Guide to the Darlington Family Papers, 1753-1921 DAR.1925.01
Arrangement
Repository
ULS Archives & Special Collections
Title
Darlington Family Papers
Creator
Darlington family
Collection Number
DAR.1925.01
Extent
18 Linear Feet(28 boxes, 61 volumes)
Date
1753-1921
Abstract
The Darlington family lived in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, from the late eighteenth through the early nineteenth centuries. William M. Darlington and his wife, Mary Carson O'Hara Darlington, collected thousands of books and manuscripts documenting the frontier history of western Pennsylvania. The collection includes financial, personal and legal papers, and documentation of collecting activities and ephemera related to William M. Darlington and his family. Formats of materials include ledger books, research notes, manuscripts, personal diaries, photographic prints and negatives, letters, and artwork. Digital reproductions of this collection are available online.
Language
English
.
Author
Kate Colligan, Angela Manella, Allison Houser, Kristien Boyle, and Nicole Mader.
Publisher
ULS Archives & Special Collections
Address
University of Pittsburgh Library System Archives & Special Collections Website: library.pitt.edu/archives-special-collections Business Number: 412-648-3232 (Thomas) | 412-648-8190 (Hillman) Contact Us: www.library.pitt.edu/ask-archivist URL: http://library.pitt.edu/archives-special-collections
Biography
The Darlingtons of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania trace their roots in America to Abraham Darlington of Cheshire County, England, who joined his aunt and uncle in Chester County, Pennsylvania, at the turn of the eighteenth century. Abraham's great-grandson, Benjamin Darlington (1790-1856), left Chester County and settled in Pittsburgh with his wife, Agnes McCullough. The Darlingtons of Pittsburgh are related to the Schenley and O'Hara families through the marriage of Benjamin and Agnes's son, William McCullough Darlington (1815-1889), to Mary Carson O'Hara.
William M. Darlington was a successful lawyer and one of the foremost experts in the colonial history of western Pennsylvania and the Ohio Valley. Mary shared her husband's passion for history, and was very proud of her family's ancestry, which she traced back to Irish nobility through her grandfather, James O'Hara. Through her father, Mary inherited Guyasuta: James O'Hara's estate near present-day Sharpsburg, Pennsylvania.
William and Mary raised three children at Guyasuta, O'Hara, Mary, and Edith. A fourth child, Hillborn, died in childhood. For more detailed biographies of each family member, see the scope and content note provided for each individual's papers. William was the primary collector of his family's extensive library of books and manuscripts. After William's death in 1889, his widow and children maintained and added to his collection. In 1918 and 1925, William's daughters Edith and Mary donated the family library and manuscript collection to the University of Pittsburgh. These materials include original letters by George Washington, Colonel Henry Bouquet, General Anthony Wayne, Hugh Henry Brackenridge, General Cornwallis, General James Wilkinson, Alexander Hamilton, Andrew Jackson and Daniel Webster. William M. Darlington also obtained and preserved John James Audubon's complete set of Birds of America .
Scope and Content Notes
This collection contains the nineteenth and early twentieth century personal, legal and financial papers of William M. Darlington and his family, including: his wife, Mary Carson O'Hara Darlington; his children, O'Hara Darlington, Mary Carson Darlington and Edith Dennison Darlington Ammon; his father, Benjamin Darlington; and his wife's grandparents, James and Mary Carson O'Hara. Documents include personal letters, business correspondence, financial and travel documents, art on paper, photographs, scrapbooks of news clippings and personal ephemera. The collection highlights William's book collecting, including correspondence with book dealers and individuals interested in his library, book catalogs and orders, receipts for purchases, notes and essays written by William, and topical inventories of the family library when it resided at Guyasuta.
Arrangement
Series I. James O'Hara Papers, 1777-1880
Series II. Benjamin Darlington Papers, 1815-1852
Series III. William M. Darlington Papers, 1837-1889
Series IV. Mary Carson O'Hara Darlington Papers, 1753-1908
Series V. O'Hara Darlington Papers, 1874-1916
Series VI. Mary Carson Darlington Papers, 1833-1913
Series VII. Edith Dennison Darlington Ammon Papers, 1881-1882, 1908-1919
Series VIII. Family Papers, 1826-1914
Series IX. Bound News Clipping Books, 1898-1917
Series X. Scrapbooks, ca. 1850-1915
Series XI. Photographs, 1885-1888
Series XII. Mary Carson Darlington Artwork, 1867-1925
Series XIII. Oversize Materials, 1785-1899
Access Restrictions
No restrictions.
Acquisition Information
Part of the original donation of William M. Darlington's family library to the University of Pittsburgh in 1918 and 1925 by his daughters, Edith Darlington Ammon and Mary Carson Darlington.
