Guide to the Henry Sterling Papers, 1810-1868 DAR.1939.01

Arrangement

Repository
ULS Archives & Special Collections
Title
Henry Sterling Papers
Creator
Sterling, Henry
Collection Number
DAR.1939.01
Extent
0.42 Linear Feet (1 box)
Date
1810-1868
Abstract
Henry Sterling was a partner in the firm Lorenz, Sterling and Co. in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, in the 1830s and 1840s; he was also involved in the dry goods trade. This collection includes approximately 500 items related to the business, financial and public endeavors of Henry Sterling, including business correspondence, legal documents, and materials related to the Associated Singing Society, the Church Society of the Reformed Presbyterian Church in Allegheny City, and the Pittsburgh Quintilian Society, of which Sterling was a member. Digital reproductions of this collection are available online.
Language
English .
Author
Angela Manella.
Publisher
ULS Archives & Special Collections
Address
University of Pittsburgh Library System
Archives & Special Collections
Website: library.pitt.edu/archives-special-collections
Contact Us: www.library.pitt.edu/ask-archivist
URL: http://library.pitt.edu/archives-special-collections

Existence and Location of Copies

Digital reproductions of the collection are available online.

Biography

Henry Sterling, originally from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, lived in Pittsburgh during the mid-nineteenth century. In the 1830s, Sterling bought into the Lorenz & Cuddy firm and it was renamed Lorenz, Sterling and Co. The company owned and operated the Pittsburgh Rolling Mill in the South Side neighborhood of Pittsburgh. Sterling owned buildings at Wood Street and Fifth Avenue in Pittsburgh, and residences in both Pittsburgh and Philadelphia. Sterling also dabbled in a variety of business endeavors, including leasing land, financing mortgages, and the selling of dry goods. He was one of the corporators of the Allegheny Cemetery, which opened in 1845. The collection includes letters between Sterling and United States congressmen regarding the annexation of Texas and the Tariff of 1842.

Sterling attended the Reformed Presbyterian Church in Allegheny City, located on Pittsburgh's North Side, where he was involved in the Church Society. Presumably Sterling was married, but there is no mention of his wife in the collection or his will, and it is likely that he was a widower. Sterling had four children: Robert B., William H., J. Franklin and Anna Margaret. His sons attended the Academical Department of the University of Pittsburgh as children, and the Western University as young men. His daughter attended the Female Seminary in Steubenville, Ohio.

Scope and Content Notes

This collection includes approximately 500 items dating from 1810 to 1868, related to the business, financial and public endeavors of Henry Sterling. The collection contains a copy book of outgoing business letters, and original incoming personal and business correspondence, much of which originates from Philadelphia and St. Louis. The legal documents in this collection include wills, mortgages, leases, stock certificates, and insurance papers. Business receipts and bills are also well represented, including bills for his children's tuition. Sterling's community involvement in Pittsburgh is highlighted by minutes and reports of the Associated Singing Society, the Church Society of the Reformed Presbyterian Church in Allegheny City, and the Pittsburgh Quintilian Society.

Arrangement

The collection is divided by Sterling's various responsibilities, including his business correspondence, legal agreements, involvement in his community and his financial records. Materials are sorted thematically and arranged chronologically within each series.

  • Series I. Business Correspondence, 1810-1849
  • Series II. Legal Papers, 1827-1869
  • Series III. Receipts and Bills, 1800-1850
  • Series IV. Community Involvement, 1818-1822

Access Restrictions

No restrictions.

Acquisition Information

Gift of R. Pollock of Cold Spring Harbor, Long Island, NY, on June 16, 1939.

Preferred Citation

Henry Sterling Papers, 1810-1868, DAR.1939.01, Darlington Collection, Archives & Special Collections, University of Pittsburgh Library System

Previous Citation

Henry Sterling Papers, 1810-1868, DAR.1939.01, Darlington Collection, Special Collections Department, University of Pittsburgh

Processing Information

This collection was processed by Angela Manella in May 2007.

Copyright

No copyright restrictions.

Related Material

Allegheny Cemetery. The Allegheny Cemetery, Pittsburgh, PA 1910. Available online at Historic Pittsburgh.

Harper, Frank C. Pittsburgh Today. Vol 2 The American Historical Society: New York, 1931-1932.

Custodial History

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.

Subjects

    Corporate Names

    • Reformed Presbyterian Church (Allegheny, Pa.). Church Society
    • Steubenville Female Seminary
    • Western University of Pennsylvania
    • Lorenz, Sterling and Company
    • Pittsburgh Rolling Mill
    • Associated Singing Society of Pittsburgh
    • Pittsburgh Quintillion Society

    Personal Names

    • Sterling, Henry

    Family Names

    • Sterling family

    Geographic Names

    • Pittsburgh (Pa.) -- Commerce

    Genres

    • Minutes
    • Wills
    • Financial records
    • Commercial correspondence
    • Personal correspondence

    Other Subjects

    • Businessmen -- Pennsylvania -- Pittsburgh
    • Transportation
    • Business enterprises -- Pennsylvania -- Pittsburgh -- History -- 19th century

Container List