Frederick Ferris Thompson & Mary Lee Clark
FREDERICK FERRIS THOMPSON (Photos) was born in 1836 in New York City and died there April 10, 1899; buried in Woodlawn Cemetery, Canandaigua. Frederick spent his boyhood in NYC, entering Williams College in 1852.
He left college in 1854 to go abroad for his father. He married June 17,1857 in Canandaigua, Mary Lee Clark (Photograph) [dau of Myron Clark, Governor of New York during the 1840's & Zilpha (Watkins)] born 1835 in Naples NY and died in 1923. In 1907, the Frederick Ferris Thompson Memorial Building at Columbia University was described as ‘there is not another gymnasium building as perfectly equipped in the United States’.
Fred was known as a very funny, good-natured fellow, always laughing, with a good store of anecdotes. He loved children and was very interested in education. He was also well known in financial circles of the day. In 1857, John Thompson, with his sons Samuel and Frederick organized "Thompsons Bank Note and Commercial Reporter".
The sons spent most of their time on the road presenting bank notes to issuers to test their solvency. In 1859 a new bank in Detroit was organized by John Thompson, Myron Clark and Theodore Hall, with Myron’s son Lorenzo Clark as president. This became the 1st National Bank of Detroit in 1865. In 1863 John Thompson returned to NYC and applied for a charter under the new National Banking Act in the name of his two sons.
This new bank would be the 1st National Bank of the City of New York. Stockholders included Samuel (President), Frederick (Vice President), and George Baker, paying teller, who was a close friend of the Clark family. During the panic of 1873, brother Samuel proposed liquidation of the bank. Frederick and George Baker, with majority of the stock, voted against it.
At the end of the year, Samuel and John retired as Directors. New life was breathed into 1st National (forerunner of Citibank), and Frederick and George Baker remained in control. Frederick had a life-long interest in photography and was among the first to use dry plates. He was a charter member of the Amateur Photographic Exchange Club. His interest in printing (having his own printing presses in NYC and later at Sonnenberg) made it possible for him to write and print a newletter that passede on news and methods of the Club members.
Though the Club only existed from 1861-63, they gained international recognition through the articles and correspondence in the journals. His printing press was used on many occasions to produce programs and menus for parties and family gatherings. He also produced "Every Now and Then", a gossipy, fun-filled newspaper written for and about the Thompson friends. Many educational institutions benefited by this interest.
He was on the board of Trustees of Vassar College, Williams College and Teachers College (Columbia U.) for many years. He gave of his time and money to these institutions, often caring far more about the fun students had then what they learned. Funds were set up for the students ‘fun and folic’ as he called it, as well as money given to build buildings and create lecture programs. His varied interests are shown by the organizations he belonged to and supported.
Among them were The Union Leagues, Williams Alumni Association, the National Academy of Design, the American Fine Arts Society, the American Museum of Natural History, Metropolitan Museum of Art, American Geographic Society, New York Historical Society, American Association of the Advancement of Science and the Archaeological Society. Mary was educated in village schools and then attended Ontario Female Seminary.
She met Frederick in Albany when her father was Governor. Mary and Frederick established their primary residence at 283 Madison Avenue, NYC and spent their summers in Canandaigua. They purchased the Sonnenberg property in 1863 (300 acres) and replaced the original farmhouse with a Queen Anne style mansion in 1885. When Mary was widowed at age 67, seeking a new goal for her life, she roamed the world, studying architectural styles of renowned gardens until she learned enough to begin her own grand design for Sonnenberg {German for sunny hill}.
She retained the services of the finest professionals and exercised complete control over plans and construction. The amazing variety of gardening art and architecture, including Italian, English, Colonial, and Japanese reflected her rich imagination and critical judgment of artistic propriety. The nine formal gardens were created between 1902-19; today these formal gardens are recognized by the Smithsonian as one of the most magnificent late Victorian gardens ever created in America.
She also entertained many public figures, including Thomas Edison, inviting each distinguished guest to plant a tree. In Canandaigua, she built and supported the Thompson Hospital and its maternity wing, the recreational playground, the swimming school, Clark Manor House, and the Woodlawn Cemetery Chapel. She also purchased and renovated the Canandaigua Hotel on Main Street to save it from becoming a factory.
She took an active part in the village life, advocating street improvements, donating the site and architectural plans for the post office, helping beautiful the grounds of the County Courthouse, and contributed heavily to the YMCA, the Ontario County Historical Society, the Wood Library, and local churches. Mary also was interested in preserving the culture of Native Americans and gave generously to that cause.
Her contributions to the State Museum in Albany funded the creation of a collection of dioramas depicting life of the Iroquois Nation. She also donated numerous artifacts to the State Museum, and to the Ontario County History Society. In 1920, she was awarded the Cornplanter Medal for her support of Native American cultural preservation and understanding.
When she died, she left a legacy of philanthropy, which continues to benefit her community, state and nation. Sonnenberg is being preserved as a monument to her creative and generous spirit. After her death the estate passed to a nephew and in 1931, it was sold to the Federal Government as a site for a Veterans Administration Hospital.
Spurred by citizen action, Congress passed a law transferring the property [50 acres] to Sonnenberg Gardens (Photograph), which is located in Canandaigua NY - in the heart of the Finger Lakes area. President Nixon signed the measure into law in 1972. No offspring. See www.sonnenberg.org