The Darlington Family Papers consist of three separate accessions. The first group of materials was donated to the University of Pittsburgh by Mary Carson Darlington and Edith Darlington Ammon in 1918. In 1925, Mary Carson Darlington bequeathed the remainder of the family library and a number of ephemeral items to the University. The third accession consisted of a collection of correspondence between Edith Darlington and Mittie Hemphill that was presented to the University of Pittsburgh in November of 1977 by Richard Johnson of the New England Historic Genealogical Society. The Darlington-Hemphill letters had been gifted to the New England Historic Genealogical Society earlier in 1977 by Mrs. Henry Mayo, a granddaughter of Mittie Hemphill.
This collection was located in the Darlington Memorial Library in the University's Cathedral of Learning until 2007 when it was moved to the ULS Archives Service Center for processing, storage, preservation and service. However, it remains in the custodianship of the ULS Special Collections Department.
Preferred Citation
Darlington Family Papers, 1753-1921, DAR.1925.01, Darlington Collection, Archives & Special Collections, University of Pittsburgh Library System
Previous Citation
Darlington Family Papers, 1753-1921, DAR.1925.01, Darlington Collection, Special Collections Department, University of Pittsburgh
Processing Information
This collection was processed by Kate Colligan, Allison Houser and Kristien Boyle in October 2006, and by Angela Manella in November 2007.
Copyright
No copyright restrictions.
Separated Material
Large artwork, framed photographs, bound volumes and the majority of photographs are stored separately from manuscript materials. Throughout the finding aid, separated materials are indicated as "oversize" if they are stored separately due to size, and "volume" if they are bound items.
Bibliography
Davison, Elizabeth M. and Ellen B. McKee, eds. Annals of Old Wilkinsburg and Vicinity: The Village, 1788-1888, Wilkinsburg, Pa: Group for Historical Research, 1940.
Bomberger, C. M. Brush Creek Tales. Jeannette, Pa: Jeannette Publishing, 1950.
Boucher, John Newton. A Century and a Half of Pittsburg and Her People New York: The Lewis Publishing Company, 1908.
Chalfant, Ella. A Goodly Heritage : Earliest Wills on an American Frontier. Pittsburgh, Pa: University of Pittsburgh Press, 1955.
Cope, Gilbert. The Genealogy of the Darlington Family. West Chester,Pa: Printed by the committee for the family, 1900.
Course of Study in Geographic, Biographic and Historic Pittsburgh. Pittsburgh, Pa: The Board of Public Education, 1921.
Fleming, George. History of Pittsburgh and Environs, from Prehistoric Days to the Beginning of the American RevolutionNew York: The American Historical Society, Inc., 1922.
Pittsburgh Freemasons, Lodge no. 45. History of Lodge no. 45, 1785-1910. Pittsburgh, Pa.,: Press of Republic Bank Note Company, 1912.
Harper, Frank C. Pittsburgh of Today, Its Resources and People. New York: The American Historical Society, Inc., 1931-1932.
Herbert, Anne Hemphill. Personal Memories of the Darlington Family at Guyasuta. Pittsburgh, Pa: University of Pittsburgh Press, 1949.
Starrett, Agnes Lynch. Through One Hundred and Fifty Years: The University of Pittsburgh. Pittsburgh, Pa: University of Pittsburgh Press, 1937.
Wilson, Erasmus, and Weston Arthur GoodspeedStandard History of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.. Chicago: H.R. Cornell & Co., 1898.
Shine, Bernice. "Oakland: Mary Croghan Schenley: Schenley Park Donated by a Girl Whose Romance Shocked a Queen." Pittsburgh Sun-Telegraph, 15 September 1941.
Schock, Hiram. The History of the Masonic Fund Society for the County of Allegheny. Pittsburgh, Pa: 1923.
Rubin, Julius. Canal or Railroad? Imitation and Innovation in the Response to the Erie Canal in Philadelphia, Baltimore, and Boston.Philadelphia: American Philosophical Society, 1961.
Patch, Margery Hulburt. "The Darlington Family Collection." The Pittsburgh Record v1.
Subjects
Corporate Names
Allegheny Engine and Hose Company
Allegheny Valley Railroad Company
Daughters of the American Revolution
Historical Society of Pennsylvania
Pittsburgh Amateur Photographers' Society
Pittsburgh Gas Works
Pittsburgh Glass Works
Sharpsburg Bridge Company
Bank of the United States (1816-1836). Pittsburgh Branch
Washington & Jefferson College (Washington, Pa.)
