Henry Osborne Havemeyer

Henry Osborne Havemeyer
Born	New York City, U.S.
Died	4 December 1907(1907-12-04) (aged 60)
Occupation(s)	Industrialist, business leader
Known for	Founder and director of the American Sugar Refining Company

Henry Osborne Havemeyer (October 18, 1847 – December 4, 1907) was a prominent American industrialist and business leader who established and directed the American Sugar Refining Company beginning in 1891.

As a third-generation member of his family's sugar enterprise, Havemeyer grew the company into a leading powerhouse within the late 19th-century sugar industry. Together with his wife, Louisine Havemeyer, he was among the earliest collectors of Impressionist art in the United States, inspired by artist Mary Cassatt. Following Louisine’s passing in 1929, a significant portion of their art collection was donated to the Metropolitan Museum of Art.

Early life

Henry was born in New York City on October 18, 1847, as the eighth child out of nine siblings to Frederick Christian Havemeyer Jr. and Sarah Louise (Henderson) Havemeyer. After his mother died in 1851, he was brought up by his grandmothers and eldest sister. The family’s residence was located at 193 West 14th Street, then considered the northern boundary of New York City.

At seven years old, Henry and his brother Thomas enrolled at Bellport Academy on Long Island under the instruction of Mr. James Cruikshank. The following year, Henry joined his brother Theodore at Mr. Betts’ School in Stamford, Connecticut. Known for having a challenging disposition, Henry left formal education by age eight after an altercation with the school principal.

Havemeyers in the sugar trade (1799–1842)

In 1799, William Havemeyer (1770–1851) arrived in New York City, soon followed by his brother Frederick Christian Havemeyer (1774–1841) in 1802. Coming from a German family specializing in baking and trained in London, William initially operated Edmund Seaman’s sugar bakery on Pine Street. By 1805, the brothers secured a lease from Trinity Church for land on Budd Street (later renamed Vandam Street), where they launched their own sugar bakery in 1807.

After retiring in 1828, their sons William F. Havemeyer (1804–1874) and Frederick C. Havemeyer Jr. (1807–1891) assumed control of the business. William F. Havemeyer later served three terms as Mayor of New York City. In 1856, Frederick Jr. shifted operations to Williamsburg, Brooklyn, leasing waterfront property between South 3rd and South 4th Streets to establish a steam-powered sugar refinery. George W. Havemeyer joined as a partner in 1861 but tragically died in an industrial accident that same year. By 1863, Frederick Jr. restructured the company as Havemeyers & Elder, appointing his son Theodore A. Havemeyer to oversee refinery management and his son-in-law J. Lawrence Elder to handle mercantile affairs.

Havemeyers & Elder (1863–1882)

Established in 1863, Havemeyers & Elder included Henry Osborne Havemeyer (H.O. Havemeyer), then fifteen years old, who gained experience throughout all facets of the business—from sugar testing to refining techniques and commercial operations under J. Lawrence Elder’s mentorship. Following Elder’s unexpected death in 1868, H.O. and his brother Thomas assumed responsibility for the mercantile division and became partners in 1869 alongside their cousin Charles H. Senff, who managed refinery activities with Theodore A. Havemeyer.

By 1868, the refinery—known as the Yellow Sugar House—had expanded to cover multiple blocks along the East River shoreline from South 2nd to South 5th Street. The firm adopted advanced technologies that greatly enhanced refining productivity. By 1876, H.O. Havemeyer had emerged as the leading partner overseeing mercantile operations after Thomas departed from the company.

Fire at the refinery and reconstruction (1882–1884)

On January 8, 1882, a fire completely destroyed the Havemeyers & Elder refinery, resulting in a financial setback of $1.5 million. The partners—Theodore, H. O., Frederick C. Havemeyer Jr., and Charles H. Senff—committed all their capital, including Frederick’s personal wealth, to establish a cutting-edge refinery facility.

The design of the new plant was a collaboration between Theodore A. Havemeyer, Senff, and superintendent Ernest Gerbracht. It was built using fire-resistant materials such as brick and iron, with structural elements including cast iron columns and wrought iron beams. The refinery also featured electric lighting, which was a safer alternative to gas lamps at the time. By January 1884, the refinery resumed operations with a capacity to refine three million pounds of sugar daily.

