

Bowen family

Material Type

family papers

Other People

Aspinwall, Peter
Aspinwall, William
Atwell, George Benjamin
Atwell, Mary Meekem (Tennent)
Barney, Hiram
Barney, Edward A.
Barney, Susan E. (Tappan)
Beecher, Henry Ward, 1813-1887
Bowen, Augusta Floyd (Vingut)
Bowen, Carolyn Mae (Clegg), 1877-1949
Bowen, Clarence Winthrop, 1852-1935
Bowen, Edward A., 1847-1926
Bowen, Edward Eaton, 1815-1887
Bowen, Elizabeth White (Plummer), 1848-1922
Bowen, Ellen (Holt), 1834-1903
Bowen, Emily Vivian (Hyde), 1869-1925
Bowen, Ethel Plummer, 1879-
Bowen, Francis
Bowen, Franklin Davis, 1860-1940
Bowen, George, 1789-1846
Bowen, Henry
Bowen, Henry Chandler, 1813-1896
Bowen, Henry Elliot, 1845-1919
Bowen, Herbert Wolcott, 1856-1927
Bowen, John Eliot, 1858-1890
Bowen, Lucy Maria (Tappan), 1825-1863
Bowen, Lydia Wolcott (Eaton), 1793-1864
Bowen, Margaret (Davis)
Bowen, Mary (Chandler), 1760-1834
Bowen, Mary (Dana), 1727-1813
Bowen, Matthew, 1724-1806
Bowen, Paul Holt, 1868-1895
Bowen, Pauline, 1895-
Bowen, Roxana Atwater (Wentworth), 1854-1935
Bowen, Sophronia Tennent (Atwell), 1818-1899
Bowen, William, 1763-1837
Browning, Elizabeth Barrett, 1806-1861
Chamberlin, Lewis
Chandler, Eleanor "Nellie"
Chandler, Frances
Chandler, Mary (Hodges)
Chandler, Peter
Dana, Isaac
Dana, Sarah (Winchester)
Dexter, Samuel
Eaton, Edwin
Eaton, Eliot
Eaton, Elizabeth (Davis)
Franklin, Benjamin, 1706-1790
Fremont, John Charles, 1813-1890
Grenfell, Wilfred
Hardy, Arthur Sherburne, 1847-1930
Hardy, Grace Aspinwall (Bowen), 1850-1940
Harrison, Benjamin, 1833-1901
Holt, Alexina C.
Holt, Constance, 1879-1968
Holt, George C. (George Chandler), 1843-1931
Holt, Hamilton, 1872-1951
Holt, Henry Chandler, 1881-1955
Holt, Hiram
Holt, Mary (Chandler)
Holt, Mary Louisa (Bowen), 1848-1925
Holt, Stuart, 1876-1900
Holt, Sylvia, 1889-1945
Howe, Julia Ward, 1819-1910
Hyde, Emily Caroline (Varney)
Hyde, William Henry
McClellan, John
McFarlan, Karen N.
McKinley, William, 1843-1901
Medlar, Clara Soule, 1833 or 1834-1902
Mellon, Anna
Monroe, Edward Thayer
Penfield, William Lawrence, 1846-1909
Plummer, John Lincoln
Plummer, Susan Rand (White)
Prentier, John H.
Proctor, Edna Dean, 1829-1923
Reed, Grace (Holt), 1874-1937
Richardson, Alice Linden (Bowen), 1854-1948
Richardson, Dorothea (Boyd), 1894-1981
Richardson, Gardner, 1884-1972
Richardson, Rufus B. (Rufus Byam), 1845-1914
Roosevelt, Eleanor, 1884-1962
Roosevelt, Franklin D. (Franklin Delano), 1882-1945
Scott, Winfield, 1786-1866
Stoddard, Evelyn
Stowe, Harriet Beecher, 1811-1896
Stuart, Jane S., d. 1916
Tappan, Arthur, 1786-1865
Tappan, Charles
Tappan, Elizabeth
Tappan, Lewis, 1788-1873
Tappan, Susanna (Aspinwall)
Truman, Harry S., 1884-1972
Underwood, Samuel
Vereker, Gordon
Vereker, Roxanna Wentworth (Bowen), 1895-
Warren, Fuller, 1905-1973
Washington, George, 1732-1799
Wells, Joseph Collins, 1813-1860
Wentworth, John, 1737-1820
Wentworth, Roxanna Marie (Loomis)
White, Henry Bowen
Whittier, John Greenleaf, 1807-1892

