Charles Devlin (1805 – February 1, 1881) was an American contractor, bondsman and civil servant. He was the largest and one of the most successful city works contractors in

New York City New York, often called New York City or NYC, is the most populous city in the United States. With a 2020 population of 8,804,190 distributed over , New York City is also the most densely populated major city in the Un ...

during the mid to late 19th century and was the bondsman of several prominent New Yorkers, including Boss Tweed and Henry W. Genet. His controversial appointment as city street commissioner over Daniel D. Conover resulted in the Police Riot of 1857. Asbury, Herbert. ''The Gangs of New York: An Informal History of the New York Underworld''. New York: Alfred A. Knopf, 1928. (pg. 98–99)

Biography

Charles Devlin was born in

Ireland Ireland ( ; ga, Éire ; Ulster Scots dialect, Ulster-Scots: ) is an island in the Atlantic Ocean, North Atlantic Ocean, in Northwestern Europe, north-western Europe. It is separated from Great Britain to its east by the North Channel (Grea ...

and migrated to the United States at age 27. Shortly after his arrival in New York City, he worked as a

journeyman A journeyman, journeywoman, or journeyperson is a worker, skilled in a given building trade or craft, who has successfully completed an official apprenticeship qualification. Journeymen are considered competent and authorized to work in that fie ...

baker in Frankfort Street and later started a successful bakery in the same area. During the 1840s, he contained contracts on the

Hudson River Railroad The New York Central Railroad was a railroad primarily operating in the Great Lakes and Mid-Atlantic regions of the United States. The railroad primarily connected greater New York and Boston in the east with Chicago and St. Louis in the Mid ...

and spent two years building several sections of railway track. It was after this enterprise that he became employed by the city as a contractor for the City Works department. He received several major contracts for Central Park, however the majority of his work concerned grading, paving, and general street improvements."Death Of Charles Devlin.; Career Of The Contractor And The Bondsman Of William M. Tweed". New York Times. 2 Feb 1881 Devlin took a brief foray into local politics, running against Robert McGinnis for a seat on the New York City Council, Board of Aldermen. His appointment by Mayor Fernando Wood as city street commissioner over Daniel D. Conover, who had been originally appointed by Governor John Alsop King, John King, caused considerable controversy. Claims were made that Devlin had purchased the position from Wood for $50,000, and when Conover was thrown out of New York City Hall, attempts to serve two warrants for Wood's arrest resulted in the Police Riot of 1857. Devlin amassed a large personal fortune through this business and, at his height, was believed to be the largest contractor engaged in city works. He also became a noted bondsman, providing bail for such figures as Boss Tweed and Henry W. Genet, the latter bringing him to national attention during his criminal trial in 1872–73. He lost most of his wealth endorsing notes for many of his friends and declared bankruptcy in 1879. Devlin died from pneumonia at his East Fifty-Seventh Street home on the afternoon of February 1, 1881, and was buried in the family vault at Calvary Cemetery, Queens, Calvary Cemetery. He was survived by his wife, three daughters and two sons; his daughter Isabella was the wife of lawyer Henry A. Brann, and Fanny was married to industrialist and real estate mogul William F. Croft. Devlin left an estate consisting of 75 city lots.

Biography

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Further reading