Pennsylvania Railroad
Personal Names
Ammon, Edith Dennison Darlington
O'Hara, James, 1752-1819
McCullough, Jane
Hemphill, Mittie
Darlington, Mary Carson
Darlington, O'Hara
Darlington, Mary C. (Mary Carson)
Darlington, William M. (William McCullough)
Darlington, Benjamin
Brackenridge, H. M. (Henry Marie)
Bouquet, Henry
O'Hara, Mary Carson
Family Names
O'Hara family
Darlington family
Geographic Names
Europe -- Description and travel
Egypt -- Description and travel
Allegheny County (Pa.) -- History
Fort Pitt (Pa.) -- History
Ireland -- History
O'Hara (Pa. : Township) -- History
Pittsburgh (Pa.) -- History
Pittsburgh Region (Pa.) -- History
Sharpsburg (Pa.) -- History
United States -- History -- French and Indian War, 1755-1763
Occupations
Military personnel
Public officers
Entrepreneurs
Lawyers
Genres
Watercolors (Paintings)
Souvenirs
Sketches
Receipts (Financial records)
Photographs
Obituaries
Clippings (Information artifacts)
Maps
Manuscripts (Documents)
Correspondence
Ledgers (Account books)
Land surveys
Color prints (Prints)
Diaries
Diplomas
Envelopes
Essays
Other Subjects
Business and Industry
Personal papers
Women
Wills -- Pennsylvania -- Pittsburgh.
Watercolor painting, American -- Pennsylvania -- Pittsburgh
Shipping -- Pennsylvania -- Pittsburgh
Photography -- Pennsylvania -- Pittsburgh
Prints, American -- 19th century -- Collectors and collecting
Glass manufacture -- Pennsylvania -- Pittsburgh
Indians of North America -- Pennsylvania -- Pittsburgh
Frontier and pioneer life -- Pennsylvania -- Pittsburgh
Collectors and collecting -- Pennsylvania -- Pittsburgh
Book collecting -- Pennsylvania -- Pittsburgh
Container List
Scope and Content Notes
Benjamin Darlington (1790-1856), one of Pittsburgh's elite businessmen and benefactors of the 1800's, was the husband of Agnes McCullough and father of William M. Darlington. Benjamin Darlington owned a thriving store and hotel, and eventually his wealth, prestige and family connections presented him with the opportunity to assist in leading the Allegheny Valley Railroad Company. Benjamin Darlington was the fourth generation of Darlingtons in the United States. Benjamin Darlington began as a carpenter's apprentice. After working in a store on Market Street, he gained enough capital to buy a hardware store with his brother, Samuel Darlington, and later owned one of Pittsburgh's only hotels. In 1833, he was elected president of the Allegheny Engine and Hose Company, and by 1837 he was one of the first officers on the Board of Trustees for Pittsburgh's Gas Works. Benjamin Darlington served as commissioner for the Allegheny Valley Railroad Company and contributed a major donation for the building of the Pittsburgh Theater.
The series concerning Benjamin Darlington includes documents explaining his endeavors as a successful entrepreneur while Pittsburgh was growing into a major city. The receipt books contain handwritten records of various transactions made by Benjamin Darlington, explaining his relevance to the real estate business in Pittsburgh. Listed are property holdings and rent collections including one by Alexander Brackenridge, who was at the time president of the United States Bank in Pittsburgh. Accompanying this are other transactions made by Benjamin Darlington as the executor to the estate of Jane McCullough (1766-1821), his mother-in-law. In addition to the receipt books, there are various letters to and from Benjamin Darlington, including correspondence from his brother, Samuel Darlington. A number of names appear within the two receipt books, aside from those mentioned above; a brief list follows: John Wright, James Appleton, Thomas Dickson, Jane McCullough, Anderson Evans, Jacob Negley, Irvin Boyle, Isabella Miller, Mary McCullough, Sarah Simpson, Will Porter, William Whitton, John Stewart, James Wilson, James Caoper, Jane Smith, Margaret White, and others. For more documents related to this series, see Box 25, with oversize materials.
William M. Darlington (1815-1889), was born to Benjamin Darlington and Agnes McCullough in Pittsburgh. William was educated in private schools as a child and young adult, and then went on to study at Jefferson College, now known as Washington & Jefferson College, in Pennsylvania. He began his law career under the tutelage of Richard Biddle.
William was a devout Presbyterian, a well-respected attorney, member of the Pennsylvania Bar Association for fifty years, and Vice President of the Pennsylvania Historical Society. During the last eight years of his life, he was also a trustee of his alma mater, Jefferson College, and the Western University of Pennsylvania, now the University of Pittsburgh. William amassed an extensive collection of books, manuscripts and maps related to western Pennsylvania's colonial and revolutionary history. This library was supplemented by his wife and three eldest children.
This series is organized into three topical subseries. Subseries 1 contains materials related to William's collecting activities, including documentation of book purchases, correspondence with booksellers and fellow collectors, historical research notes, receipts, and membership certificates to historical societies. Subseries 2 contains William's personal papers, including correspondence and diaries. Subseries 3 encompasses financial and estate papers.
