Robinson, Alexander, landscape architect

A native of New York, Alexander Robinson was born around 1777. By 1807, he resided in Brooklyn and worked as a merchant seaman, commanding at least 10 trading vessels between 1807 and 1821. In 1813, he married a woman named Esther ("Hetty"), and they had at least four children: Matilda, Maria Louisa, George, and Catherine. In 1814-1815, he served as captain of a sea fencible corps and commanded Fort Greene in Brooklyn and Fort Gansevoort in Manhattan. Around 1820, the Robinson family moved to Mount Laurel, New Jersey, and Alexander Robinson continued his frequent marine trade until at least 1834.

From the guide to the Alexander Robinson papers, Robinson, Alexander papers, 1809-1843, 1814-1815, (William L. Clements Library, University of Michigan)