Philip Hone
American politician and businessman
title: "Philip Hone" type: doc version: 1 created: 2026-02-28 author: "Wikipedia contributors" status: active scope: public tags: ["1780-births", "1851-deaths", "19th-century-american-business-executives-in-rail-transportation", "19th-century-mayors-of-places-in-new-york-(state)", "businesspeople-from-manhattan", "politicians-from-manhattan", "mayors-of-new-york-city", "new-york-(state)-federalists", "new-york-(state)-whigs", "delaware-and-hudson-railway", "19th-century-american-diarists", "american-people-of-german-descent"] description: "American politician and businessman" topic_path: "law" source: "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Philip_Hone" license: "CC BY-SA 4.0" wikipedia_page_id: 0 wikipedia_revision_id: 0
::summary American politician and businessman ::
::data[format=table title="Infobox Officeholder"]
| Field | Value |
|---|---|
| name | Philip Hone |
| image | Philip Hone by John Wesley Jarvis 1809.jpeg |
| caption | Philip Hone, oil on canvas, John Wesley Jarvis, 1809. DeYoung Museum |
| order | 58th Mayor of New York City |
| term_start | 1826 |
| term_end | 1827 |
| predecessor | William Paulding, Jr. |
| successor | William Paulding, Jr. |
| birth_date | October 25, 1780 |
| birth_place | New York, New York |
| death_date | |
| death_place | New York, New York |
| party | Federalist |
| Whig | |
| profession | Auctioneer, merchant, corporate president |
| spouse | Catharine Dunscomb |
| :: |
| name = Philip Hone | image = Philip Hone by John Wesley Jarvis 1809.jpeg | caption =Philip Hone, oil on canvas, John Wesley Jarvis, 1809. DeYoung Museum | order = 58th Mayor of New York City | term_start = 1826 | term_end = 1827 | predecessor = William Paulding, Jr. | successor = William Paulding, Jr. | birth_date = October 25, 1780 | birth_place = New York, New York | death_date = | death_place = New York, New York | alma_mater = | party = Federalist Whig | profession = Auctioneer, merchant, corporate president | spouse = Catharine Dunscomb Philip Hone (October 25, 1780 – May 5, 1851) was Mayor of New York City from 1826 to 1827. He was most notable for a detailed diary he kept from 1828 until the time of his death in 1851, which is said to be the most extensive and detailed history on the first half of 19th-century America.
Early life
Hone was born in New York City on October 25, 1780. He was the son of Philip Hone (1743–1798), a German immigrant carpenter, and Esther (née Bourdet) Hone (1742–1798).
Career
Hone first began working in the auction business, which made him wealthy. He was also a successful merchant and a founder of the Mercantile Library Association and he was the first president of the Delaware and Hudson Canal Company in 1825 and 1826.
He became a man of great prominence in New York society for his wealth, sophistication, extensive travel and good taste, and was good friends with most of the political, artistic and scientific leaders of his day. Most notable among them were: Washington Irving, Samuel Morse, Daniel Webster, John Jacob Astor and U.S. Presidents John Quincy Adams and Martin Van Buren.
Hone's diary records not only his society engagements and the major events and spectacles in the city in the first half of the century, but also his view of a changing city: his disapproval of Andrew Jackson; the disconcerting effects of the city's constant construction; and his utter disgust with most Irish immigrants.
In 1827, he was elected into the National Academy of Design as an Honorary Academician. Hone lived in an elegant town house at 235 Broadway, opposite City Hall Park. The site was later one of those purchased by F. W. Woolworth for construction of the Woolworth Building.
Political career
Originally a Federalist, he was elected mayor in 1826 and served one term. He later became active in the Whig Party.
During the Zachary Taylor administration, he served as Naval Officer of the Port of New York.
Personal life
Hone was married to Catharine Dunscomb (1778–1850), the daughter of Daniel and Margaret Dunscomb. Catherine's sister, Margaret Bradford Dunscomb, was married to Robert Swartwout, the military officer, merchant, alderman, and Navy agent. Together, they were the parents of:
- John Philip (1812-1885)
- Mary S. (1814–1840), who in 1832 married John Jones Schermerhorn (1806–1876), a son of Peter Schermerhorn, brother of William Colford Schermerhorn, and grandson of Peter Schermerhorn.
- Robert Swartwout (1815–1898), who married Eliza Rodman Russell, a daughter of merchant Charles Handy Russell.
- Catherine (1819-1894), who married Richard Milford Blatchford (1798-1875) a U.S. Minister to the State of the Church, Member of the New York Assembly, and cousin of Richard M. Blatchford.
Hone died in New York City on May 5, 1851. He was buried at Saint Mark's Church in-the-Bowery.
Legacy
Honesdale, Pennsylvania, is named in honor of Philip Hone, as is Hone Avenue in the Bronx.
References
References
- Lamb, Martha J.; Harrison, Mrs. Burton. ''[https://books.google.com/books?id=ze0TAAAAYAAJ&pg=RA1-PA704 History of the City of New York: Its Origin, Rise and Progress]''. New York: A. S. Barnes and Company, 1877/1896. Volume 3, p. 704. "Philip Hone was the mayor-elect of 1826. On the 16th of January he was conducted to the council chamber of the City Hall ... and introduced to ex-Mayor Paulding, who administered the oath of office".
- ''[https://books.google.com/books?id=3v9MAAAAMAAJ&pg=PA150 Minutes of the Common Council of the City of New York, 1784-1831. Volume XV, November 10, 1825 to December 25, 1826]''. New York: City of New York, 1917. p. 150. Records that Mayor-elect Hone took the oath of office on January 16, 1826.
- (1905). "The Saint Nicholas Society of the City of New York: History, Customs, Record of Events, Constitution, Certain Genealogies, and Other Matters of Interest. V. 1-". The Society.
- (29 October 1898). "Died. Hone". [[The New York Times]].
- (30 October 1898). "Robert S. Hone's Funeral – Many Friends from New York and Newport Attend the Services". [[The New York Times]].
- "Wayne County Historical Society".
- [https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:American_Hotel,_Broadway,_Manhattan.jpg Image here.]
- Willis, Samuel J. ''Manual of the Corporation of the City of New York for the years 1841 & 2''. New York: Printed by order of the Common Council, printer J. W. Bell, 1841. p. 165. [https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/pt?id=nyp.33433066342605;view=1up;seq=169 Online at HathiTrust].
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