Scope and Contents note
Materials in this subseries document William's collecting and lending activities, the library at Guyasuta, and his personal research and writing. William collected books and manuscripts from vendors such as the Hakluyt Society, as well as individual booksellers. Correspondence with Richard S. Edes, James Veech and Joseph Albree are examples of William's contacts in the field of rare books. Also, seventeen receipts document the purchase of books from the law offices of Baldwin & Ford, J. Munsel, and Burns & Son, among others. A bound volume of book orders, demonstrates William's meticulous documentation of the books he ordered between November 30, 1847 and January 14, 1867, including the Audubon volumes. William's correspondence with A. Eaton, John Newton, J.M. Read, J. R. Lambdin, and W.C. Reichel all highlight his role as a consultant for other researchers, to whom he sometimes lent or sold books.
The great strength of this subseries is the documentation of volumes in the library at Guyasuta. The Classification of Books consists of three successive versions of a list of books in the library at Guyasuta. Mary used these three volumes to alphabetically catalog the books in the Darlington family library according to topic, including history, travels, horticulture and natural history, and poetry, drama and tales; sections also list magazines, newspapers, and maps. In addition to these larger volumes, this subseries includes a partial catalog and a partial inventory of books at Guyasuta; these smaller lists most likely repeat titles already listed in the Classification of Books. Additionally, design diagrams for library bookcases shed light on the original physical arrangement of the Guyasuta library.
William was deeply interested in historical research, as was his professional mentor, Richard Biddle, and this subseries contains bound volumes of William's notes and writings about various topics. His Commonplace Book and Research Notes discuss a variety of topics, including: the Ohio Company; Forts Pitt, Duquesne, Shippen and Kittanning; Guyasuta; the Allegheny River and the city of Pittsburgh; Old Westmoreland and Indiana Counties; the Montour family; the Shawnee (Shananese) and Seneca Indians; George Croghan and Henry Alexander; and shipbuilding and theater. The Historical Biographical Notes include William's thoughts on such diverse topics as the Californian coal mountains, British nobility, the Darlington family crest, American Indian rituals, and the papers of British officer Henry Bouquet (1719-1765). This subseries contains transcriptions of the Bouquet Papers, which William commissioned from the British Museum. The transcribed letters document communication between Colonel Bouquet and other British officers during the French and Indian War from locations throughout Pennsylvania, his military campaign to drive the French out of Fort Duquesne, and the battle with Indians at Bushy Run. William was profoundly interested in the Ohio Company, and collected many papers relating to this eighteenth century land-development and trading consortium, including copies of the journals of Christopher Gist, who was hired by the company to negotiate terms with the Indians. William published Christopher Gist's Journals posthumously in 1893, possibly using transcriptions in this subseries. The drafts of his publication are located in the collection number dar192514.
William's Western Pennsylvania Historical Notes concerns legal events in Allegheny County, and include brief biographical notes on newly appointed judges. William also recorded information on proceedings and treaties brokered with the American Indians by early frontiersmen. Another section of this volume includes financial records concerning rent paid for several properties leased by the Darlington family. There are many loose pages within the journal and several pages are written entirely in French. For more information on this collection, please refer to Box 25, with oversized materials
This subseries contains personal letters from George P. Smith and Sergeant Winthropy, and a copy of a letter William wrote from Westchester, Pennsylvania, to an unknown correspondent who had requested information on cuttings and seedlings from Guyasuta. In 1862, William wrote to his brother, John, expressing happiness that John joined an Indiana regiment instead of a Pennsylvania regiment, as Indiana regiments were less likely to be sent to war. Also present are William's membership certificates from the Academy of Natural Sciences and the State Historical Society of Wisconsin, as well as a portrait of him at the time. For more information on this topic, please refer to Box 25, which contains oversized materials. The Record-Book included in this subseries appears to contain handwritten copies of Darlington's outgoing correspondence from 1838; it also includes accounts he documented from 1840 to 1844.
This subseries contains documents relating to William M. Darlington's properties, investments, taxes and profession. Property records include a title to land in Allegheny County, an auction catalog of household goods inscribed to William, and a small notebook dated 1879 that lists bonds and mortgage payments. Additionally, two bound volumes, an account book and a book of financial records, document rent and mortgage payments, including payments from such institutions as the trustees of Jefferson College, and Snyder & Company. William owned stock in the Pittsburgh Manufacturing Company, the Sharpsburg Bridge Company, the Mercantile Library Hall Company, and paid taxes in Allegheny County and O'Hara Township. Also present are documents certifying William to practice law in Allegheny County and the state of Alabama.
