William Gaston (September 26, 1785 – September 12, 1837) was a merchant in
Savannah, Georgia
Savannah ( ) is the oldest city in the U.S. state of Georgia (U.S. state), Georgia and the county seat of Chatham County, Georgia, Chatham County. Established in 1733 on the Savannah River, the city of Savannah became the Kingdom of Great Brita ...
Somerset County, New Jersey
Somerset County is a county located in the north-central part of the U.S. state of New Jersey. As of the 2020 census, the county was the state's 13th-most-populous county,Morristown, New Jersey
Morristown () is a Town (New Jersey), town in and the county seat of Morris County, New Jersey, Morris County, in the U.S. state of New Jersey.
. "He left New York, full of love and anticipations of happiness, to fulfil his engagement, when he found the object of his affection dangerously ill," wrote Gaston's friend
Philip Hone
Philip Hone (October 25, 1780 – May 5, 1851) was Mayor of New York City from 1826 to 1827.Minutes of the Common Council of the City of New York, 1784-1831. Volume XV, November 10, 1825 to December 25, 1826'. New York: City of New York, 1917. p. ...
in his published diary. She died shortly afterwards. Affected greatly by his loss, Gaston lived the rest of his life as a bachelor.
He moved to
Savannah, Georgia
Savannah ( ) is the oldest city in the U.S. state of Georgia (U.S. state), Georgia and the county seat of Chatham County, Georgia, Chatham County. Established in 1733 on the Savannah River, the city of Savannah became the Kingdom of Great Brita ...
, where, in November 1805, he established himself as a cotton merchant. He had a branch office in New York City, where he was assisted by his nephew, William Ker Gaston (1806–1885). He went on to live in a "stately old mansion" at Broughton Street and
Habersham Street
Habersham Street is a prominent street in Savannah, Georgia, United States. Located between Lincoln Street (Savannah, Georgia), Lincoln Street to the west and Price Street (Savannah, Georgia), Price Street to the east, it runs for about from ...
. He also had a cottage on
Long Island, New York
Long Island is a densely populated continental island in southeastern New York (state), New York state, extending into the Atlantic Ocean. It constitutes a significant share of the New York metropolitan area in both population and land are ...
, at the Narrows, near
Fort Hamilton
Fort Hamilton is a United States Army installation in the southwestern corner of the New York City borough of Brooklyn, surrounded by the communities of Bay Ridge and Dyker Heights. It is one of several posts that are part of the region which ...
.
Death and legacy
Gaston, nicknamed ''The Perfect Host'', died on September 12, 1837, while in
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 ...
, and in the presence of his nephew. He was 52. He was described as "an upright merchant, an accomplished gentleman, a benevolent man." He was originally interred in the
New York Marble Cemetery
The New York Marble Cemetery is a burial ground established in 1830 in what is now the East Village of Manhattan. It occupies the interior of the block bounded by 2nd Street, Second Avenue, 3rd Street, and the Bowery. ...
in
Manhattan
Manhattan ( ) is the most densely populated and geographically smallest of the Boroughs of New York City, five boroughs of New York City. Coextensive with New York County, Manhattan is the County statistics of the United States#Smallest, larg ...
, but was later moved, at the request of William Ker, to Savannah's
Bonaventure Cemetery
Bonaventure Cemetery is a rural cemetery located on a scenic bluff of the Wilmington River, southeast of downtown Savannah, Georgia. The cemetery's prominence grew when it was featured in the 1994 novel '' Midnight in the Garden of Good and Ev ...
.
The Gaston Tomb
The Gaston Tomb (also known as the Stranger's Tomb) is a tomb in Bonaventure Cemetery, Savannah, Georgia. It was built in memory of William Gaston, a prominent merchant in Savannah who died in 1837. The tomb was built seven years later, initiall ...
, also known as the "Stranger's Tomb", because it provided a temporary place of rest for visitors who died while in Savannah, was originally constructed in
Colonial Park Cemetery
Colonial Park Cemetery (locally and informally known as Colonial Cemetery; historically known as the Old CemeteryGaston Street in Savannah is named for him.