Establishment of the Sugar Trust (1887–1891)

In 1887, H.O. Havemeyer created the Sugar Refineries Company, commonly referred to as the Sugar Trust, in response to fierce competition and surplus production in the sugar refining market after the Civil War. Large-scale refineries like Havemeyers & Elder operated with such efficiency that sugar supply outpaced demand, driving many smaller competitors out of business.

To regulate output and stabilize prices, 17 out of 23 U.S. refineries merged into the Sugar Trust by late 1887. A subsequent consolidation process identified the most efficient facilities; by 1890, only five refineries remained active, with Havemeyers & Elder standing as the sole refinery in New York.

Confronted with legal opposition in New York courts in 1890, the Sugar Trust reorganized as the American Sugar Refining Company, which was incorporated in New Jersey on January 10, 1891, through attorneys Elihu Root and John Randolph Dos Passos. This holding company preserved the operational model of the Sugar Trust while continuing to conduct business under its established name.

Acquisition strategy for refineries (1887–1895)

Beginning in 1887, Havemeyer sought to incorporate remaining independent refineries into the Trust. His primary competitor on the West Coast, Claus Spreckels, resisted joining. Leveraging a small California refinery acquired in 1891, Havemeyer initiated an aggressive price war aimed at undermining Spreckels’ position. In retaliation, Spreckels opened a refinery in Philadelphia in 1889 to compete with the Trust in Eastern markets. After two years of intense rivalry, they reached a settlement in 1891: Spreckels sold his Philadelphia refinery to the Trust and agreed upon territorial divisions.

From 1889 through 1892, profit margins tightened as raw sugar prices approached those of refined sugar. The McKinley Act of 1890 eliminated import tariffs on raw sugar, which lowered refined sugar prices and stimulated demand. Despite competition from Spreckels, the Trust improved profitability, distributed significant dividends, and expanded its operations.

In 1891, Havemeyer pursued acquisition of three remaining Philadelphia refineries. The purchase of E.C. Knight Company led to a legal challenge by the U.S. government in United States v. E. C. Knight Co.. In 1895, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled in favor of the Sugar Trust, determining that sugar refining constituted manufacturing rather than interstate commerce; thus it fell outside federal regulation under the Sherman Antitrust Act.

Arbuckle Sugar and Coffee Conflict (1898–1901)

In 1898, John Arbuckle, head of the Coffee Trust based in Pittsburgh, ventured into the sugar industry. He introduced an innovation by coating coffee beans with a preservative mixture containing sugar, which improved both taste and longevity.

Utilizing his expertise in automated packaging, Arbuckle began repackaging sugar sourced from the Sugar Trust to accompany his coffee products. Subsequently, he established a refinery in Brooklyn to manufacture his own sugar, igniting fierce rivalry with Havemeyer. In response to Arbuckle’s pricing strategies, Havemeyer gained control of Woolson Spice Company in Toledo, Ohio to lower coffee prices and challenge Arbuckle. Arbuckle countered by decreasing sugar prices from his refinery. After three years of expensive price battles, both parties agreed to a ceasefire in 1901 to halt the conflict.

Congressional Inquiries

On June 12, 1894, H.O. Havemeyer appeared before a Senate committee probing the Sugar Trust, acknowledging his lobbying efforts on behalf of his business interests—actions he maintained were customary and lawful. A senator requested an examination of political donations made by the American Sugar Refining Company during 1892–1893. After legal consultation, Havemeyer declined to provide company documents or answer further inquiries. In 1897, he faced charges of contempt of court for this refusal but was acquitted and the charges dropped.

National Sugar Refining Company of New Jersey (1900)

Following the Arbuckle price conflicts, many independent refineries from the 1890s encountered financial difficulties. Havemeyer took advantage by purchasing Mollenhauers Refinery (Brooklyn), National Sugar Company (Yonkers), and New York Refining Company (Long Island City) through James H. Post of B. H. Howell, Son & Company. These were merged into the National Sugar Refining Company of New Jersey, incorporated on May 31, 1900, with Post appointed president. Although operating independently from the Sugar Trust, American Sugar Refining Company held half of its shares and provided it with preferential treatment.

