John Harvie (1742 – February 6, 1807) was an American

Founding Father The following is a list of national founders of sovereign states who were credited with establishing a state. National founders are typically those who played an influential role in setting up the systems of governance, (i.e., political system ...

, lawyer and builder from

Virginia Virginia, officially the Commonwealth of Virginia, is a U.S. state, state in the Southeastern United States, Southeastern and Mid-Atlantic (United States), Mid-Atlantic regions of the United States between the East Coast of the United States ...

. He was a delegate to the

Second Continental Congress The Second Continental Congress (1775–1781) was the meetings of delegates from the Thirteen Colonies that united in support of the American Revolution and American Revolutionary War, Revolutionary War, which established American independence ...

, where he signed the

Articles of Confederation The Articles of Confederation, officially the Articles of Confederation and Perpetual Union, was an agreement and early body of law in the Thirteen Colonies, which served as the nation's first Constitution, frame of government during the Ameri ...

, in 1777 and 1778. He was a successful lawyer and landowner, as well as the fourth mayor of

Richmond, Virginia Richmond ( ) is the List of capitals in the United States, capital city of the Commonwealth (U.S. state), U.S. commonwealth of Virginia. Incorporated in 1742, Richmond has been an independent city (United States), independent city since 1871. ...

Thomas Jefferson Thomas Jefferson (, 1743July 4, 1826) was an American Founding Fathers of the United States, Founding Father and the third president of the United States from 1801 to 1809. He was the primary author of the United States Declaration of Indepe ...

was a friend since his childhood; his father was Jefferson's guardian. He negotiated a peace treaty in 1774 after the

Battle of Point Pleasant The Battle of Point Pleasant, also known as the Battle of Kanawha and the Battle of Great Kanawha, was the only major action of Dunmore's War. It was fought on October 10, 1774, between the Virginia militia and Shawnee and Mingo warriors. Along ...

. During the

American Revolutionary War The American Revolutionary War (April 19, 1775 – September 3, 1783), also known as the Revolutionary War or American War of Independence, was the armed conflict that comprised the final eight years of the broader American Revolution, in which Am ...

, he was on the Board of War and operated a prison of war camp on his property, The Barracks.

Personal life

Harvie was born at Belmont Plantation in

Albemarle County, Virginia Albemarle County is a United States county (United States), county located in the Piedmont region of Virginia, Piedmont region of the Commonwealth (U.S. state), Commonwealth of Virginia. Its county seat is Charlottesville, Virginia, Charlottes ...

, in 1742, to Scottish immigrant John Harvie Sr. (1706–1767) and Martha Gaines Harvie. His brother Richard managed a store in

Charlottesville Charlottesville, colloquially known as C'ville, is an independent city in Virginia, United States. It is the seat of government of Albemarle County, which surrounds the city, though the two are separate legal entities. It is named after Quee ...

and had established R. Harvie & Company or Harvie & Company with a partner. Harvie was a close friend of Thomas Jefferson and Robert Morris. His father was Jefferson's legal guardian after

Peter Jefferson Peter Jefferson (February 29, 1708 – August 17, 1757) was a planter, cartographer, and politician in colonial Virginia best known for being the father of the third president of the United States, Thomas Jefferson. The "Fry-Jefferson Map", cre ...

died in 1757. Harvie was a lawyer who settled in Augusta County.

In 1767, Harvie inherited Belmont Plantation. His mother moved to Georgia with his eight siblings. He married Margaret Morton Jones, daughter of Gabriel Jones and Margaret Strother Morton Jones. They had four sons— Lewis, John, Edwin, and Jacquelin—and three daughters, Gabriella, Emily, and Julia. He lived at Belmont until 1780, when he moved to Richmond.

Career

Law and business

Harvie amassed a fortune through his business and financial skills in Richmond and across the state. He was one of the first directors of Bank of Virginia and was superintendent of subscriptions of capital stock for the bank. He built a successful law practice, one of the first lawyers who practiced at the Albemarle bar.

Politics

After Governor Dunmore dissolved the

House of Burgesses The House of Burgesses () was the lower house of the Virginia General Assembly from 1619 to 1776. It existed during the colonial history of the United States in the Colony of Virginia in what was then British America. From 1642 to 1776, the Hou ...

, West Augusta County voters elected Harvie as one of their two delegates to its successor, the five Virginia revolutionary conventions legislature in 1775 and 1776. The following year fellow legislators elected Harvie as one of Virginia's delegate to the

. Biographical entry at the

Biographical Directory of the United States Congress The ''Biographical Directory of the United States Congress'' (Bioguide) is a biographical dictionary of all present and former members of the United States Congress and its predecessor, the Continental Congress. Also included are Delegates fr ...

. Harvie never lived in West Augusta County, which never incorporated (the land ultimately became Ohio County, Monongalia County and Yohogania Counties) but trans-Appalachian counties had difficulties both in financing their representatives travel and in finding men willing to take the long and grueling journey to the state capitol. While at the

Continental Congress The Continental Congress was a series of legislature, legislative bodies, with some executive function, for the Thirteen Colonies of British America, Great Britain in North America, and the newly declared United States before, during, and after ...

