Lenox, James, 1800-1880

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American bibliophile and philanthropist.

From the description of Autograph letter signed : Newport, to George H. Moore, 1878 July 26. (Unknown). WorldCat record id: 270596824

James Lenox (1800-1880) was an American philanthropist and book collector.

In collaboration with Henry Stevens (1819-1886), an American book purchasing agent based in London, Lenox developed a fine collection of rare books, particularly Americana and early Bibles. His collection served as the basis of the Lenox Library which was organized in 1870 and later became part of the New York Public Library. His philanthropic work was primarily on behalf of the Presbyterian Church.

From the description of James Lenox papers, 1823-1936, bulk (1840-1880). (New York Public Library). WorldCat record id: 122456001

James Lenox was born on August 19, 1800 at 59 Broadway in New York City. His father was Robert Lenox, who was born in 1759 in Kirkcubright, Scotland. Robert Lenox had migrated to New York City in the 1770s, and married Rachel Carmer in 1783. Robert Lenox was a merchant who was heavily invested in New York City real estate.

James Lenox received an A.B. from Columbia College in 1818, and later received Masters degrees from Columbia and the College of New Jersey (now known as Princeton University). He studied law and was admitted to the New York bar on January 18, 1822. After spending time in Europe, he returned to New York City and joined his father's business as an importing merchant. From 1829 until 1840, he worked at the firm known as Robert Lenox and Son, located at 59 Broadway.

Upon the 1839 death of his father, who was by then one of the wealthiest men in New York City, Lenox inherited property that included a large farm of 300 acres in the upper part of the city. Lenox carried on the family business until 1845, when he retired to concentrate on book collecting and supporting charitable organizations. Lenox gave land to the Presbyterian Hospital and Presbyterian Home for Aged Women. He was active in the Presbyterian Church on Fifth Avenue. Lenox was a trustee of the College of New Jersey from 1833-1857, and served the Princeton Seminary as trustee (1831-1879) and director (1835-1847). During the last twelve years of his life, he gave away three million dollars to charities.

In 1845, Lenox began to collaborate with Henry Stevens, an American book purchasing agent who lived in London. Stevens assisted Lenox in the development of a fine collection of rare books, especially Americana and early Bibles. Letters, notes, lists, and invoices passed between the two by almost every steamer for fifteen years. The first copy of a Gutenberg Bible to come to the United States was a James Lenox acquisition of 1847. Lenox also bought manuscripts, engravings, maps, and paintings.

Lenox eventually decided to make his collections accessible to scholars and the public by establishing an independent library to manage them. In 1870 the Lenox Library was incorporated with a nine-member board of trustees, and plans were made for a new library building to house the materials, then in Lenox's home. The architect selected was Richard Morris Hunt (1827-1895) and the site (owned and donated to the new institution by Lenox) was Fifth Avenue between 70th and 71st streets in Manhattan.

James Lenox died at the age of 53 on February 17, 1880 at his residence at 53 Fifth Avenue. He is buried in New York City at the Marble Cemetery on Second Street. In 1895, the Lenox Library joined with the Astor Library and Tilden Trust to form The New York Public Library.

From the guide to the James Lenox papers, 1823-1936, 1840-1880, (The New York Public Library. Manuscripts and Archives Division.)

