Samuel Osgood (1747-1813)
U.S. Postmaster-General & 1st President of the City Bank of New York
He was born at Andover, Massachusetts, that was founded in 1646 by his great-x3 grandfather, Captain John Osgood (1595-1651), who named it for the town in which he was born in England. He was educated at Dummer's Academy and graduated from Harvard (1770) before returning to Andover to embark on a career as a merchant and Member of the Colonial Assembly. On the outbreak of Revolution, he saw action at the Battles of Lexington and Concord (1775) and was afterwards part of the army that laid siege to Boston when he was promoted to Brigade Major and then Colonel as ADC to General Artemas Ward. After taking Boston in 1776, he left the army and resumed his role in the Provincial Congress. He served on the Massachusetts Board of War and was elected both a State Senator (1780) and Delegate to the Continental Congress (1782-84).
After a brief term in the Massachusetts House of Representatives, he was made a Judge in 1785 but resigned and moved to New York City on his appointment as the 1st Commissioner of the U.S Treasury. In 1789, George Washington appointed him the 1st (the 4th historically) U.S. Postmaster-General under the new U.S. Constitution. In the same year, his house at 1-3 Cherry Street on the corner of Pearl Street was leased to the government and as home to the Washingtons it was the first U.S. Presidential mansion. After the government moved to Philadelphia in 1790, Osgood remained in New York. He was a Presidential Elector in 1792; Member of the New York State Assembly; Naval Officer of the Port of New York; and, the 1st President of the City Bank of New York.
He was an active member of the American Philosophical Society and maintained an extensive correspondence with both Washington and Thomas Jefferson. He was married twice and by his second wife (Maria Bowne) had four children who reached adulthood (listed) as well as three stepchildren including Maria, the first wife of Governor DeWitt Clinton. His second wife was the widow of Walter Franklin and from 1786 he became the proprietor of what is known as the Samuel Osgood House (see images) that was the 1st U.S. Presidential House. But, Washington found that it lacked space for the administrative offices required and after just a few months he leased the Alexander Macomb House.
After a brief term in the Massachusetts House of Representatives, he was made a Judge in 1785 but resigned and moved to New York City on his appointment as the 1st Commissioner of the U.S Treasury. In 1789, George Washington appointed him the 1st (the 4th historically) U.S. Postmaster-General under the new U.S. Constitution. In the same year, his house at 1-3 Cherry Street on the corner of Pearl Street was leased to the government and as home to the Washingtons it was the first U.S. Presidential mansion. After the government moved to Philadelphia in 1790, Osgood remained in New York. He was a Presidential Elector in 1792; Member of the New York State Assembly; Naval Officer of the Port of New York; and, the 1st President of the City Bank of New York.
He was an active member of the American Philosophical Society and maintained an extensive correspondence with both Washington and Thomas Jefferson. He was married twice and by his second wife (Maria Bowne) had four children who reached adulthood (listed) as well as three stepchildren including Maria, the first wife of Governor DeWitt Clinton. His second wife was the widow of Walter Franklin and from 1786 he became the proprietor of what is known as the Samuel Osgood House (see images) that was the 1st U.S. Presidential House. But, Washington found that it lacked space for the administrative offices required and after just a few months he leased the Alexander Macomb House.
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Contributed by Mark Meredith on 22/01/2024 and last updated on 26/01/2024.