Isaac Vail Brokaw
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Isaac Vail Brokaw (November 27, 1835 – September 29, 1913) was a pioneer
New York City New York, often called New York City (NYC), is the most populous city in the United States, located at the southern tip of New York State on one of the world's largest natural harbors. The city comprises five boroughs, each coextensive w ...
clothing merchant who headed Brokaw Brothers.


Early life

He was born on November 27, 1835, in
Plainfield, New Jersey Plainfield is a City (New Jersey), city in Union County, New Jersey, Union County, in the U.S. state of New Jersey. Nicknamed "The Queen City",
, to Simeon Brokaw (1792–1854) and Prudence Vail (1795–1887). His siblings included Jemima Vail Brokaw (1824–1838) and William Vail Brokaw (1831–1907). His paternal grandparents were Isaac Brokaw (1759–1838), who fought in the
American Revolution The American Revolution (1765–1783) was a colonial rebellion and war of independence in which the Thirteen Colonies broke from British America, British rule to form the United States of America. The revolution culminated in the American ...
, and Maria (
née The birth name is the name of the person given upon their birth. The term may be applied to the surname, the given name or to the entire name. Where births are required to be officially registered, the entire name entered onto a births registe ...
Van Nortwick) Brokaw (1759–1826). His mother's side of the family were the Vail
Quakers Quakers are people who belong to the Religious Society of Friends, a historically Protestantism, Protestant Christian set of Christian denomination, denominations. Members refer to each other as Friends after in the Bible, and originally ...
of New Jersey. He was descended from Bourgeon Broucard, a
French 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 settled on Long Island in 1675 and founded the first French Protestant church in New York.


Career

Brokaw went into business with the cloth importing firm of Wilson G. Hunt & Co. In 1856, Brokaw organized a clothing firm with his brother which they called Brokaw Brothers. The business sold:
Boys' and children's outfits in every style; men's garments of all kinds, adapted to all seasons, load the long counters and the immediate shelves of this extensive establishment. Each season finds them changing their make and style to suite the various wants of the time, and nothing which the most fashionable custom houses in the City produce is wanting to the stock of Brokaw Brothers.
Brokaw was a Republican in politics, though he never held office. He was a member of the
Union League Club The Union League Club is a private social club in New York City that was founded in 1863 in affiliation with the Union League. Its fourth and current clubhouse is located at 38 East 37th Street on the corner of Park Avenue, in the Murray Hi ...
and the Huguenot Society. After Brokaw's death in 1913, his son Howard became president and head of the clothing firm.


Residence

In 1887, Brokaw hired Rose & Stone to build a mansion for him at Fifth Avenue and 79th Street. The grand and imposing mansion was completed in 1891. In 1905, Brokaw built twin
Gothic style Gothic architecture is an architectural style that was prevalent in Europe from the late 12th to the 16th century, during the High and Late Middle Ages, surviving into the 17th and 18th centuries in some areas. It evolved from Romanesque ar ...
adjoining houses at 984 and 985
5th Avenue Fifth Avenue is a major thoroughfare in the borough (New York City), borough of Manhattan in New York City. The avenue runs south from 143rd Street (Manhattan), West 143rd Street in Harlem to Washington Square Park in Greenwich Village. The se ...
, designed by Charles Frederic Rose, for Howard and Irving. Henry Mandel attempted to purchase the homes in 1940. The land where the properties were was bought by
Bernard Spitzer Bernard Emmanuel Spitzer (April 26, 1924 – November 1, 2014) was an American real estate developer and philanthropist. He was the father of former New York Governor Eliot Spitzer. Early life and education Spitzer was born to Molly and Morris S ...
in 1968. In 1911, Brokaw built 7 East 79th Street for his daughter, Elvira, designed by
Harold Van Buren Magonigle Harold Van Buren Magonigle (1867–1935) was an American architect, artist, and author best known for his memorials. He achieved his greatest success as a designer of monuments, but his artistic practices included sculpture, painting, writing, ...
. After his death, his wife and youngest son,
George George may refer to: Names * George (given name) * George (surname) People * George (singer), American-Canadian singer George Nozuka, known by the mononym George * George Papagheorghe, also known as Jorge / GEØRGE * George, stage name of Gior ...
, lived in the mansion. After his wedding in 1923 to Clare Boothe, they lived in the house together. After his mother's death in 1926, George filed a lawsuit requesting permission to tear down the mansion and erect an apartment house. He also asked that his brothers, Irving and Howard, who opposed the demolition plans, be prevented from interfering with the new building. George won his suit and in November of the same year and filed plans for the construction of a 13‐story building. The Supreme Court, however, reversed its decision on appeal and the plans were dropped. Again in 1928, George sued for permission to tear down the mansion, but lost on grounds that his father's will would be violated. After George's death in 1935, his daughter inherited half of the house. After the daughter's death in an automobile accident, George's ex-wife, Clare, sold her share to her then husband,
Henry Luce Henry Robinson Luce (April 3, 1898 – February 28, 1967) was an American magazine magnate who founded ''Time'', ''Life'', '' Fortune'', and ''Sports Illustrated'' magazines. He has been called "the most influential private citizen in the Amer ...
. After being designated a landmark by the City of New York, Brokaw's home was torn down in 1964.