Western Expansion (1902)

After 1900, Havemeyer broadened operations into the western sugar beet sector. In 1902, he consolidated four Utah factories into the Amalgamated Sugar Company and rejuvenated the Utah-Idaho Sugar Company in collaboration with the LDS Church. By 1905, he unified Colorado’s sugar factories under Great Western Sugar Company. The Trust also acquired interests in Michigan Sugar Company, Continental Sugar Company, and secured a half stake in California’s Spreckels Beet Sugar Company.

Southern Growth (1906)

Havemeyer’s initial involvement in Cuban raw sugar began in 1892 with the Trinidad Sugar Company alongside Charles H. Senff and Edwin Atkins. In 1906, he established the Cuban American Sugar Company to streamline management over five Cuban raw sugar producers.

Customs Fraud Scandal (1907)

In November 1907, just two weeks prior to Havemeyer’s passing, federal agents from the U.S. Treasury Department conducted a raid at the docks of Havemeyer’s Brooklyn plant uncovering tampering with scales used for weighing incoming raw sugar shipments. This manipulation led to underpayment of import duties. The investigation was prompted by information from a disgruntled employee; customs officials discovered a hidden spring inside the scale that enabled weight adjustments. The government filed charges against American Sugar Refining Company in 1908 through District Attorney Henry L. Stimson and Felix Frankfurter, resulting in a government victory in 1909.

A subsequent civil lawsuit sought recovery of unpaid customs fees; to avoid prolonged litigation and negative exposure, the company agreed to a $2 million settlement. Separate criminal prosecutions targeted individual employees: dock foreman Oliver Spitzer was convicted for attempted bribery in 1909 along with superintendent Ernest Gerbracht, secretary Charles R. Heike, and five checkers.

Personal and family life

In March 1870, Havemeyer wed Mary Louise Elder, who was the sister of his brother-in-law, J. Lawrence Elder. This marriage proved brief and unhappy, culminating in a divorce in 1882 without any children.

On August 22, 1883, he entered into marriage with Louisine W. Elder, daughter of George and Matilda Elder. Together, they had three offspring:

• Adaline Havemeyer (1884–1963), who married banker Peter Hood Ballantine Frelinghuysen I in 1907.
• Horace Havemeyer (1886–1956), who married debutante Doris A. Dick, daughter of J. Henry Dick.
• Electra Havemeyer (1888–1960), who married polo champion and insurance executive James Watson Webb II, a grandson of William H. Vanderbilt, in 1910.

All three children became art collectors; notably, Electra established the Shelburne Museum to display her substantial collections.

Musical interests

Havemeyer was an enthusiastic amateur violinist and studied under Frederick Mollenhauer, dedicating up to three hours daily to practice. Henry and Louisine regularly hosted Sunday musicales at their residence located at 1 East 66th Street.

The family amassed an important collection of fine string instruments, including two distinguished violins: the 1723 Stradivari "Kiesewette" and the 1737 Guarneri "del Gesù" known as "King Joseph." Their holdings also encompassed three cellos: the 1711 Stradivari "Duport," the 1714 Stradivari "Batta" (which was loaned to the Metropolitan Museum of Art), and the 1743 Guadagnini "Havemeyer."

Art collecting and Patronage

Havemeyer's earliest art purchases took place during his 1876 visit to the Centennial Exhibition in Philadelphia, where he acquired carved ivory figures, Japanese lacquer boxes, silk fabrics, brocades, and sword guards. His buying style was often spontaneous yet guided by personal preference. Both Henry and Louisine possessed unique but harmonious tastes that required joint approval for acquisitions that ultimately shaped their esteemed collection.

Louisine concentrated on contemporary European painters, particularly Impressionists, influenced by her friendship with Mary Cassatt, who encouraged her to acquire works by artists such as Edgar Degas and Claude Monet. She made 33 trips across the Atlantic, consistently returning with important Western artworks.

In her will, Louisine donated approximately 142 pieces to the Metropolitan Museum of Art, allowing curators discretion over their management. Eventually, nearly 1,967 works from their Fifth Avenue residence were incorporated into the Met as the H. O. Havemeyer Collection. This collection holds a prominent place within the museum's Impressionist galleries. Selected items from the Havemeyer holdings are also on display at the Shelburne Museum and the University of Michigan Museum of Art.

