Henry W. King Mansion

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Henry W. King Mansion,
Life Span: 1873-1949
Location: NE Corner Rush and Huron, 151 Rsh (old), 701 N Rush
Architect: Mr. Hallberg, J. C. Brompton (1902)

Edwards’ Annual Directory in the City of Chicago, for 1870

King Henry W.

Edwards’ Annual Directory in the City of Chicago, for 1873
King Henry W. (Henry W. King & Co.) r. 125 Rush

Lakeside Annual Directory of the City of Chicago, 1880
King Henry W. (Henry W. King & Co.) 151 Rush

Lakeside Annual Directory of the City of Chicago, 1884
King Henry W. (Henry W. King & Co.) 222 Madison, house 151 Rush

Chicago Tribune, March 3, 1872

Mr. Henry W. King will rebuild a fine residence on the corner of Huron and Rush streets. The interior is carefully prepared and will be both elegant and comfortable; it will be very unique in its exterior appearance.

Chicago Tribune, April 7, 1872

Mr. Henry King is rebuilding on the old foundations, at the corner of Erie and Rush streets, after the same general plan.

Chicago Tribune, December 8, 1872

Henry W. King has entered into occupancy of the completed portion of his costly residence on the corner of Rush and Huron streets, which, when finished, will represent a value of over forty thousand dollars.

Rand, McNally & Co.’s Bird’s-Eye Views of Chicago, 1893

East on Huron to Pine. Turning eastward at Huron, we pass two of the most noted mansions in Chicago. On the northeast corner of Huron and Cass streets is the home of Mrs. Martha Rumsey, widow of the late Julian S. Rumsey, once mayor of Chicago. Farther eastward, at 321 Huron Street, is a three-story brownstone residence, with massive doorway and steps, which is the city home of Cyrus H. McCormick, president of the harvester company, and son of the late millionaire and inventor. We pass, at 148 Rush Street, the residence of E. T. Watkins, the genial ex-president of the Chicago Gas Light & Coke Co., and at 151 Rush Street is the imposing mansion of Henry W. King, the wholesale clothier.

Chicago Tribune, April 14, 1898

Henry W. King, who, was President of the Chicago Relief and Aid society, distributed more than $5,000,000 in money and supplies to the thousands left homeless and penniless by the great Chicago fire, and who had built up the largest clothing business in the United States, was found dead in his bed at his residence, 151 Rush street, at 6:45 o’clock yesterday morning. He had retired at his usual hour, 10 o’clock, on Tuesday night. He had complained of a slight indisposition and the family physician. Dr. H. B. Favill, was called. Dr. Favill found him suffering from an attack of indigestion, which was not regarded as at all dangerous.

He usually breakfasted at 7 o’clock. Mrs. King called at his door at 6:45 o’clock yesterday morning and, when there was no response, entered and found her husband
apparently asleep. His failure to answer her inquiry as to how he felt alarmed her and she touched his face and found it cold. Dr. Favill was called at once, but he said life had been extinct several hours.

Shock to His Friends.
Mr. King’s death was a surprise and shock to all his friends. He had been in constant attendance at his office, hopeful and full of plans for the summer. On Tuesday he went to his summer home at Elmhurst to make preparations for the stay of the family there during the sultry months. On his return to his home he chatted with his wife and other members of the family at äinner. Shortly afterward he and Henry J. Willing went to call upon Cyrus H. McCormick, whose residence is only a stone’s throw away, Mr. McCormick being confined to the house by illness.

The news of the death was quickly circulated and scores of intimate friends of the family thronged the house of mourning. Only a few were admitted to see Mrs. King, who for some time has been in poor health and who was greatly shocked by the sudden death of her husband. Franklin H. Head, who was an almost lifelong friend, James H. Eckels, W. J. Chalmers, Cyrus H. McCormick, and Henry J. Willing were among the earliest callers.

Funeral Friday at 2 P.M.
The funeral will be held on Friday at 2 p. m. in the Fourth Presbyterian Church. The Rev. Dr. Stryker, formerly pastor of the church and now President of Hamilton College, will officiate. Last night word was received from Dr. Stryker that his duties would permit him to come for this purpose.

Interment will be in Graceland.

Henry W. King was born in Martinsburg, Lewis County, N. Y., on Dee. 18, 1828. He received his early education in the schools and was later graduated from an academy at Lowville. After leaving the academy at the age of 17 he entered his father’s store at Martinsburg, where he remained for nine years.

He came to Chicago in 1854 and became a member of the wholesale clothing house of Soranus L. Barnett & Co. Later the firm name was changed to Barrett, King & Co., Charles P. Kellogs being the other partner. The firm was located at 189 South Water street until 1857, when it removed to 205-207 South Water street, and again in 1860 to 22 Lake street. Mr. Barrett sold out in 1863. The firm then became King, Kellogg & Co. It was dissolved by mutual consent in 1868 and two new establishments took its place. Henry W. King & Co. and C. P. Kellogg & Co. Mr. King’s associates at this time were W. C. Browning and Edward W. Dewey of New York. The first location of the firm of Henry W. King & Co. was at Lake street and Michigan avenue.