, Harvie was one of five Virginia delegates to sign the Articles of Confederation on July 9, 1778. He was appointed the registrar of the Land Office in 1780, for which he moved to Richmond. His office was responsible for transactions in the

Northwest Territory The Northwest Territory, also known as the Old Northwest and formally known as the Territory Northwest of the River Ohio, was formed from part of the unorganized western territory of the United States after the American Revolution. Established ...

, western Virginia, Ohio and Kentucky. From 1785 to 1786, Harvie served as the mayor of Richmond.

Military

In 1774, he was named as a commissioner to the

Shawnee The Shawnee ( ) are a Native American people of the Northeastern Woodlands. Their language, Shawnee, is an Algonquian language. Their precontact homeland was likely centered in southern Ohio. In the 17th century, they dispersed through Ohi ...

tribe to negotiate a peace treaty after the

. He was a colonel in the

Virginia militia The Virginia militia is an armed force composed of all citizens of the Commonwealth of Virginia capable of bearing arms. The Virginia militia was established in 1607 as part of the English militia system. Militia service in Virginia was compulso ...

in 1776. Harvie and Thomas Walker of Castle Hill were assigned as joint commissioners and given plenary powers to negotiate with Native Americans at Fort Pitt. Colonel Harvie served as a purchasing agent and supply organizer for Virginia's militia and

Continental Army The Continental Army was the army of the United Colonies representing the Thirteen Colonies and later the United States during the American Revolutionary War. It was formed on June 14, 1775, by a resolution passed by the Second Continental Co ...

units. He was also on the Board of War during the

. Becoming aware of the conditions at

Valley Forge Valley Forge was the winter encampment of the Continental Army, under the command of George Washington, during the American Revolutionary War. The Valley Forge encampment lasted six months, from December 19, 1777, to June 19, 1778. It was the t ...

, members of Congress came to the encampment to inspect for themselves. Washington's reputation and ability to lead were questioned. Harvie told Washington, "My dear General, if you had given some explanation, all these rumors enigrating Washingtonwould have been silenced a long time ago." Based upon his influence, Harvie procured the establishment of the Prison Camp at The Barracks that held 6,000 Hessian and British soldiers in January 1779. Harvey purchased the 240 acre property from Richard Anderson around 1778. It is located west of Charlottesville. Brick buildings housed troops. It had gardens, farm animals, poultry and other outbuildings. A number of men deserted and settled in the mountains, where they married Native American women. Remaining soldiers were taken north when the camp was closed up in November 1780.

Land owner and developer

Harvie owned large estates, including Belmont, Pen Park, and The Barracks. In 1798, he bought the Belvidere estate in Richmond from Judge

Bushrod Washington Bushrod Washington (June 5, 1762 – November 26, 1829) was an American attorney and politician who served as Associate Justice of the Supreme Court of the United States from 1798 to 1829. On the Supreme Court, he was a staunch ally of Chi ...

. It was compared to other stately manors, like

Mount Vernon Mount Vernon is the former residence and plantation of George Washington, a Founding Father, commander of the Continental Army in the Revolutionary War, and the first president of the United States, and his wife, Martha. An American landmar ...

, and was said to be "an extremely handsome house, and of decidedly superior architecture, being beautifully proportioned". He had 12 enslaved men in 1782 and no mention of free males. He had 6 cattle and 7 colts and mules. On January 24, 1782, an ad was published in the ''Virginia Gazette'' and ''American Advertiser'' about Jordan, one of his slaves who ran away. In 1789, Harvie owned 17 enslaved males, 2 of whom were between 12 and 16. He was taxed for his property in Fredricksville Parish of Albemarle County; there were 2 white males and 10 horses.

Death and legacy

While he was inspecting the construction of a mansion being built by

Benjamin Latrobe Benjamin Henry Boneval Latrobe (May 1, 1764 – September 3, 1820) was a British-American neoclassical architect who immigrated to the United States. He was one of the first formally trained, professional architects in the new United States, dr ...

, Harvie fell from the roof and suffered injuries that resulted in his death. He died on February 6, 1807, and was buried at the family plot at Belvidere. This property later became part of the Hollywood Cemetery in Richmond. His wife Margaret inherited the 20-acre Belvidere estate and lived there until 1814, when she sold it. Harvie Street between Park Avenue and Cary Street in Richmond was named after Harvie. Jacquelin Street is said to have been named after his son, General Jacquelin Harvie.

Notes

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Harvie, John 1742 births 1807 deaths American people of Scottish descent Secretaries of the Commonwealth of Virginia Mayors of Richmond, Virginia Virginia lawyers Continental Congressmen from Virginia Signers of the Articles of Confederation Burials at Hollywood Cemetery (Richmond, Virginia) Accidental deaths from falls Accidental deaths in Virginia People from Albemarle County, Virginia People from colonial Virginia American slave owners American lawyers admitted to the practice of law by reading law Founding Fathers of the United States