Other Organizations

Agricultural Society of Windham County (Conn.)
American Ambulance Corps (Paris, France)
American Antiquarian Society
American Historical Society
American Relief Administration
American School of Classical Studies at Athens
Arnold Manufacturing Company
Arthur Tappan and Company
Bowen and Lyon
Bowen and McNamee
Bowen, Holmes and Company
Brooklyn Heights Seminary
College of William and Mary
Columbia University
Columbia University. School of Law
Commission for Relief in Belgium
Committee on the Centennial Celebration of the Inauguration of George Washington as President of the United States
Congregational Church Building Society
Connecticut Historical Society
Continental Insurance Company of New York
Dartmouth College
Department of Foreign and Domestic Commerce (Washington, DC)
Eastman National Business College (Poughkeepsie, N.Y.)
Ely, Bowen and McConnell
Ely, Clapp and Bowen
First Ecclesiastical Society of South Woodstock (South Woodstock, Conn.)
Fresh Air Fund
Gothic Hall Ladies School (Stamford, Conn.)
Indiana University
Judiciary Committee of the Connecticut Legislature
Lawyers' Club (New York, N.Y.)
Metropolitan Opera (New York, N.Y.)
Miss Porter's School (Farmington, Conn.)
New York Genealogical and Biographical Society
Polytechnic Institute of Brooklyn
Putnam Rotary Club (Putnam, Conn.)
Rollins College
Smith, Seaver and Bowen
Southern Railway (U.S.)
United States. Legation (Switzerland)
Woodstock Academy (Conn.)
Yale College (1718-1887)
Yale University. Divinity School

Subjects

Tuberculosis
Typhoid fever
United States. History. Civil War, 1861-1865
United States. History. Revolution, 1775-1783
United States. History. War of 1812
Woodstock (Conn.). History

Descriptive Terms

Fourth of July

Restrictions

·This collection is available for research.
·Unrestricted except for #OB.2.3-OB.2.5, which contain fragile material and require handling by Library and Archives staff only; and #4.16, which has been temporarily removed for preservation purposes.
·Note: due to age and other conditions affecting materials, the whole of the collection requires handling with care.

Conservation Note

See Scope and Content note.

Description Level

Collection

Location Note

HGO-02-105-A-E-402; HGO-02-105-A-E-403; HGO-02-105-A-E-401; HGO-02-105-A-E-101; HGO-02-105-A-E-106; HGO-02-105-A-E-105

Accruals Note

Accruals are not expected.

Appraisal, Destruction, and Scheduling Note

The following item has been removed from the collection and transferred to the Historic New England, Library and Archives books and printed materials collection:

·Bowen, Herbert Wolcott (1926). Recollections Diplomatic and Undiplomatic. New York City, New York: Grafton Press. (duplicate copy)

Language Note

Materials in English.

Preferred Citation

Item identification. Box #, folder #. Bowen family papers (MS006). Historic New England, Library & Archives.

Processing Information

1983: Originally processed by Deborah Shea, intern. 2013 October: Updated by Bridgette A. Woodall, project archivist; with assistance from Jennifer Pustz, museum historian. 2014 October: Additional material incorporated into the collection (#10.32)

Rules and Conventions

Finding aid is DACS-compliant.