Archival Resources
Role Title Holding Repository
referencedIn Rhees, William Jones, 1830-1907. William Jones Rhees Papers, 1744-1907 The Huntington Library
referencedIn Smithsonian Institution Annual Report. 1855.0.
referencedIn Charles Calverley letter to James Lenox and photograph, 1874 New York Public Library. Manuscripts and Archives Division
creatorOf Lenox, James, 1800-1880. Letters from James Lenox to Edmund Bailey O'Callaghan, September, 1852 to December, 1860, concerning the purchase and reprinting of many volumes of Jesuit relations. [microform]. New York Public Library System, NYPL
referencedIn Smithsonian Institution. Office of the Secretary. Correspondence, 1863-1879 Smithsonian Institution Archives
creatorOf Lenox, James, 1800-1880,. Autograph letter signed from James Lenox, New York, to J. Parker Norris [manuscript], 1874 August 20. Folger Shakespeare Library
referencedIn Home for Disabled Soldiers (New York, N.Y.). Minute book, 1863-1866. New-York Historical Society
creatorOf Lenox, James, 1800-1880. Autograph letter signed : Newport, to George H. Moore, 1878 July 26. Pierpont Morgan Library.
referencedIn Lenox Library. Lenox Library Agency History. New York Public Library System, NYPL
referencedIn Rich provenance collection, ca. 1845-1848 New York Public Library. Manuscripts and Archives Division
creatorOf Lenox, James, 1800-1880. James Lenox papers, 1823-1936, bulk (1840-1880). New York Public Library System, NYPL
referencedIn Lenox Library. Board of Trustees. President. Lenox Library President records, 1870-1880. New York Public Library System, NYPL
referencedIn O'Callaghan, E. B. (Edmund Bailey), 1797-1880. Papers, 1830-1876 (bulk: 1845-1860) Library of Congress. Manuscript Division
referencedIn Book collectors miscellaneous papers, 1649-1937. Houghton Library
referencedIn Charles Deane collection 1840-1909 1848-1889 Deane, Charles collection William L. Clements Library
referencedIn Livermore, George, 1809-1865. Autograph letter signed : Cambridge, [Mass.], to Edward Duffield Ingraham, 1850 02 15. Pierpont Morgan Library.
referencedIn Sage, Gardner A. Map of the lands required for and benefited by opening 73rd Street from 3rd Avenue to East River / Gardner A. Sage. New-York Historical Society
referencedIn O'Callaghan, E. B. (Edmund Bailey), 1797-1880. Papers, 1830-1876 (bulk: 1845-1860) Library of Congress. Manuscript Division
referencedIn Edward Everett Hale miscellany, 1847-1901 New York Public Library. Manuscripts and Archives Division
creatorOf Lenox, James, 1800-1880. [Letter] 1865 June 13th, [New York, to] Charles C. Moreau / J: Lenox. Jenks Library at Gordon College, Jenks Library
referencedIn Allibone, S. Austin (Samuel Austin), 1816-1889. Letter : New York, to W.C. Gifford, 1888 Feb. 8. University of Chicago Library
referencedIn Lockman, DeWitt McClellan, 1870-1957,. Map no. 8 of property in the 16th Ward of the City of New York belonging to the est. of Saml. Whittemore decd. Elmer Holmes Bobst Library
referencedIn Nelson, William, 1847-1914. Manuscript collection, 1690-1875 New Jersey Historical Society Library
referencedIn Lenox Library. Lenox Library records, 1866-1915. New York Public Library System, NYPL
referencedIn Lenox Library. Board of Trustees. Treasurer. Lenox Library Treasurer records, 1870-1895. New York Public Library System, NYPL
creatorOf Deane, Charles, 1813-1889. Correspondence, 1602-1889, bulk: 1844-1889. Massachusetts Historical Society
referencedIn Coffin, James H. (James Henry), 1806-1873. James Henry Coffin Papers, 1848-1884 Smithsonian Institution Archives
referencedIn Edward Arber letter to Charles H. Kalbfliesch, 1887 New York Public Library. Manuscripts and Archives Division
creatorOf Lenox, James, 1800-1880,. Autograph letter signed from James Lenox, New York, to J. Parker Norris [manuscript], 1874 August 24. Folger Shakespeare Library
referencedIn New York Genealogical and Biographical Society miscellany, 1869-1880. New York State Historical Documents Inventory
referencedIn Lenox Library. Superintendent. Lenox Library Superintendent records, 1866-1895, 1872-1892 (bulk). New York Public Library System, NYPL
referencedIn Rutgers University Libraries, Spec. Coll. & Univ. Archives. Maclean Family Papers.
