Nicholas Devereux

Nicholas Devereux

Nicholas Devereux (June 7, 1791 – December 29, 1855) was an Irish-American financier and banker, and one of the major early landowners in western New York state.

Life

He emigrated from County Wexford in Ireland in 1806, and moved to Utica, New York in 1814, where he lived for the rest of his life.^[1] As a financier and director, he was involved in the Utica Water Works, the Steam Woolen Mills of Utica, and the New York Life and Trust Company.^[1] In 1839, he and his brother John C. Devereux founded the Utica Savings Bank.

In 1835, he bought from the Holland Land Company over 400,000 acres in Western New York of what remained of the Holland Purchase, including much of the territory of Cattaraugus, Allegany, and Wyoming counties.^[2] He then founded St. Bonaventure University in Allegany, New York on land that he had himself donated.^[1] With John Timon, the Bishop of Buffalo, he was also instrumental in inviting a group of Franciscan brothers from Italy, to minister to the growing Catholic population of Western New York and to teach at the new university. The largest residence hall on the St. Bonaventure University campus is named Devereux Hall in his honor.

Devereux was an ardent Catholic,^[3] and a generous philanthropist.^[2]

References