In the Great Fire.
The house sustained a loss of $550,000 in the great Chicago fire. The courtesy of Wirt Dexter, then Solicitor of the Michigan Central railway company, who secured for the firm a train of freight cars, enabled it to save $100,000 worth of goods by shipping them to Michigan City. While the ruins were still smoldering a new location was secured at Canal and Washington Streets and business was resumed with the stock stored in Michigan City and a trainload of goods brought from the factory of the firm in New York. In 1872 the firm removed to the Farwell Block, in Market street, and continued there until 1875, when another removal was made to Madison and Franklin streets. The location was later changed to Adams and Market streets.

The business methods which were grounded in Henry W. King in his boyhood were never departed from. He carefully kept his business free from every element of speculation and owed his success to his energy. boldness, and commercial shrewdness. The business grew rapidly and steadily until the firm is now recognized as the largest clothing house in the country. Retail houses under the name of Browning, King & Co. have been established in fifteen large cities, as follows:

Chicago, New York, Brooklyn, Philadelphia, Cincinnati, Cleveland, St. Louis, Kansas City, Omaha, St. Paul, Minneapolis, Milwaukee, Boston, Lincoln, Neb., Providence, R. I.

The annual business of the wholesale and retail establishments has for years aggregated over 55.000,000. Barrett, King & Co. transacted $150,000 worth of business in 1854.

Mr. King’s Public Interests.
Mr. King’s interest in business was no greater than in public-spirited and charitable enterprises. He was President of the Chicago Relief and Aid society in 1870, 1871, 1872, 1873, 1897, and 1898. By common consent all the funds contributed for the relief of the fire sufferers were turned over to this society for distribution. A large depot was established in the West Side Rink and supplies of every character were given out. Mr. King gave the work close personal attention.

Mr. King was also a director in the Chicago Nursery and Half Orphan Asylum, a director of the Old People’s Home, a director of the Graceland association. elder in Cemetery the
Fourth Presbyterian Church, member of the Chicago Historical society, chairman of the
Board of Trustees of McCormick Theological Seminary, member of the Chicago club, and a director of the Commercial National Bank. He was also President of the Commercial club in 1896.

The work of the Fourth Presbyterian Church employed a great deal of Mr. King’s energy and time. He was a member of the pulpit supply committee, and recently received the telegram from the Rev. Dr. Mackay of Newark. N. J., declining the tender of the pulpit of the church. The failure to fill the vacancy caused by the resignation of the Rev. Thomas C. Hall was a great disappointment to Mr. King.

In politics Mr. King was a Republican. He never held public office.

Mr. King married Miss Aurelia Case, daughter of John R. Case of Chicago, in 1858. She survives him. One son died in Omaha in 1888. Another, Francis King, is a member of the firm of Henry W. King &c Co. The daughfers are Ellzabeth, the wife of Cyrus Bentley, a lawyer of this city. and Christine, the wife of S. H. Pomeroy of Pittsfield, Mass.

Franklin H. Head spoke of Mr. King’s death with unfeigned sorrow, saying: “His death is a great loss to this city. Chicago cannot afford to lose many such men.”

Chicago Tribune, January 1, 1901

MRS. AURELIA R. KING DEAD.
Widow of the Chicago Merchant Succumbs to a Short Illness of
Pneumonia.
Mrs. Aurelia R. King, widow of Henry W. King, died yesterday at her residence, Rush and Huron streets, of pneumonia. Although Mrs. King did not become seriously ill until Saturday afternoon, she had been troubled with a severe cold for over a month.

Mrs. King, who was the daughter of John R. Case and Roxanna Norton, was born in Nassau, N. Y., on Feb. 8, 1834. She moved with her family to Chicago at the age of 15 years, and was married on June 22, 1858.

Mrs. King was for many years an active and influential member of the Fourth Presbyterian Church, and was a member of the Audubon society, at one time being its Pres-ident. She had lived during the winter at the house on Rush street and in summer at her country place at Elmhurst.

The surviving children are Mrs. Christina King Pomeroy, Mrs. Elizabeth King Bentley, and Francis King.

The funeral will take place from the residence on Wednesday, at 2 o’clock. Interment will be at Graceland.

Inter Ocean, March 23, 1902

J. C. Brompton is preparing plans to change the residence property of the late Henry W. King, corner Rush and Huron streets, recently purchased by S. E. Gross, into a finely appointed bachelor apartment building.

Chicago Tribune, May 15, 1949

The house at 701 Rush st. will soon be torn down. This fine home was built by Henry W. King, of Browning, King, & Co. Mr. King, sometimes called the mayor of Rush st., had made his money in clothing, and Mrs. King, known for her wit, used to say, looking across the street at the McCormick mansion: “We sew and they reap.” The woodwork in the King house is beautiful and the basement kitchen has been transformed into a charming studio apartment by Jo Mead and Associates,

Chicago Tribune, August 18, 1949

A new parking lot to accommodate about 100 cars is being developed at the northeast corner of Rush and Huron sts.

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