John Price Crozer
John Price Crozer | |
|---|---|
| Born | Error: Invalid birth date for calculating age Delaware County, Pennsylvania, U.S. |
| Died | 11 March 1866 (aged 73) |
| Occupation(s) | Textile industrialist, banker, philanthropist |
| Known for | President of the board for the American Baptist Publication Society; founder of Normal Institute for Boys; donor of Old Main building |
John Price Crozer (born January 13, 1793 – died March 11, 1866) was a prominent American textile industrialist, banker, philanthropist, and president of the board for the American Baptist Publication Society, based in Pennsylvania. His textile mills supplied garments to the US Army as well as various other customers.
Early life
Crozer entered the world on January 13, 1793, as the son of John and Sarah Crozer. Raised on a farm located in Delaware County—the current location of Swarthmore College—he eventually took over management of the farm, later selling it and utilizing the proceeds to initiate his entrepreneurial pursuits.
Career
In 1821, Crozer began by leasing a mill situated near Crum Creek in Ridley, Pennsylvania. Four years later, in 1825, he acquired the Mattson mill on the west branch of Chester Creek in Chester, Pennsylvania, where he removed existing cotton machinery to repurpose the facility. In 1845, he purchased Chester Mills from John W. Ashmead and transformed it into a cotton mill.
His manufacturing operations grew with the erection of Mill No. 1 in 1846—a substantial five-story stone structure equipped with 6,000 spindles and 150 looms—alongside housing accommodations for workers. Mill No. 2 was constructed in 1852 featuring 7,000 spindles and an equal number of looms as its predecessor. By 1863, Mill No. 3 was operational with 7,140 throstle-spindles, 2,112 spinning mules, and 256 looms. Collectively, these mills processed ninety bales of cotton each week and produced eighty-two cases of finished products.
Aside from his industrial endeavors, Crozer held a directorial position at the Delaware County National Bank from 1825 until 1862.
Following his passing, control of his enterprises was divided among his sons: Samuel A. Crozer took charge of Mill No. 2; meanwhile, Mills Nos. 1 and 3 were managed by J. Lewis, George K., and Robert H. Crozer under the firm J.P. Crozer & Sons.
Philanthropy
Crozer contributed generously to various charitable, educational, and religious initiatives throughout his life. He personally financed the construction of the Upland Baptist Church and provided land for the First Baptist Church of Chester, making significant donations towards its building costs. He endowed a theological chair at Bucknell University and founded the Normal Institute for Boys located in Upland.
In 1849, Crozer convinced the Chester school district to establish a school in Upland and funded its construction entirely; this building currently operates as The Schoolhouse Museum.
He held numerous leadership positions including president of the Pennsylvania Colonization Society, American Baptist Publication Society, Pennsylvania Training-School for Feeble-Minded Children, Home for Friendless Children, Woman's Hospital of Philadelphia, and Pennsylvania Baptist Education Society. Additionally, he was among the founders of the Christian Commission.
Together with his brother Samuel, Crozer supported the American Colonization Society and lent their name to Crozerville, Liberia—a community recognized for its skilled artisans and farmers—and birthplace of political commentator Albert Porte.
Old Main Building
In 1857, Crozer provided both funding and land for Old Main to serve as home to the Normal Institute for Boys. During the Civil War years, he offered this facility to the U.S. Government for use as a hospital caring for soldiers from both Union and Confederate forces. Afterward, Colonel Theodore Hyatt leased Old Main to operate it as the Pennsylvania Military Academy.
Following Crozer’s death in 1866, his descendants established the Crozer Theological Seminary on this site in tribute to him. The seminary notably educated Martin Luther King Jr., who attended from 1948 to 1951 and earned his Bachelor of Divinity degree there.
In 1970, this seminary merged with institutions in Rochester, New York to create the Colgate Rochester Crozer Divinity School. Later on, Old Main was acquired by Crozer Hospital (now part of Crozer-Chester Medical Center) for use as medical office space.
The Old Main structure was officially added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1973.
Personal life
On March 12, 1825, Crozer wed Sallie Lewis Knowles. Together, they raised nine children: Samuel Aldrich, Margaret Knowles, Elizabeth Lewis Bowman, John Lewis, Sallie Knowles, James Gray, George Knowles, Robert Hall, and Emma.
Margaret K. Crozer, his oldest daughter, became the wife of William Bucknell, a prominent businessman and philanthropist associated with Bucknell University. Additionally, Crozer was the great-uncle of still-life painter Anna Lownes and legal scholar Herbert W. Briggs.
His final resting place is at the cemetery of Upland Baptist Church located in Upland, Pennsylvania.
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