Francis Furman
| Francis Furman | |
|---|---|
| Born | 1816 |
| Died | 1899 |
Resting place | Mount Olivet Cemetery |
| Residence |
North Cherry Street Nashville, Tennessee |
| Nationality | American |
| Occupation | Businessman |
| Spouse(s) | Mary J. Furman |
| Children | Charles Furman |
Francis Furman (1816-1899) was a prominent American businessman in Nashville, Tennessee during the Reconstruction Era.
Biography
Early life
Francis Furman was born in 1816.[1]
Career
He became a successful businessman in Nashville, Tennessee after the Civil War.[2] He was the owner of Furman & Co. Wholesale Dry Goods and Notions on Nashville's Public Square from 1870 to 1890.[2]
Personal life
He was married to Mary J. Furman (1828-1900).[1][2] They resided on North Cherry Street in Nashville.[3] In 1859, they had a son, Charles Furman, who died as an infant.[3] As for Francis, he died in 1899.[1] He was buried in the Mount Olivet Cemetery in Nashville, where his tomb was designed by Danish-born sculptor Johannes Gelert (1852-1923).[1][4] It is the largest tomb in the cemetery.[5]
Legacy
- Furman Hall on the campus of Vanderbilt University in Nashville is named in his honor.[2][6][7][8] It was the result of a US$100,000 donation by his widow after his death, even though he never attended the university.[2][7][9] Inside the building, there is a sculpture of Francis Furman.[2] From 1907 to 1967, it housed the Chemistry and Physics Department.[2][7][8] Since 1967, it has been home to the Humanities Department.[2][7][8]
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 FindAGrave: Francis Furman
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 2.4 2.5 2.6 2.7 Princine Lewis, The Thief, the Pocket Watch, and the Dry Goods Merchant, Vanderbilt Magazine, Fall 2010
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 The Nashville City Cemetery
- ↑ Mount Olivet Cemetery tomb
- ↑ Christine Kreyling, Six Feet Under, Nashville Scene, August 09, 2007
- ↑ Google Maps
- ↑ 7.0 7.1 7.2 7.3 G. Alexander Heard, Speaking of the University: Two Decades at Vanderbilt, Nashville, Tennessee: Vanderbilt University Press, 1995, p. 325
- ↑ 8.0 8.1 8.2 Nashville Public Library Digital Collections
- ↑ Robert A. McGaw, The Vanderbilt Campus: A Pictorial History, Nashville, Tennessee: Vanderbilt University Press, 1978, p. 60
External links
Furman Hall statue by Johannes Gelert
