Alfred Tredway White (May 28, 1846 – January 29, 1921) was an American housing reformer and philanthropist, and was known as "Brooklyn's first citizen."[1] After graduating from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute in 1865 with a degree in civil engineering,[2] he developed the Home Buildings (1877), Tower Buildings (1879, now Cobble Hill Towers)[3] and the Riverside Buildings (1890).[2] He advocated a model of "philanthropy plus five percent," accepting a limited financial return on his projects.[4]
Alfred Tredway White | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Born | May 28, 1846 |
| Died | January 29, 1921 (aged 74) |
| Nationality | American |
| Known for | Social reform, philanthropy |
| Children | Annie Jean Van Sinderen |
White's buildings were extensively praised by Jacob Riis in "How The Other Half Lives" as a "beau ideal" and a "big village of contented people."[5] They covered roughly half of their lots, leaving large courtyards suitable for concerts and other recreation.[6]
He served as Commissioner of City Works for Brooklyn during the administration of Mayor Schieren.[7]
He was an early benefactor of the Brooklyn Botanic Garden, and is memorialized there by the Alfred T. White Memorial and Amphitheater.[8][9] He was also a major supporter of both the Hampton Institute and Tuskegee Institute. He was a member of the Unitarian Universalist church.[2]
White died in 1921 while skating alone on Forest Lake; he broke through the ice and was drowned.[10] He left some $15 million to his daughter Annie Jean Van Sinderen.[1]
References
edit
- ^ a b c "Alfred T. White, Brooklyn Philanthropist, Leaves $15,000,000 Estate to Daughter". The New York Times. February 20, 1921. Retrieved 18 September 2013.
[D]rowned on Jan. 29 while skating in Central Valley, N.Y.
- ^ a b c Hoogenboom, Olive. "Alfred T. White". Dictionary of Unitarian & Universalist Biography. Unitarian Universalist History & Heritage Society. Archived from the original on 2012-06-21. Retrieved 18 September 2013.
- ^ Gray, Christopher (October 10, 2008). "Architectural Wealth, Built for the Poor". The New York Times. Retrieved 18 September 2013.
- ^ Jamieson, Wendell (January 24, 2003). "Landmark Towers, Still Loved and Lived In". The New York Times. Retrieved 18 September 2013.
- ^ Riis, Jacob (1890). How the Other Half Lives. Macmillan. p. 264. ISBN 0312574010.
- ^ Gray, Christopher (August 23, 1992). "The Riverside Buildings; A Model Tenement In Dickensian Style". The New York Times. Retrieved 18 September 2013.
- ^ "WHAT ALFRED T. WHITE HAS SPENT; Mayor Schieren Learns How One Man He Appointed Has Save Brooklyn Money Without Penury". The New York Times. October 25, 1895. Retrieved 18 September 2013.
- ^ Furman, Bob (May 9, 2011). "Heights History: Alfred T. White". Retrieved 18 September 2013.
- ^ "Alfred T. White Amphitheater". Brooklyn Botanic Garden. Archived from the original on 2013-09-18. Retrieved 2013-09-18.
- ^ "Alfred T. White's Funeral To-morrow". New York Evening Post. January 31, 1921. p. 2. Retrieved 4 June 2024 – via NYS Historic Newspapers.
 | This article about an American businessperson born in the 1840s is a stub. You can help Wikipedia by expanding it. |