Philanthropy

Following the death of his eldest son, Frederick, in 1891, Brokaw paid for The Brokaw Memorial at
Princeton University Princeton University is a private university, private Ivy League research university in Princeton, New Jersey, United States. Founded in 1746 in Elizabeth, New Jersey, Elizabeth as the College of New Jersey, Princeton is the List of Colonial ...
, in memory of his son's tragic death. The $42,000 gift, made in 1892, was for a memorial athletic grounds. The building was completed and in use by 1896. In 1893, he donated $50,000 to the Madison Avenue Reformed Church, on the corner of Madison Avenue and Fifty-Seventh Street, so they could build a missionary building. Abbott Eliot Kittredge, then pastor of the Church, was in charge of raising funds to purchase land where the missionary could be built upon.


Personal life

On November 14, 1860, he married Elvira Tuttle Gould (1840–1926), the daughter of Joseph Paxton Gould (1804–1880) and Eloise Elvira Tuttle (1808–1860), in
Newark, New Jersey Newark ( , ) is the List of municipalities in New Jersey, most populous City (New Jersey), city in the U.S. state of New Jersey, the county seat of Essex County, New Jersey, Essex County, and a principal city of the New York metropolitan area. ...
. Her brother was George Tuttle Gould (1837–1906). Together, they were the parents of: * Frederick Vail Brokaw (1866–1891), a student at
Princeton Princeton University is a private Ivy League research university in Princeton, New Jersey, United States. Founded in 1746 in Elizabeth as the College of New Jersey, Princeton is the fourth-oldest institution of higher education in the Unit ...
who drowned while trying save a girl. * Grace Elvira Brokaw (1867–1868), who died young. * Isaac Irving Brokaw (1871–1939), a noted skater who was married to Lucile Nave (d. 1937). * Elvira Brokaw (1872–1958), who married Carl Aage Vilhelm Frederick von Fischer-Hansen (1868–1950), a Danish nobleman, in 1896. They divorced in 1911, and in 1914, she married William McNair (1871-1947), also an attorney. * Howard Crosby Brokaw (1875–1960), who married Edna Goadby Loew (1882–1960) in 1903. They had three daughters. * Ernest Brokaw (1879–1881), who also died young. * George Tuttle Brokaw (1879–1935), who married Clare Boothe (1903–1987), in 1923. They divorced in 1929. In 1931, he married Frances Ford Seymour (1908–1950). He died in
Elberon, New Jersey Elberon is an unincorporated community that is part of Long Branch in Monmouth County, New Jersey, United States. The area is served as United States Postal Service ZIP code 07740. As of the 2010 United States Census, the population for ZIP ...
, on September 29, 1913. The Brokaw estate, which was left in a Trust, was valued at $12,318,569 (about $ million in dollars) after his death. The entire estate was left to his wife and living children.


Descendants

Through his son Irving, he was the grandfather of Lucile Brokaw, who married James Duane Pell Bishop, a grandson of Heber R. Bishop, in 1936, Barbara Lucile Brokaw, who married Leonard Jarvis Cushing, and Louise Elvira "Mimi" Brokaw, who married painter Richard Derby Tucker. Through his daughter Elvira, he was the grandfather of Elvira McNair (1900–1965), who was married to Reginald Lovett Hutchinson (1895–1954) in 1922. They divorced in 1925, and she married William Samuel Fairchild (1892-1940), son of Samuel W. Fairchild. After Fairchild's death in 1940, she married Vicomte Jacques de Sibour (1896–1979), the nephew of
Jules Henri de Sibour Jules Gabriel Henri de Sibour (December 23, 1872 – November 4, 1938) was a French architect who worked in Washington, DC. Early life He was born in Paris, France, to Vicomte Gabriel de Sibour and Mary Louisa Johnson of Belfast, Maine. He mov ...
, in 1949. De Sibour had previously been married to Violette Selfridge, daughter of
Harry Gordon Selfridge Harry Gordon Selfridge, Sr. (11 January 1858 – 8 May 1947) was an American retail magnate who founded the London-based department store Selfridges. The early years of his leadership led to his becoming one of the most respected and wealthy re ...
, with whom he had a son, Jacques de Sibour, Jr. (1928–2005) before their divorce in 1949. Through his son George and daughter-in-law
Clare Boothe Luce Clare Boothe Luce (; March 10, 1903 – October 9, 1987) was an American writer, politician, diplomat, and public conservative figure. A versatile author, she is best known for her 1936 hit play '' The Women'', which had an all-female cast. He ...
, he was the grandfather of Ann Clare Brokaw (1924–1944), who was killed in an automobile accident while a senior at
Stanford University Leland Stanford Junior University, commonly referred to as Stanford University, is a Private university, private research university in Stanford, California, United States. It was founded in 1885 by railroad magnate Leland Stanford (the eighth ...
, and Frances de Villers "Pan" Brokaw (1931–2008), a half-sister of Jane and
Peter Fonda Peter Henry Fonda (February 23, 1940 – August 16, 2019) was an American actor, film director, and screenwriter. He was a two-time Academy Award nominee, both for acting and screenwriting, and a two-time Golden Globe Award winner for his a ...
, who later married Francesco Corrias, and became a painter.


Notes


References

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Brokaw, Isaac Vail 1835 births 1913 deaths Businesspeople from New York City People from Plainfield, New Jersey New York (state) Republicans 19th-century American businesspeople