The old merchants of New York City / by Walter Barrett.

;r6 F. IViW YORAW CITY V

23

Henry Rutgers, who gave the land, a third church
was erected, corner of Rutgers and Henry streets--
both streets named after Henry Rutgers. These
churches all separated after some years. In 1810 the
Rev. Dr. Spring was elected assistant to Dr. Rodgers,
who died in 1811. His last act in 1819, when eightythree years old, was to lay the corner-stone of the Irish
Presbyterian church, in Spring street, near Varick.
I return to John Adams, the merchant, who was so
long identified with this church - for nearly fifty years,
and a ruling elder for forty years. He took a deep interest in its great benevolent operations, most of whose
organizations he assisted by large and long continued
contributions.
After the death of his wife in 1819, Mr. Adams led
a very retired life, devoting himself to the care of his
family and to the interest of the Presbyterian Church.
On his election to the Presidency of the Fulton Bank,
he was drawn more into public life, yet his domestic relations remained unaltered. IHe passed his summers
quietly in the bosom of his family at Bloomingdale,
where, in 1812, he had purchased the residence of the
late Dr. John Charlton, opposite the family seat of the
MeVickers (all Irish born, and all members of the St.
Patrick Society as early as 1792).
He had a great partiality for horseback exercise, and
every week day afternoon, as the summer was declining,
his familiar face was sure to appear on the Bloomingdale
road with a kind greeting for all lie met.
He died in June, 1855, at the advanced age of eightyfour years, leaving to his children a handsome competency, and the legacy of an honored name. It is no
small praise in this degenerated age to be able to say of
John Adams that he lived and died a consistent Chris
tian and an honest man.