Charles Frederick Havemeyer (March 1867 – May 9, 1898) was an American socialite prominent in New York society during the Gilded Age. He was a member of the wealthy Havemeyer family, which was associated with the sugar refining industry.
Early Life
Havemeyer was born in March 1867 in New York City and was known by the nickname "Carley." He was the eldest son of nine children born to Theodore Havemeyer (1839–1897) and Emilie (née de Loosey) Havemeyer (1844–1914). His paternal grandparents were Frederick Christian Havemeyer Jr., who started the family business, and Sarah Louise (née Henderson) Havemeyer. His maternal grandfather was Chevalier Charles Frederick de Loosey, the Austrian Consul to New York. His father and uncle, Henry Osborne Havemeyer, constructed one of the most modern sugar refineries in the world at the time.
Education and Career
Havemeyer was educated at home and in preparatory school before attending the Columbia School of Mines, graduating with the class of 1889. After completing his education, he entered the Havemeyer sugar house and the "Sugar Trust" founded and run by his family.
Society Life
In 1892, Havemeyer and his wife were included in Ward McAllister's "Four Hundred," a purported index of New York's best families published in The New York Times. The number 400 corresponded to the number of people who could fit into Mrs. Astor's ballroom.
Personal Life
On October 16, 1890, Havemeyer married Camilla Woodward Moss (1869–1934), the daughter of Courtland Dixon Moss and Camilla (née Woodward) Moss. The couple maintained a residence in New York City, a home known as "Old Brick Farm" in Roslyn, New York, and spent winters in Aiken, South Carolina. They had two children:
- Theodore Augustus Havemeyer III (1892–1941), who was involved in the lumber business in Vancouver.
- Charles Frederick Havemeyer Jr. (1898–1961), a sailor who attended Harvard University and served in France during World War I with the U.S. Marine Corps.
His father died on April 26, 1897, leaving an estate valued at $4 million.
Death
On May 9, 1898, approximately ten minutes after playing with his son Teddy and while dressing for dinner, Havemeyer died from a gunshot wound to the head from a pistol at his home in Roslyn, New York, at the age of 31. The death was never definitively determined to be intentional or accidental, though it was commonly believed to be a suicide. No motive was ever established. After a funeral at the Church of the Holy Innocents in Manhattan, he was buried at Green-Wood Cemetery in Brooklyn, New York.
Following his death, in December 1898, his widow gave birth to a second son, who was named after Charles. His widow later remarried to broker Frederick Ogden Beach Sr.
