Croghan, William

Croghan was a revolutionary war soldier who was given land following the war as payment for military service.

From the description of Plans of different tracts of land : situate in the district set apart for the officers & soldiers &c in the state of Virginia the property of Major Wm. Croghan a.d. 1787-1794, 1785-1794. (University of Virginia). WorldCat record id: 30793627

Croghan was an attorney and a member of the Allegheny County (Pa.) bar.

He married Mary Carson O'Hara, the daughter of General James O'Hara, who had a considerable fortune. They had a son, who died in 1828--a year after his mother--and a daughter, Mary. At 15, Mary was sent by Croghan to a select boarding school on Staten Island. It was there that Mary met Captain Edward E.H. Schenley--a British vetran of the Peninsular Campaign, New Orleans, and Waterloo. He was 42 and twice widowed. The two were secretly married and left for England--the third elopment for the captain. After some anger, Croghan forgave his daughter and, in an attempt to entice her and her family to live in Pittsburgh, had the mansion "Picnic" built.

Croghan died in 1850 before the mansion was finished. Mary and her family visited Pittsburgh occasionally, once staying 5 years, but their home was England. "Picnic" was kept for some years, but fell into disrepair and was eventually torn down. The ballroom and the oval room are now in the Cathedral of Learning (Room 156) at the University of Pittsburgh, which uses it for meetings. The rooms can be toured through the Nationality Rooms Program.

From the description of Croghan-Schenley correspondence, 1813-1842. (University of Pittsburgh). WorldCat record id: 31503525