William M. Darlington used these twenty-nine diaries to make brief notes about court dates, meetings, payments he received, the purchase of stocks, and other personal and professional transactions. The diaries occasionally mention William's health and personal habits. Many of the entries involve mortgage payments he received for various properties in and around Pittsburgh. Throughout the diaries, he describes the weather at Guyasuta, and occasionally notes the height of the Allegheny River. He also briefly mentions if he had received or sent any letters. In addition, William M. Darlington writes about legal cases in which he was engaged. Social events are occasionally mentioned, including parties at the homes of Mr. Lewis Hutchinson and Mr. McKnight in 1847 and 1848. Entries in 1873/4 and 1881/2 describe the Darlington family's travels in Europe. Three undated diaries contain historical research notes, including a list of officers that served at Fort Pitt, and information on various maps and books in the Guyasuta library. Corporate and personal names mentioned in the diaries include: Allegheny Company, Penn Railroad Company, Pleasant Valley Railroad Company, Monongahela Bridge Company, John B. Herron, J. H. Fibson, John Lundy, H. Fellman, Leo Schmidt, Reverend E. McKnight, E. P. Jones, and Dr. Harrison L. Robson.
Mary Carson O'Hara (1824-1915) enjoyed wealth and prominence inherited from her grandfather, James O'Hara, and from her Philadelphian grandmother, Mary Carson. Mary traced her O'Hara ancestry back to Tiege O'Hara, the last Lord of Leyney, Ireland. She studied at Edgeworth Seminary in Braddock's Field, now Braddock, Pennsylvania, and later in Staten Island at the renowned Mrs. McLeod's School. By the time she married William M. Darlington, she was a highly educated woman, well read not only in English, but Italian, German, French and Spanish. Mary and William had four children, three of whom survived into adulthood. The family resided at Guyasuta, an estate near contemporary Sharpsburg, Pennsylvania, that Mary had inherited from her father, Richard O'Hara. James O'Hara purchased the property from the United States government and named it after the famous Seneca leader, Guyasuta (c.1725–c.1794), from whom the Continental Army had purchased the land.
Mary was passionate about regional history, and wrote Fort Pitt and Letters From the Frontier, and The History of Henry Bouquet and the Western Frontiers, 1747-1746, among other works. She also compiled a list of officers of the British and Revolutionary armies buried at the First Presbyterian and Trinity Churches in Pittsburgh. After the death of her husband in 1889, Mary continued expanding the collection of books and manuscripts about western Pennsylvania history. Materials in this series relate to Mary's research and writing, personal correspondence and legal and financial papers that document her vast real estate holdings. Mary compiled and collected historical documents, including Indian treaties; she also maintained records of materials loaned from the family library. Her writings, both epic and non-fiction, represented here, include a brief history of carpets, and her English language adaptation of the German Story of Nibelungen. Two copies of her lengthy manuscript The Exiles of Erin on Ireland and its noble families, are accompanied by an index listing section titles and corresponding page numbers, and a list of secondary sources that Mary used to write the work. A twenty-nine page manuscript written by Mary documents the history of the O'Hara family.
This series also contains two letters from acquaintances, William Roseburg, an investment banker from Pittsburgh, and William R. Mercer of Doylestown, Pennsylvania. A photographic print produced by Mr. Jarrett shows silhouettes of Mary as a small child with her elderly grandmother, Mary Carson O'Hara. Also present is a list of the many mortgages paid to Mary, and a list of bonds she held from companies such as the Aspinwall Delafield Company, the Pittsburgh Railway Company, the McKeesport Railway Company, the Connersville Railway Company, the Youngstown Railway Company, and the West Penn Railway Company.
O'Hara Darlington (1849-1916), was the oldest child of William M. Darlington and Mary Carson O'Hara Darlington. O'Hara was an accomplished scholar in history, botany, and literature. He attended the Western University of Pennsylvania, and enrolled at Yale University with the class of 1870, where he joined the Delta Kappa Fraternity. Due to ill health, O'Hara left Yale at the end of his first year, but returned in 1871 and obtained his degree with honors. O'Hara shared his family's devotion to expanding their private library. Following his graduation from Yale, he traveled throughout Europe collecting historical artifacts and literature. O'Hara fell ill in Europe, but regained his strength. After his travels, he resided at Guyasuta. O'Hara bought and sold land in the Pittsburgh area, and ventured into the steam boat industry, investing in the transport of freight and passengers along the Allegheny, Monongahela and Ohio rivers. On August 22, 1916, O'Hara died suddenly at Guyasuta from heat prostration at the age of sixty-seven following a serious illness.