Hilltop, Greenwich, CT

In 1889, Havemeyer purchased a 90-acre tract on Palmer Hill Road in Greenwich, Connecticut for developing a country estate. The property included an additional 200 untouched acres at Mianus Ridge and Valley north of Boston Post Road and east of the Mianus River. The residence, named Hilltop, offered views over Long Island Sound and was designed by Boston architectural firm Peabody and Stearns. The three-story home featured multiple façades, steep gables, and six large chimneys. Interior decoration by Samuel Colman included walls covered with Japanese papers and a dining room inspired by Dutch paintings from the seventeenth century. The library served as the focal point of the house, filled with bookshelves, artwork, and musical instruments. The estate also contained barns for livestock alongside stables designed to complement the main house’s architecture. Three greenhouses supported cultivation of fruit trees and vegetables; among these were figs, orchids, gardenias, and Concord grapes—the latter having won awards at Madison Square Garden’s flower show. George Morrow acted as head gardener.

1 East 66th Street

In 1889, the Havemeyer family acquired a parcel at the intersection of 66th Street and Fifth Avenue and engaged architect Charles Coolidge Haight to create their Romanesque Revival-style residence. Finished by 1890, with interior work completed by 1892, this four-level dwelling featured a turreted bay and interiors crafted by Louis Comfort Tiffany and Samuel Colman. Each room was uniquely themed to exhibit the Havemeyers’ collections, which included Asian art, Islamic ceramics, Dutch paintings, and Impressionist works, incorporating opulent materials such as embroidered silk fabrics and Tiffany glass tiles.

Tiffany Studios contributed leaded-glass windows, lighting fixtures, mosaics, and balustrades that showcased his expertise in color and illumination. Islamic mosaic designs embellished the entrance hall; Chinese embroidered silk adorned the walls of the reception area; Japanese silk brocade panels decorated the library ceiling—known as the Rembrandt Room due to its Dutch art holdings. The music room hosted Sunday concerts amid Chinese embroidery and a Tiffany chandelier inspired by Queen Anne’s lace motifs. A distinctive feature was the flying staircase, inspired by Venice’s Doge's Palace, suspended by chains with crystal fringes above a curved cast-iron base. Following Louisine Havemeyer’s death in 1929, the residence was demolished; however, certain architectural elements survive at the University of Michigan Museum of Art.

The carriage house and stables located at 126 East 66th Street were designed in 1895 by William J. Wallace—Havemeyer's cousin—and S.E. Gage; these later came under the ownership of John Hay Whitney.

Islip, Long Island

During summers, the Havemeyers resided in Islip, Long Island, where Havemeyer enjoyed sailing on the Great South Bay. In 1890, they acquired land on St. Mark's Lane adjacent to the property of Louisine Havemeyer’s sister and brother-in-law, Adaline and Samuel T. Peters. By 1900, they had settled in Bayberry Point, a community developed by Havemeyer himself, occupying a home on its southwestern edge. Havemeyer owned a Herreshoff 30 sailboat named Electra, which he actively raced in the Great South Bay.

Merrivale Farm, Commack, Long Island

Havemeyer purchased a 500-acre estate in Commack, Long Island, close to the Carll S. Burr racetrack—a prominent venue for breeding and training trotting horses. An enthusiastic hunter, he maintained an extensive stable of trotting horses and established a pheasant shooting preserve on neighboring land.

Philanthropy

Havemeyer acted as a trustee for the American Museum of Natural History and, alongside his brothers, contributed Havemeyer Hall to Columbia University's School of Mines in honor of their father Frederick C. Havemeyer Jr., an alumnus of Columbia College. Additionally, he donated a school building to the Town of Greenwich in Connecticut.

Death

H.O. Havemeyer passed away on December 4, 1907, at Merrivale Farm following a sudden illness. While visiting his son Horace for Thanksgiving pheasant hunting, he was afflicted with severe indigestion that progressed to peritonitis and kidney failure. Despite treatment from physicians both locally and from New York City, he died five days later. His funeral was conducted at his Manhattan residence before interment at Green-Wood Cemetery.

See also

• Havemeyer family
• Havemeyer

External links

• Online Biography
• The Havemeyer Family Papers on Art Collecting housed in The Metropolitan Museum of Art Archives.
• Digital version of Frits Lugt's Les marques de collection de dessins & d'estampes
• The H. O. Havemeyer Collection, catalog of collections from The Metropolitan Museum of Art Libraries