Gabriel Manigault (March 17, 1758 – November 4, 1809) was an American

architect An architect is a person who plans, designs, and oversees the construction of buildings. To practice architecture means to provide services in connection with the design of buildings and the space within the site surrounding the buildings that h ...

Early life

Manigault was born in Charles Town on March 17, 1758. He was the son of

Elizabeth Wragg Manigault Elizabeth Wragg Manigault (9 August 1736 - 19 February 1773) was an American socialite who was prominent figure in Colonial South Carolinian society. She was the wife of Peter Manigault, who served as Speaker of the South Carolina House of Repre ...

and

Peter Manigault Peter Manigault (October 10, 1731 – November 12, 1773) was an attorney, plantation owner, and colonial legislator native to Charleston, South Carolina. He was the wealthiest man in the British North American colonies at the time of his death ...

, the wealthiest person in

British North America British North America comprised the colonial territories of the British Empire in North America from 1783 onwards. English colonisation of North America began in the 16th century in Newfoundland, then further south at Roanoke and Jamestown, ...

in 1770. His sister, Henrietta Manigault, was the wife of Nathaniel Heyward, a wealthy rice planter who accumulated at least twenty-two plantations and assorted lands throughout the low country. His great-grandfather was Pierre Manigault (1664–1729), a

French French may refer to: * Something of, from, or related to France ** French language, which originated in France ** French people, a nation and ethnic group ** French cuisine, cooking traditions and practices Arts and media * The French (band), ...

Huguenot The Huguenots ( , ; ) are a Religious denomination, religious group of French people, French Protestants who held to the Reformed (Calvinist) tradition of Protestantism. The term, which may be derived from the name of a Swiss political leader, ...

who was born in

La Rochelle La Rochelle (, , ; Poitevin-Saintongeais: ''La Rochéle'') is a city on the west coast of France and a seaport on the Bay of Biscay, a part of the Atlantic Ocean. It is the capital of the Charente-Maritime Departments of France, department. Wi ...

France France, officially the French Republic, is a country located primarily in Western Europe. Overseas France, Its overseas regions and territories include French Guiana in South America, Saint Pierre and Miquelon in the Atlantic Ocean#North Atlan ...

and settled in Charleston.

Career

He studied law 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 ...

and

London London is the Capital city, capital and List of urban areas in the United Kingdom, largest city of both England and the United Kingdom, with a population of in . London metropolitan area, Its wider metropolitan area is the largest in Wester ...

in the 1770s; it was in England that he was exposed to the emerging Adamesque style. Manigault returned to Charleston in 1780 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 ...

.Jonathan Poston, ''Buildings of Charleston'', (Columbia, SC: University of South Carolina Press, 1996). He participated in the defense of the city during the Siege of Charleston that year. Following the city's fall, Manigault was forced to take an oath of allegiance in order to maintain his family's numerous assets. Following the war, he turned his attention to rice planting on the nearly 25,000 acres he had inherited from his father, Peter. The wealth obtained from this endeavor allowed him to practice as an amateur or "gentleman" architect. In Charleston, he designed the First Bank of the United States building (now Charleston City Hall), completed between 1800 and 1804, and South Carolina Society Hall, constructed in 1804. Manigault's architectural talents also extended to the domestic realm. In 1803, a fine "urban villa" in the Adamesque style was completed for his brother Joseph Manigault on Meeting Street in Charleston. He may have designed Presqui'ile and William Blacklock House. It is not known if he designed his own home, completed at 290 Meeting Street, ca. 1802. The house was demolished in 1929.

Personal life

In 1785, Manigault was married to Margaret Izard (1768–1824), the daughter of Alice (née DeLancey) Izard and

Ralph Izard Ralph Izard (January 23, 1741/1742May 30, 1804) was an American politician who served as president pro tempore of the United States Senate in 1794. Early life Izard was born at "The Elms" near Charleston, South Carolina. He was the son of H ...

, a member of 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 ...

and a

United States senator The United States Senate consists of 100 members, two from each of the 50 U.S. state, states. This list includes all senators serving in the 119th United States Congress. Party affiliation Independent Senators Angus King of Maine and Berni ...

from South Carolina from 1789 to 1805. After her father's death in 1804, her mother lived in Philadelphia. Together, Gabriel and Margaret were the parents of: * Harriet Manigault, who married Samuel Wilcocks. * Elizabeth Manigault Morris (1785–1822), who married Lewis Morris (1785–1863), a grandson of

Lewis Morris Lewis Morris (April 8, 1726 – January 22, 1798) was an American Founding Father, landowner, and developer from Morrisania, New York, presently part of Bronx County. He signed the U.S. Declaration of Independence as a delegate to the Conti ...

, 3rd and last Lord of Morrisania Manor who was a

man and signer of the

Declaration of Independence A declaration of independence is an assertion by a polity in a defined territory that it is independent and constitutes a state. Such places are usually declared from part or all of the territory of another state or failed state, or are breaka ...

. * Peter Manigault (1788–1788), who died young. * Gabriel Henry Manigault (1788–1834), who married his first cousin, Anne Manigault Heyward (1800–1855). * Ann Manigault (d. 1792) * Charlotte Manigault * Charles Izard Manigault (1795–1874), who married his first cousin, Elizabeth Heyward (1808–1877). * Emma Manigault * Ann Manigault (d. 1800) * Edward Manigault * Caroline Manigault. Between the late 1780s and 1790s, the family traveled north frequently, visiting the Izard family who lived in New York. In 1805, Manigault sold part of his South Carolina land, and moved permanently to Clifton, an estate near

Philadelphia, Pennsylvania Philadelphia ( ), colloquially referred to as Philly, is the List of municipalities in Pennsylvania, most populous city in the U.S. state of Pennsylvania and the List of United States cities by population, sixth-most populous city in the Unit ...

. He died in

Philadelphia Philadelphia ( ), colloquially referred to as Philly, is the List of municipalities in Pennsylvania, most populous city in the U.S. state of Pennsylvania and the List of United States cities by population, sixth-most populous city in the Unit ...

, Pennsylvania, on November 4, 1809, aged 52.

Descendants

Through his daughter Elizabeth, he was the grandfather of Margaret Ann "Meta" Morris (1810–1881), who married John Berkley Grimball; and Capt.

Charles Manigault Morris Charles Manigault Morris (May 7, 1820 – March 22, 1895) was an officer in the United States Navy and later in the Confederate States Navy. Morris was a descendant of several of the most prominent Northern and Southern families in colonial A ...

of the

Confederate Navy The Confederate States Navy (CSN) was the Navy, naval branch of the Confederate States Armed Forces, established by an act of the Confederate States Congress on February 21, 1861. It was responsible for Confederate naval operations during the Amer ...

. Through his son, Charles Izard Manigault, he was the grandfather of Professor Gabriel E. Manigault, curator of the Charleston Museum (1873 - 1899). Professor Manigault was responsible for diversifying the Museum's collections and acquiring many of the natural history specimens still on display.

References

External links

Manigault, Morris, and Grimball Family Papers, 1795-1832
{{DEFAULTSORT:Manigault, Gabriel 1758 births 1809 deaths Artists from Charleston, South Carolina American architects

Gabriel In the Abrahamic religions (Judaism, Christianity, Islam), Gabriel ( ) is an archangel with the power to announce God's will to mankind, as the messenger of God. He is mentioned in the Hebrew Bible, the New Testament and the Quran. Many Chris ...