O'Hara shared a passion for photography with his sister, Edith, both of whom belonged to the Pittsburgh Amateur Photographers' Society. O'Hara collected late nineteenth century British and American literature, principally fiction. Amid his collection of approximately 1,000 books are first editions of novels by Dickens and Thackeray, an early edition of Defoe's Robinson Crusoe, as well as a bibliography of George and Robert Cruickshank's sketches.
O'Hara's papers relate to his book collecting and historical research, including receipts from two book companies and his membership in the Historical Society of Pennsylvania. His personal record-keeping is highlighted by twelve diaries, with entries concerning the weather, and the time when various flowers and trees blossom. O'Hara periodically describes the affect of droughts and heavy snowfall on his land, as well as the height of Pittsburgh's three rivers. He also includes brief notes about business meetings, court cases and property issues that concern him. The diaries also describe travel including trips to Atlantic City, New Jersey; Florida; and Chicago during the 1893 World's Columbian Exhibition.
Many of the diaries contain notes of interest accrued on investments, rent and mortgage money paid or earned for the year. Additional materials relate to O'Hara's finances, include property tax receipts, notes on a legal case involving property he wished to procure, and documentation of various stocks and bonds he held. The series also contains his diploma from Yale and his obituary and funeral bill. For more information, please refer to Box 25, which contains oversized materials.
Contains various event programs, exam questions, and tuition statements.
Scope and Content Notes
Mary Carson Darlington (1852-1925), the eldest daughter of William M. Darlington and Mary Carson O'Hara Darlington, attended the Pittsburgh School of Design and was an influential member of the Pittsburgh chapter of the Daughters of American Revolution. Mary Carson Darlington never married and continued to live at her parent's mansion 'Guyasuta' until the later years of her life. When Mary Carson Darlington and her sister, Edith Darlington Ammon, sold the property, they bought a large house in the East End of Pittsburgh. After Edith Darlington Ammon died in 1919, Mary Carson Darlington continued to live alone in their East End home until her death six years later in 1925.
Within Mary Carson Darlington's papers is tax information on her mother's estate and properties that she had inherited with her sister and older brother upon the death of their parents. Mary Carson Darlington also saved a particular book plate of George Washington given to her by her father, as she too was interested in historical preservation. Also included in this collection are pieces of Artwork created by Mary Carson Darlington, which can be found in series XII.
Edith "Darling" Dennison Darlington Ammon (1862-1919) was an important figure among Pittsburgh's social elite during the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. She was a well-traveled amateur photographer who played an active role in organizing and leading political and social events.
Edith grew up at Guyasuta and later studied at the Pittsburgh Female College, now known as Chatham University. After a formative trip to Europe with her family, she married Samuel Ammon in 1890, whose proposal she had previously rejected or deferred ten years earlier. Edith and Samuel had no children.
Edith served for several years as the president of the Daughters of the American Revolution (DAR) of Allegheny County, and by 1908 she was leading the third largest DAR chapter in the United States. As president, Edith commanded the battle to preserve the Block House, one of the first structures of Fort Pitt built during the French and Indian War in 1764, from destruction by the Pennsylvania Railroad Company. The DAR also led a campaign against Henry Frick when he planned to relocate the Block House to present day Schenley Park. The Block House remains the oldest building in western Pennsylvania. In addition to her work with the DAR, Edith served alongside H. J. Heinz as co-vice president of the 1908 general committee for Pittsburgh's sesquicentennial events.
This series contains the many letters Edith wrote to her childhood friend and Pittsburgh Female College classmate, Mittie Hemphill, while Edith traveled with her family in Europe from 1881 to 1882. As a woman in her early twenties, Edith writes from each destination, describing the hotels where she and her family stayed, fellow guests, transit, and her experiences passing through customs. Her letters detail sightseeing, particularly art galleries and churches, and her father's research endeavors at the British Museum. Of particular note are Edith's descriptions of archaeological sites in Italy and Egypt, the Salon de Paris, and her distaste for the famous Whistler paintings on display in London. Edith collected or created souvenirs, photographs and artwork during her travels, including a framed photograph of herself at the Temple of Iris in Pompeii, Italy. Mittie's letters describe events in Pittsburgh, including the health of Edith's dogs at Guyasuta and activities of mutual acquaintances in Pittsburgh, among them Minnie Renshaw, Kate McKnight, and Edith's aunt, Helen Evans. In one letter, Mittie mentions Edith's indignation that Samuel Ammon had not waited the appropriate two month grieving period before having a party; the name of the deceased is not mentioned.
Materials related to Edith's involvement in the DAR include an article she wrote for the Pittsburgh Bulletin, and a letter from Thomas P. Roberts regarding the renovations to Fort Pitt co-sponsored by the Fort Pitt Society and the DAR. The collection also includes a letter from Sydney Liggett in response to Edith's request for information about the Sharp family, and a letter from Edith's husband, Samuel A. Ammon, to Mrs. Mary Echler regarding the possession of the Whitaker graveyards. Records of Edith's stocks and bonds, and two copies of a bound volume listing the properties she inherited from her mother's estate are also present.