referencedIn Pruyn, John V. L. (John Van Schaick Lansing), 1811-1877. Papers, 1834-1876. American Periodical Series I
referencedIn Sparks, Jared, 1789-1866. Jared Sparks collection of American manuscripts, 1582-1843 Houghton Library
referencedIn Princeton University Library, Mudd Ms. Lib, Univ. Archives. John Maclean Papers.
referencedIn Smithsonian Institution. Office of the Secretary. Correspondence, 1865-1891 Smithsonian Institution Archives
creatorOf James Lenox papers, 1823-1936, 1840-1880 New York Public Library. Manuscripts and Archives Division
referencedIn [Map of the area later bounded by 70th and 72nd Streets, 3rd and 5th Avenues, Manhattan, New York (N.Y.)] Elmer Holmes Bobst Library
referencedIn Lenox Library records, 1866-1915 The New York Public Library. New York Public Library Archives.
Role Title Holding Repository
Relation Name
associatedWith Allibone, S. Austin (Samuel Austin), 1816-1889. person
associatedWith Arber, Edward, 1836-1912 person
correspondedWith Beck, Lewis C. person
associatedWith Borie, Adolph E. person
associatedWith Brackeleer, Ferdinand de, 1828-1857. person
associatedWith Bryant, Hubbard Winslow, b. 1839, person
associatedWith Calverley, Charles, 1833-1914 person
associatedWith Chalmers, Thomas, 1780-1847. person
correspondedWith Clow, Horatio S. person
associatedWith Deane, Charles, 1813-1889. person
associatedWith Ellet, Charles, Jr. person
associatedWith Grant, Ulysses S. person
associatedWith Hale, Edward Everett, Sr., 1822-1909 person
associatedWith Halliwell-Phillipps, J. O. (James Orchard), 1820-1889. person
correspondedWith Hart, John H. person
correspondedWith Henry, Joseph, 1797-1878 person
correspondedWith Hodge, Charles person
associatedWith Holton, David-Parsons, 1812?-1883, person
associatedWith Home for Disabled Soldiers (New York, N.Y.) corporateBody
associatedWith Lenox Library. corporateBody
associatedWith Lenox Library. Board of Trustees. President. corporateBody
associatedWith Lenox Library. Board of Trustees. Treasurer. corporateBody
associatedWith Lenox Library. Superintendent. corporateBody
associatedWith Leslie, Charles Robert, 1794-1859. person
associatedWith Livermore, George, 1809-1865. person
correspondedWith Maclean, John (1800 1886) person
associatedWith Maitland, Alexander person
associatedWith Moore, George Henry, 1823-1892, person
correspondedWith Moreau, Charles C. person
associatedWith Murphy, Henry Cruse, 1810-1882. person
associatedWith Nelson, William, 1847-1914. person
correspondedWith Norris, Joseph Parker, 1847-1916 person
associatedWith O'Callaghan, E. B. (Edmund Bailey), 1797-1880. person
associatedWith Panizzi, Anthony, Sir, 1797-1879. person
associatedWith Presbyterian Church corporateBody
associatedWith Presbyterian Church corporateBody
associatedWith Presbyterian Church in the U.S.A. Board of Missions. corporateBody
associatedWith Presbyterian Church in the U.S.A. Board of Publication. corporateBody
associatedWith Pruyn, John V. L. (John Van Schaick Lansing), 1811-1877. person
associatedWith Rich, O. (Obadiah), 1777-1850. person
correspondedWith Robinson, Edward person
associatedWith Sage, Gardner A. person
associatedWith Scillacio, Niccolò, 15th cent. person
associatedWith Shakespeare, William, 1564-1616 person
associatedWith Sparks, Jared, 1789-1866 person
associatedWith Stevens, Henry, 1819-1886. person
associatedWith Stewart, A. T. person
associatedWith Stuart, Robert L person
associatedWith Stuart, Robert L. person
associatedWith Valance, J person
associatedWith Valance, J. person
Place Name Admin Code Country
New York (N.Y.)
Massachusetts--Wenham
United States
New York
Subject
Applied Science, General
Book collecting
Book collecting
Book collectors
Charities
Charities
Economics (Economic Conditions)
Electrical Discharge
Henry Family
Henry, Joseph, Personality, Etc
Libraries
Libraries
Manuscripts, American
Philanthropists
President Of United States
Recommendations For Positions
Scientific organizations
Scientific publications
Smithsonian Publications
Treasury Department
Occupation
Book collectors
Philanthropists
Activity

Person

Birth 1800-08-19

Death 1880-02-17

Information

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