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The History
of The Douglas House (circa 1840) The Douglas
House was named from the family who occupied it. Andrew
Almerin Douglas (1818-1890), his wife Mary A. (Lesenring)
Douglas (1824-1893), and their 3 daughters Harriet Dexter
(1847-1923), Elizabeth Crellen (1849-?) and Emily Juliet
(1850-1896).
Until 1831, the property in the settlement which became
Mauch Chunk and now Jim Thorpe, Pennsylvania all belonged
to the Lehigh Coal and Navigation Company, and whatever
improvement had been made was solely the work of that
corporation. But the town was to be opened to the enterprise
of individuals, and to enter, as was proved subsequently,
upon an era of moderate prosperity based upon several
independent causes. When the company decided to put
the village property in the market, they issued, under
date of September 19, 1831, the following advertisement:
“Persons desirous of locating themselves at Mauch
Chunk are informed that lots in that town, on both
sides of the Lehigh, are now offered for sale on advantageous
terms, and free from all restrictions. This town is
situated in Northampton County, at the present head
of the Lehigh navigation (which is adapted to boats
of 140 tons burthen), is 46 miles, by the Lehigh Canal,
from Easton (which is at the confluences of the Delaware
Canal to Philadelphia and the Morris Canal to New
York), 80 miles by land and 124 miles by canal to
Philadelphia, 96 miles by land and 156 miles by canal
to New York, and 32 miles by turnpike from the Pennsylvania
Canal at Berwick, to which place the navigation will,
no doubt, in a few years be extended by the route
of the Nescopeck Valley. Water-powers can be concentrated
here to any extent required for manufacturers, and
the families of the laborers engaged in the coal business
(of which this place is the exclusive shipping port)
will furnish the necessary number of suitable hands.
For terms, apply to Josiah White, acting manager at
Mauch Chunk.”
The company began to sell lots in 1832. The property
which the Douglas House stands changed hands a few times
until Fisher and Elizabeth Hazard sold it to the Lesenring
family in 1840. Based on the selling price of $2,000,
I am assuming the brick structure was built onto the
lot at that time. Mary Lesenring married Andrew Douglas
on October 14, 1844 and together they lived in the home
raising their three daughters.
The History of the Douglas Family
Andrew Douglas moved to Mauch Chunk, Pennsylvania when
he was a young man and was largely interested in the
mining of anthracite coal. He was an engineer employed
by the Lehigh Coal and Navigation Company and was engaged
as an engineer on the Upper Lehigh navigation improvement
which dealt with the construction of the locks of Lehigh
canal from Mauch Chunk to White Haven. In 1843, he also
engaged in coal-mining at Nesquehoning with Asa Packer.
He carried on that business with various partners until
1865.
Andrew Douglas also worked alongside his older brother
Edwin A. Douglas who came to Mauch Chunk in 1835. He
too was an engineer on the canal, and surveyed for and
had charge of the work from Mauch Chunk to White Haven.
From 1843 until his death, in 1859, he was the superintendent
and engineer of all the company's works, and a most
efficient man in the place. There are numerous accounts
of his engineering ingenuity which advanced the growth
of the Lehigh Coal and Navigation Company during the
most prosperous years of the company.
I have not found any evidence that Edwin resided with
his brother in the Douglas House.
Andrew Douglas died on October 25, 1890 just shy of
his 72nd birthday and after 46 years of marriage to
Mary. Mary passed 3½ years later at the age of 69 and
willed the home to their three daughters. The daughters
were all adults, married and went their separate ways
with their husbands and own families. After that, the
building became the home of many families (Carter, Heaton,
Stahl, Heimbach) from that time until it was converted
and used as apartments from the 1960's until the early
1990's when renovation was completed and the Douglas
House Marketplace was opened by Richard and Anne Gremling. |