Related Items

General architectural and cartographic collection
Portable Desk
Doll
Roseland Cottage, Woodstock, Conn., Historic New England properties photographic collection

Historical/Biographical Note

Historical/Biographical Note

Born October 22, 1724, Matthew Bowen (1724-1806) was of the fifth generation of Bowens in America; he was the son of Henry and Margaret (Davis) Bowen. Bowen engaged in several professions such as surveyor, constable, farmer, saddler, storekeeper, and landowner; he was also an active church member and served on numerous town committees. During the American Revolutionary War (1775-1783), he served as a Captain in the Connecticut militia and fought in the Rhode Island Campaign of August 29, 1778. On October 4, 1750, he married Mary Dana (1727-1813), daughter of Isaac and Sarah (Winchester) Dana of Pomfret, Connecticut. Matthew and Mary resided in Woodstock, Connecticut, and had eight children.

William Bowen (1763-1837), sixth child of Matthew and Mary (Dana) Bowen, was born on December 28, 1763. Among other professions, he was a farmer, landowner, saddler, tavern keeper, merchant, postmaster, and meat packer. During the War of 1812 (1812-1815), he supplied the United States government with salted meats; he also shipped goods to the West Indies. William Bowen was instrumental in establishing two small businesses: Bowen and Lyon in 1798 and the Arnold Manufacturing Company in 1814. In 1801, he became a founder of the Woodstock Academy in Woodstock, Connecticut. Also, he was active in the First Ecclesiastical Society of South Woodstock, Connecticut, and held several civic posts. On December 25, 1788, he married Mary Chandler (1760-1834), daughter of Peter and Mary (Hodges) Chandler of Pomfret, Connecticut. William and Mary had five children.

George Bowen (1789-1846), first child of William and Mary (Chandler) Bowen, was born on June 8, 1789. He inherited his father's store and tavern business and grew the business to include the sale of hardware supplies and medicines. He was active in the Woodstock Academy school board and was an officer of the Agricultural Society in Windham County, Connecticut. Also, he served as Postmaster-General, Justice of the Peace, and Selectman, among other civic duties. During the War of 1812 (1812-1815), he served as a lieutenant in the Connecticut militia and was sent to defend New London, Connecticut. On October 13, 1812, he married Lydia Wolcott Eaton (1793-1864), daughter of Eliot and Elizabeth (Davis) Eaton of Dudley, Massachusetts. George and Lydia had four children.

Henry Chandler Bowen (1813-1896), first child of George and Lydia Wolcott (Eaton) Bowen, was born on September 11, 1813. He was educated at Woodstock and Dudley Academies and later worked in his father's store. At age twenty, he moved to New York City and joined the dry goods firm of Arthur Tappan and Company. Five years later, he formed his own firm of Bowen and McNamee (reorganized as Bowen, Holmes and Company in 1859) where he sold silks, ribbons, and dry goods. On June 6, 1844, he married Lucy Maria Tappan (1825-1863). In 1845, Bowen commissioned the construction of Roseland Cottage in Woodstock, Connecticut, wehre the family summered. An impressive home at 90 Willow Street in Brooklyn Heights, New York, was their residence the rest of the year. Bowen was also a founding member of the Congregational Church Building Society in which he was a generous contributor to the construction of new churches in Connecticut, New York, Ohio, and Washington, D.C. Surviving public ridicule for not supporting the 1850 "Fugitive Slave Law," Bowen and McNamee prospered and expanded. The firm held on through the Panic of 1857 but in 1861, just shortly after reorganizing as Bowen, Holmes and Company, the firm went bankrupt with the onset of the American Civil War (1861-1865); Bowen subsequently retired from the dry goods business. By this time he was already engaged in other business ventures which included founding the Independent newspaper in 1848, a publication that encouraged the dissemination of Congregational values, and establishing the Continental Insurance Company in 1853. Both the Independent and Continental Insurance would continue to serve as sources of employment and income for later generations of the family. As a major benefactor of Woodstock, Connecticut, Bowen endowed Woodstock Academy and contributed to its reconstruction, donated trees to plant on Woodstock Common, and presented Roseland Park to the to wn during the national Centennial of 1876. Henry and Lucy had ten children before Lucy's death in 1863. On December 25, 1865, Henry Chandler Bowen married his second wife, Ellen Holt (1834-1903), daughter of Hiram and Mary (Chandler) Holt of Pomfret, Connecticut; they had one son, Paul Holt Bowen (1868-1895). Roseland Cottage experienced a rejuvenation following their marriage and Henry Bowen subsequently became well-known for reviving the celebration of the Fourth of July as a patriotic holiday.

