Esther Maria Lewis Chapin
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Esther Maria "Lili" Lewis Chapin (June 17, 1871 – June 21, 1959) was an American socialite. She was a direct descendant of
Elizabeth Washington Lewis Elizabeth Washington Lewis (June 20, 1733 – March 31, 1797), also known as Betty Lewis, was the younger sister of George Washington and the only one of his three sisters that survived childhood. Early life She was born in Popes Creek in West ...
, the sister of
George Washington George Washington (, 1799) was a Founding Fathers of the United States, Founding Father and the first president of the United States, serving from 1789 to 1797. As commander of the Continental Army, Washington led Patriot (American Revoluti ...
. An evening gown she wore in 1888 set a world auction record when it sold in 2001.


Early life

Esther Maria Lewis was born in
Geneva Geneva ( , ; ) ; ; . is the List of cities in Switzerland, second-most populous city in Switzerland and the most populous in French-speaking Romandy. Situated in the southwest of the country, where the Rhône exits Lake Geneva, it is the ca ...
,
Switzerland Switzerland, officially the Swiss Confederation, is a landlocked country located in west-central Europe. It is bordered by Italy to the south, France to the west, Germany to the north, and Austria and Liechtenstein to the east. Switzerland ...
in 1871 and was raised in
Hoboken, New Jersey Hoboken ( ; ) is a City (New Jersey), city in Hudson County, New Jersey, Hudson County in the U.S. state of New Jersey. Hoboken is part of the New York metropolitan area and is the site of Hoboken Terminal, a major transportation hub. As of the ...
. Her father was Colonel
Edward Parke Custis Lewis Edward Parke Custis Lewis (February 7, 1837 – September 3, 1892) was a Confederate Army colonel, lawyer, legislator, and diplomat who served as United States Minister to Portugal from 1885 to 1889. Early life Lewis was born at Audley, h ...
(1837-1892), who served as United States Minister to Portugal under President
Grover Cleveland Stephen Grover Cleveland (March 18, 1837June 24, 1908) was the 22nd and 24th president of the United States, serving from 1885 to 1889 and from 1893 to 1897. He was the first U.S. president to serve nonconsecutive terms and the first Hist ...
from 1885 to 1889. Her mother was Mary Picton Stevens (1840-1903), daughter of
Edwin Augustus Stevens Edwin Augustus Stevens (July 28, 1795 – August 7, 1868) was an American engineer, inventor, and entrepreneur who left a bequest that was used to establish the Stevens Institute of Technology. Life Stevens was born at Castle Point, Hobo ...
and formerly the wife of Muscoe Russell Hunter Garnett. Her paternal great-grandparents were Lawrence Lewis, a nephew of
George Washington George Washington (, 1799) was a Founding Fathers of the United States, Founding Father and the first president of the United States, serving from 1789 to 1797. As commander of the Continental Army, Washington led Patriot (American Revoluti ...
, and
Eleanor Parke Custis Lewis Eleanor Parke Custis Lewis (March 31, 1779 – July 15, 1852) was a granddaughter of Martha Washington and a step-granddaughter of George Washington. Early life Nelly was born on March 31, 1779, at Mount Airy, her maternal grandfather's estate ...
, a granddaughter of
Martha Washington Martha Dandridge Custis Washington (June 2, 1731 Old Style, O.S. – May 22, 1802) was the wife of George Washington, who was the first president of the United States. Although the title was not coined until after her death, she served as the ...
.


Debut

In 1888, at the age of 17 or 18, while her father was serving as Minister to Portugal, she was presented to
Queen Victoria Victoria (Alexandrina Victoria; 24 May 1819 – 22 January 1901) was Queen of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland from 20 June 1837 until Death and state funeral of Queen Victoria, her death in January 1901. Her reign of 63 year ...
wearing a gown designed by
Charles Frederick Worth Charles Frederick Worth (13 October 1825 – 10 March 1895) was an English fashion designer who founded the House of Worth, one of the foremost fashion houses of the 19th and early 20th centuries. He is considered by many fashion historians to ...
, the world's first
couturier (; ; French for 'high sewing', 'high dressmaking') is the creation of exclusive custom-fitted high-end fashion design. The term ''haute couture'' generally refers to a specific type of upper garment common in Europe during the 16th to the 1 ...
. On May 29, 2001, the gown, which has a 23-inch waist and a 10½-foot detachable train, was sold at the
Doyle New York Doyle New York is an American auction house and appraiser of fine art, jewelry, furniture, decorations and other items. It offers auctions throughout the year at its premises on the Upper East Side of Manhattan Manhattan ( ) is the most den ...
auction for $101,500, at the time a world auction record for an antique dress. After her father's diplomatic tenure ended in 1889, the family returned to their Hoboken home.


Personal life

On May 19, 1894, Esther Maria Lewis married Charles Merrill Chapin at Trinity Church in Hoboken. They had two children: *Mary Stevens Chapin (born November 10, 1895) *Charles Merrill Chapin, Jr. (born May 27, 1898). In 1959, Lewis died in
Bernardsville, New Jersey Bernardsville (Melisurgo, Len NJ Advance Media for NJ.com, June 23, 2017. Accessed December 1, 2024. "Same goes with the neighboring borough of Bernardsville. (It should be pronounced BERN-ards-vil.)") is the northernmost borough in Somerset C ...
at the age of 88.


References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Chapin, Esther Maria Lewis 1871 births 1959 deaths American socialites Lewis family People from Hoboken, New Jersey Washington family American expatriates in Switzerland