Scrapbook compiled by Edith Darlington who wrote to a friend on January 8, 1914, this is "a book I kept during the active life of our musical society."
Scope and Content Notes
This diverse group of materials has been divided into three subseries. Subseries 1 contains photographs and ephemera collected or created by the Darlington family during their travels. Subseries 2 contains a few letters to extended family members and genealogical information about the Darlingtons. Subseries 3 documents Darlington properties, particularly the house at Guyasuta. Subseries 4 contains the papers of the Hemphill family, who were good friends of the Darlingtons.
Scope and Contents note
The Darlington family collected souvenirs during their travels, including: a printed booklet from Washington, D.C.; souvenir cabinet cards of Florida locations such as Jacksonville, Silver Springs, Palatka, Leesburg, St Augustine, Daytona Beach, the Ocklawaha River, and Lake Worth; photographs of St. Michael's church in Charleston; and photographs of the basalt structures at the Giant's Causeway in North Ireland. Photographs of the Darlingtons during their travels include an image of Mary Carson Darlington and Edith Darlington with friends taken at Pikes Peak, Colorado, a photograph of Mary Carson O'Hara Darlington with her three children in front of Kenilworth castle, Warwickshire, England, and images from a Darlington family trip to Barcelona Harbor on Lake Erie in Pennsylvania.
Additional photographs include: Hillborn Darlington; an unknown woman who could be Mary Carson O'Hara Darlington; and a photograph taken by O'Hara Darlington of his sisters with their friend Lilia. In addition to these photographs, a children's book includes the childhood signatures of O'Hara Darlington, Mary Carson Darlington and Edith Darlington on the front end leaf, and a number of unsigned water colors and sketches of natural scenes, likely done by Mary Carson O'Hara Darlington or her daughter, Mary Carson Darlington. For more information, please refer to Box 25, which may contain related oversized materials.
This subseries contains genealogical materials documenting the Darlingtons, O'Haras and McCulloughs, including the Darlington family coat of arms. The subseries also includes correspondence from Darlingtons not represented by an independent series of materials, including the Third Earl of Darlington, Samuel Darlington and J. Darlington.
The items listed below document the layout and dimensions of the Guyasuta mansion and surrounding property, including floor plans and gas pipe diagrams. Photographs show an additional Darlington property at Marshall Avenue and Brighton Road in Allegheny City. A land lease for property owned by Samuel Darlington and a list of properties sold on behalf of Jane McCullough are also present. For more information, please refer to Box 25, which contains oversized materials.
The Hemphills were close friends of the Darlington family. Collected here are a small number of family letters, including an 1861 letter from a Union soldier at Fort Lyon, and an 1886 letter describing a grandfather's tales about "bloody murders" at the hands of neighboring Indians along the Youghiogheny River. A handwritten Hemphill family tree is present, as are commemorative buttons and badges representing the National Encampment in Syracuse, New York, in September 1900; the 8th Annual Convention of the National Rivers and Harbors Congress; the 1900 Democratic National Convention in Kansas City, Missouri; and a 1914 bracelet medallion that reads "Come to Pittsburgh." For more information, please refer to Box 25, which contains oversized information.
This series consists of 29 bound volumes of newspaper clippings. These clippings may have come from a subscription service and many of the books have Mary O'Hara Darlington's name handwritten inside the front cover. The Darlingtons, particularly Mary O'Hara Darlington, may have pasted the clippings into the books. Each volume collects articles on a particular topic or event from local, national and international newspapers and magazines. However, each volume contains some clippings that do not seem to be directly related to the topic of the volume. Some volumes have a partial handwritten index. Many clippings do not contain source or date information. The title, number and dates listed below reflect the original handwritten inscriptions on the spine of each volume.
Containers
box 30, volume 11
Containers
box 30, volume 12
Containers
box 30, volume 13
Containers
box 30, volume 14
Containers
box 30, volume 14a
Containers
box 30, volume 15
Containers
box 30, volume 16
Containers
box 30, volume 17
Containers
box 30, volume 18
Containers
box 30, volume 18a
Containers
box 30, volume 19
Containers
box 30, volume 20
Containers
box 30, volume 21
Containers
box 30, volume 22
Containers
box 30, volume 23
Containers
box 10, volume 24
Containers
box 10, volume 25
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box 10, volume 26
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box 10, volume 27
Containers
box 10, volume 28
Containers
box 10, volume 29
Containers
box 10, volume 30
Containers
box 10, volume 31
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box 10, volume 32
Containers
box 10, volume 33
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box 10, volume 34
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box 10, volume 35
Containers
box 10, volume 36
Containers
box 10, volume 37
Scope and Content Notes
The Darlington family scrapbooks consist of 11 bound volumes documenting local and national events. The items have been retained in their original arrangement, but lack any discernable order. Dated clippings range from late nineteenth to early twentieth centuries. The majority of the items in the books are newspaper clippings from local and national newspapers and detail people, places, and items of interest in and around Pittsburgh, with a number of clippings about the Darlingtons themselves. Most are undated, though some have printed or handwritten dates on them, and lack the name of the publication. Programs, sheet music, maps, sketches appearing in newspapers, magazine clippings, obituaries, and clippings concerning areas other than Pennsylvania are also included in the scrapbooks.