Lucy Maria (Tappan) Bowen (1825-1863) was the daughter of Lewis and Susanna (Aspinwall) Tappan of Brooklyn, New York. Her father, Lewis Tappan, was born in Northampton, Massachusetts, and her mother in Brookline, Massachusetts. Lewis Tappan was a passionate voice in the abolition movement.

Edward Eaton Bowen (1815-1887), second child of George and Lydia Wolcott (Eaton) Bowen, was born on September 20, 1815. He inherited the family business from his father and likewise, served as Postmaster. Later, he gave up the family business and moved to Brooklyn, New York, where he joined the dry goods firm of Ely, Clapp and Bowen (renamed Ely, Bowen and McConnell). After retiring from the dry goods industry, he became Deputy Collector of the Internal Revenue, Third District of Brooklyn and later ventured into banking. On June 14, 1836, he married Sophronia Tennent (1818-1899), daughter of George Benjamin and Mary Meekem (Tennent) Atwell of Enfield, Connecticut. Edward and Sophronia had six children.

Henry ("Harry") Elliot Bowen (1845-1919), first child of Henry Chandler and Lucy Maria (Tappan) Bowen, was born on March 31, 1845. He attended Brooklyn Collegiate and Polytechnic Institute in Brooklyn, New York, and Eastman Business College in Poughkeepsie, New York. He worked as a bank clerk, a stock broker, and as publisher and managing editor of the Brooklyn Daily Union newspaper. Bowen also spent twenty-five years as a solicitor in the advertising department of the New York Herald. "Harry" founded the Fresh Air Fund to give underprivileged children in New York a chance to experience the rural outdoors. He also raised funds for concerts in Prospect Park and was involved in fighting corruption in Brooklyn politics. On December 14, 1869, he married Elizabeth White (1848-1942), daughter of John Lincoln and Susan Rand (White) Plummer of Brooklyn, New York. Henry and Elizabeth had five children.

Edward Augustus Bowen (1847-1926), second child of Henry Chandler and Lucy Maria (Tappan) Bowen, was born on January 31, 1847. Also known as "Ned," Edward was educated at home and attended the Brooklyn Collegiate and Polytechnic Institute in Brooklyn, New York. Later, he attended the Eastman Business College in Poughkeepsie, New York. After graduation, he worked as a clerk for several businesses until he became a junior partner in the stock brokerage firm of Smith, Seaver and Bowen. In 1870, when the firm dissolved, "Ned" gave up full-time employment and pursued his interests in travel and genealogy. He managed the accounts for Roseland Cottage, traveled extensively, and offered support to several members of his family. In 1897, he published, Lineage of the Bowens of Woodstock, Connecticut. Edward Augustus Bowen died on May 12, 1926.

Mary Louisa (Bowen) Holt (1848-1925), third child of Henry Chandler and Lucy Maria (Tappan) Bowen, was born on July 26, 1848. From 1863 to 1865, she attended Miss Porter's School in Farmington, Connecticut. On October 12, 1871, she married George Chandler Holt (1843-1931), brother of Ellen Holt (1834-1903). Mary Louisa (Bowen) and George Chandler Holt had six children. Her daughters Sylvia and Constance Holt were the last members of the Bowen family to live full-time at Roseland Cottage.

