John H. Bibb
John H. Bibb (July 29, 1814 – September 26, 1888) was a prominent 19th-century businessman and civic leader in Charlottesville. A member of the Bibb Family of Albemarle County and nephew of William A. Bibb, he began his career as a clerk with Valentine, Fry & Co., eventually becoming an independent merchant. He was successful in business until the American Civil War interrupted commercial activity.
Bibb served as the first cashier of the Charlottesville Savings Bank and was elected to the Town Council in 1859. In 1863, he was elected Mayor of Charlottesville, succeeding George Carr, and was succeeded in 1864 by George M. McIntire.
Residences and Properties
Bibb built a brick house on the west side of Ridge Street, known today as the Bibb-Wolfe House. As of 1901, it was owned by Dr. George Scribner. He later lived at Branchland, later occupied by Major Bolton, and eventually purchased a large brick house on East Jefferson Street that had formerly belonged to Colonel John R. Jones.
In 1857, Bibb bought the property at 109 East Jefferson Street (commonly known as Social Hall) from Colonel John Russell Jones, father of General John Marshall Jones. He held the title for 24 years before selling it in 1881 to Hanna Kaufman, who later sold it to Dr. J. Fulton Williams.
Family
John H. Bibb married Harriet Strother, daughter of French Strother of Culpeper County, Virginia. Their children included:
- Helen, who married William P. Louthan
- A. Pendleton Bibb
- Catharine, who married Dr. William DuBose, United States Navy
- French Strother "Frank" Bibb – their eldest son, who attended the University of Virginia until March 1862. He joined the Charlottesville Light Artillery as a second lieutenant, was wounded at the Battle of Chancellorsville, and died in Richmond, Virginia on May 28, 1863.
John H. Bibb died in 1888 and was buried in Maplewood Cemetery beside his wife Harriet and son Frank.
Bibb-Wolfe House
The Bibb-Wolfe House is located in the Ridge Street Historic District, a national historic district in Charlottesville. Built c. 1850, it is one of 32 contributing buildings in the four-block residential area. The district developed primarily after the 1870s–1880s.
Other notable properties in the district include:
- Gleason House (1890s)
- Fuller-Bailey House (1892)
- Clarence L. Hawkins House (1915)
- Gianny-Bailey House (1895)
- Walters-Witkin House (c. 1881)
- Colonel John B. Strange House (1855)
Social Hall
109 East Jefferson Street, commonly known as Social Hall, was purchased by John H. Bibb in 1857 from Colonel John Russell Jones. Bibb owned the property for 24 years. In 1881, it was sold to Hanna Kaufman and later to Dr. J. Fulton Williams.
The Bibb Family
The Bibb family originally came to Albemarle County from Louisa County, Virginia. In 1821, William A. Bibb—John’s uncle—entered the mercantile business with his father-in-law, Nimrod Bramham. He was appointed a county magistrate in 1832 and became the first cashier of the Charlottesville branch of the Farmers' Bank of Virginia. He held this role until operations were suspended during the Civil War.
In 1836, he purchased the square on which the old Female Seminary stood (the 1901 site of the Leterman mansion), which became his home until his death in 1865.
William A. Bibb married Sarah Bramham, and their children included:
- Henry Bibb
- Angeline, wife of Edward J. Timberlake
- Dr. William E. Bibb
- Horace Bibb
- Cornelia, wife of George W. Thornhill
- Emma, wife of Professor H. H. Harris
- James T. Bibb
- Sarah, wife of Robert Williams
- F. Gillett, wife of George Willingham of South Carolina
References
- Web. Early Charlottesville: Recollections of James Alexander, 1828–1874, Albemarle County Historical Society, reprinted from the Jeffersonian Republican (1942)
External links
- Recollections of James Alexander (via University of Virginia Library)