Some of the books contain alphabetized indexes of the clippings and others handwritten indexes affixed to or written on the inside covers of the scrapbooks. One book contains the name of the book's binder, the date it was bound, and the cost of binding, while another has the name Mary O'Hara Darlington inscribed on the inside of the front cover.
Containers
box 6a, volume 38
Scope and Content Notes
Inside cover signed by William M. Darlington. Contains lithographs and engravings of noted individuals. Only first half of scrapbook is complete.
Containers
box 6a, volume 39
Scope and Content Notes
Inside cover signed by Mary O'Hara Darlington, Guyasuta. Pages cut from album (disbound). Contains newsclippings of events of interest, 1891-1898 (inc. index).
Containers
box 6a, volume 40
Scope and Content Notes
Mostly clippings pertaining to the subject of art and Pittsburgh Artists Association; likely assembled and kept by Mary Darlington.
Containers
box 6a, volume 41
Scope and Content Notes
Mostly clippings pertaining to the history of Pittsburgh, likely created by William Darlington.
Containers
box 7a, volume 42
Scope and Content Notes
Noted as Vol. 2 in the inside cover; likely created by William Darlington.
Containers
box 7a, volume 43
Scope and Content Notes
Darlington family scrapbook containing wealth of information about family members and Guyasuta.
Containers
box 8a, volume 55
Scope and Content Notes
Newsclippings documenting Pittsburgh history and ninteenth century obituaries and other matters. Index in back.
Containers
box 8a, volume 56
Scope and Content Notes
Engravings and prints with index; most likely created by O'Hara Darlington.
Pittsburgh and U.S. biographies and history newsclippings.
Containers
box 9a, volume 59
Scope and Content Notes
Newsclippings of Pittsburgh and Virginia families and many other matters with index.
Scope and Content Notes
This series contains 155 photographs in five albums taken by Edith Dennison Darlington Ammon and her brother, O'Hara Darlington, from 1885 through 1888. The photographs document family, friends, leisure activities, and the artistic approach to photography shared by Edith and O'Hara. Most of the photographs are taken in and around the family home, Guyasuta, and the surrounding area. The fifth album in this collection contains photographs from the Pittsburgh Amateur Photographers' Society, a social club founded in 1885 in which Edith and O'Hara actively participated. All the photo albums are scanned and available online.
The series also comprises two scrapbooks containing photographs and other memorabilia documenting the Darlington family trip to Constantinople, Greece, Italy and Egypt in 1881-1882.
Containers
box 7a, volume 44-48
Containers
box 10a, volume 60
Scope and Content Notes
Photographs and other memorabilia from Constantinople, Greece, Italy, etc.
Containers
box 10a, volume 61
Scope and Content Notes
Photographs and other memorabilia from Egypt.
Scope and Content Notes
This series contains 116 pieces of artwork created by Mary Carson Darlington between 1867 and her death in 1925. They contain landscapes and portraits mainly in watercolor. The large paintings have been matted and stored separately from the family papers.
Containers
oversize 11
Container Summary
Artwork in boxes 20-24 are located in Flat Files 14-7 through 14-10
Containers
oversize 12
Containers
oversize 13
Containers
oversize 14
Containers
oversize 15
Containers
oversize 16
Containers
oversize 17
Containers
oversize 18
Containers
oversize 19
Containers
oversize 20
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oversize 21
Containers
oversize 22
Containers
oversize 23
Containers
oversize 24
Scope and Content Notes
This series contains land deeds, survey information, and indentures held by the Darlington Family, dating from 1785 to 1899. Also included in this series are oversized documents relating to the collection, including: a diploma, medals, buttons, photos, deeds, and land surveys. The materials in this series relate to areas of collection interests to the Darlington family and owned by the Darlington family. These files are too large to be filed within the preceding manuscript series for family members, and contains information about them, their research interests, education, and land holdings.
Contains lot and block information (some drawn by hand) for Pittsburgh and surrounding area; not necessarily property owned by Darlington family, but collected for historic reasons.