Grace Aspinwall (Bowen) Hardy (1850-1940), fourth child of Henry Chandler and Lucy Maria (Tappan) Bowen, was born on February 4, 1850. She was educated at Brooklyn Heights Seminary in New York City, New York, and Miss Porter's School in Farmington, Connecticut. Between 1871 and 1895 she took five major trips to Europe with members of her family. In 1898, she married Arthur Sherburne Hardy, a professor of mathematics at Dartmouth College. At the time of their marriage, Hardy was serving as a U. S. Minister to Persia and later served as Minister to Spain and Switzerland.

Clarence Winthrop Bowen (1852-1935), fifth child of Henry Chandler and Lucy Maria (Tappan) Bowen, was born on May 22, 1852. From 1869 to 1873, he attended Yale College. Following graduation, he spent a year at Yale Divinity School before he abandoned his goal of becoming a minister. Bowen went on to earn a Masters and Ph.D in history from Yale College in 1876 and 1882, respectively. He worked as a reporter for the New York Herald Tribune became publisher and owner of the Independent newspaper, contributed to Century Magazine, and published several books on national politics and history. In 1887, he was appointed Secretary of the Committee on the Centennial Celebration of the Inauguration of George Washington as President of the United States. From 1907 to 1931, he served as President of the New York Genealogical and Biographical Society. Also, he was a founding member of the American Antiquarian Society, the American Historical Society, and the Connecticut Historical Society. Clarence was the author of The Boundary Disputes of Connecticut (1882) and Woodstock: An Historical Sketch (1887). On January 28, 1892, he married Roxana Atwater Wentworth (1854-1935), daughter of John and Roxanna Marie (Loomis) Wentworth of Troy, New York; they had one daughter, Roxana Wentworth Bowen (born 1895). Clarence Bowen died on November 2, 1935.

Alice Linden (Bowen) Richardson (1854-1948), sixth child of Henry Chandler and Lucy Maria (Tappan) Bowen, was born on March 9, 1854. Like her sisters, she was educated at Miss Porter's School in Farmington, Connecticut, and went on to further education in Berlin, Germany, and Gothic Hall Ladies School in Stamford, Connecticut. Alice also did a great deal of traveling with her family before marriage. On September 6, 1877, she married Rufus Byam Richardson (1845-1914); they had four children. Richardson received a Ph.D. from Yale and had a teaching career that took the family from Indiana University to Dartmouth College. The couple also lived overseas during the time in which he served as the director of the American School of Classical Studies in Athens, Greece. Alice also did some writing and had stories published in the Independent.

Herbert Wolcott Bowen (1856-1927), seventh child of Henry Chandler and Lucy Maria (Tappan) Bowen, was born February 29, 1856. Like his brothers he was educated at Brooklyn Collegiate and Polytechnic Institute in Brooklyn, New York, but at age sixteen he went to Europe for two years of study in French, German, and Greek. From 1874-1878, he attended Yale College where he was one of the founders of the "Wolf's Head" senior society and a co-founder of the Yale News, the first college newspaper in the country. Although he did not graduate with his class, he was awarded an honorary Master's degree in 1903. In 1881, Herbert received an L.L.B. in law and political science from Columbia Law School. Later that year, he was admitted to the New York State bar and practiced law with his brother-in-law, George Chandler Holt (1843-1931). His diplomatic career began in 1890; he served in Spain, Persia, and Venezuela, but returned to Woodstock in 1905 when his career as a diplomat ended. Bowen was married twice: first wife, Augusta Floyd Vingut; second wife, Carolyn Mae Clegg (1877-1949). Herbert Wolcott Bowen died on May 29, 1927.

John Eliot Bowen (1858-1890), eighth child of Henry Chandler and Lucy Maria (Tappan) Bowen, was born on June 8, 1858. He studied at Brooklyn Collegiate and Polytechnic Institute in Brooklyn, New York, and Woodstock Academy in Woodstock, Connecticut. In 1881, John graduated from Yale College, where he helped found the University Club. After graduation he traveled extensively in Europe and the Middle East. John received his Ph.D in political science from Columbia University in 1886. He became managing editor of the Independent newspaper and a published author, in addition to being an active sportsman and a talented polo player. On January 3, 1890, two days before his wedding, he died of typhoid fever.

Franklin Davis Bowen (1860-1940), ninth child of Henry Chandler and Lucy Maria (Tappan) Bowen, was born on October 29, 1860. Like his brothers, he attended Brooklyn Polytechnic Institute in Brooklyn, New York, after which he was prepared for college by a private tutor. In 1884, he graduated from Yale College, where he participated in the Glee Club, played second violin in the University Orchestra, and played on the Lacrosse Team. Frank also helped found the "Wolf's Head" senior society. He spent the next ten years working for the Independent newspaper followed by an early retirement and active travel and time at Woodstock. Frank did not marry and died in 1940.

Paul Holt Bowen (1868-1895), only child of Henry Chandler and Ellen (Holt) Bowen, was born on September 25, 1868. He attended Brooklyn Collegiate and Polytechnic Institute in Brooklyn, New York. In 1887, he entered the Science Department at Dartmouth College; he withdrew owing to ill health. On April 8, 1893, he married Emily Vivian (1896-1925), daughter of William Henry and Emily Caroline (Varney) Hyde of Alessandro, California; they had one child, Pauline Holt Bowen (born 1895). On January 17, 1895, Paul Holt Bowen died of consumption (tuberculosis).

George Chandler Holt (1843-1931), brother of Ellen (Holt) Bowen (1834-1903) and husband of Mary Louisa (Bowen) Holt (born 1848), was born December 31, 1843. In 1866, he graduated from Yale College and was chosen by his classmates to give the Class Oration. Holt graduated from Columbia Law School in 1869 and married Mary Louisa (Bowen) on October 12, 1871; they had six children.

Gardner Richardson (1884-1972), third child of Alice Linden (Bowen) Richardson (1854-1948) and Rufus Byam Richardson (1845-1914), was born on February 8, 1884. In 1905, he graduated from Yale College and spent four years working at the Independent newspaper. He became interested in serving as a diplomat and worked for a series of foreign agencies, including The American Ambulance Corps in Paris (1915), the Commission for Relief in Belgium (1916), the American Relief Administration in Vienna (1929-early 1930s), and the American Legation at Bern. On American shores, he worked for the Department of Foreign and Domestic Commerce in Washington, DC. On November 24, 1927, he married Dorothea Boyd (1894-1981) of Toronto, Canada; they had two children.

Sources


Material within MS006
Roseland Cottage Research Files
Bowen, Edward Augustus. (1897). Lineage of the Bowens of Woodstock, Connecticut. Cambridge, Massachusetts: Riverside Press. Google Books edition.
Library of Congress. Library of Congress Authorities. Retrieved from http://authorities.loc.gov/.
Henry Holt (American football), Wikipedia: The Free Encyclopedia, last modified February 21, 2013, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Henry_Holt_(American_football).

Material in Other Collections

Material in Other Collections

Hamilton Holt (Rollins Digital Collections). Archives and Special Collection, Olin Library, Rollins College, Winter Park, Florida.

Bowen Family, Papers, c.1847-c.1934 (Manuscript Collections). American Antiquarian Society, Worcester, Massachusetts.

Arrangement

Arrangement

The collection is arranged in four series: I. Papers of the Bowen family of Woodstock, Connecticut. II. Papers relating to the construction of Roseland Cottage, Woodstock, Connecticut. III. Photographic material of the Bowen family of Woodstock, Connecticut. IV. Additional papers of the Bowen family of Woodstock, Connecticut.

*Collection housing/storage code: #x.x=file box (i.e., #1.2= file box 1, folder 2); C=carton; FB=folio box; FF=fragile files; MB=multi-purpose box; OB=oversize box/folder; OV=oversize volume; VF=vertical files/flat files.

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