Detailed Life Events
Early life
William Lamon Harkness was born in Bellevue, Ohio, the son of Daniel M. Harkness, the half-brother of both Henry Flagler and Stephen V. Harkness, two of the five founders of Standard Oil, and his wife Isabella Harkness. Upon his father Daniel's death in 1896, he inherited a large share in Standard Oil, a company in which his father had been an early shareholder.
Will attended Bellevue Public Schools in Bellevue, Ohio, and The Brooks Military School in Cleveland. In 1881, he graduated from Yale University.
Life
Will's early adulthood was spent in Cleveland, Ohio. Early in their marriage, Will and Edith Hale Harkness lived at 984 Euclid Avenue on "Millionaires Row" in Cleveland.
In 1896, after the death of his father, he moved from Cleveland, Ohio to a home at 12 East 53rd Street in New York City. Will also owned a country home, Dosoris, at Glen Cove on Long Island. A yachtsman and sportsman, he was a member of The Union Club of Cleveland, The Metropolitan Club New York, New York Yacht Club, the Seawanhaka Corinthian Yacht Club, and Piping Rock Club.
Gunilda
In August 1911, while in command of his steam yacht Gunilda on Lake Superior, Will ran her aground, due to his failure in recognizing a requirement for a pilot and then compounding the matter by not hiring tugs at the appropriate time. She would sink in days. He put in a claim against the ship's insurer, Lloyd's of London for about $132,000 dollars, and received $100,000 compensation. See our detailed Gunilda page for more on the sinking of the Gunilda - included a full set of family pictures on the Gunilda between 1902-1909 HERE.
The yacht sank in very cold and deep waters in Lake Superior and is still in good shape today at the bottom of Lake Superior. It is a favorite dive for highly experienced deep-water divers. The yacht has been protected from looting and is preserved for all history.
See more about The Gunilda Wreck here.
Philanthropy
Shortly before his death, Harkness donated $400,000 to Yale University. The William L. Harkness Hall at Yale University was completed in 1927 as the gift of Mr. W.L. Harkness, B.A. 1881, and his family. Mrs. William L. Harkness oversaw the construction of this classroom building after her husband left money for that purpose. According to her wishes, Dwight Hall was demolished so that there would be an “unobstructed view” of Harkness Tower.
It is a Collegiate Gothic building of Aquia sandstone with Ohio sandstone trim and contains offices and lecture & recitation rooms for the French, German, and Music departments. William Adams Delano was the architect.
Personal life
William L. Harkness house at 12 East 53rd Street, New York, NY. The townhouse has been part of the LIM Fashion College recently. It is currently for sale in 2023 for $28 Million and is approximately 25,000 square feet.
I was able to take a tour of the building while it was still operating as LIM. Inside it had all been "renovated" so nothing other than a fireplace or two seemed to remain. The exterior looks fantastic though.
More detailed information on the townhouse can be found here.
Family and Staff
The 1910 New York Census shows William and Edith in residence at 12 East 53rd Street, along with children Louise and William. You can also see a full house staff including a housekeeper, chambermaid, lady's maid, cook, and nurse.
Away from the City - Long Island Gold Coast
Throughout history, New York City residents have embraced the tradition of maintaining both an urban residence and a "country" or "summer" home, providing them with an escape from the fast-paced lifestyle of the city. The Harkness family, in line with this practice, possessed a country home on Long Island as their retreat from the bustling city life.
The Long Island Gold Coast, a stretch of the North Shore of Long Island, New York, gained renown during the late 19th and early 20th centuries as a haven for opulent estates owned by affluent families. Characterized by its picturesque landscapes, waterfront mansions, and grandeur, the Gold Coast became synonymous with wealth and luxury. Notable residents, including the likes of the Vanderbilts, Pratts, Astors, Whitneys, Woolworths and Harknesses, erected magnificent estates that showcased architectural splendor and hosted extravagant gatherings. The allure of the Gold Coast persisted through its association with the American Gilded Age, capturing the imagination of many and leaving an indelible mark on the region's history and cultural legacy.
Dosoris Island was owned completely by JP Morgan's son Junius after he added in the Harkness 15 acres of land to his 31 acres in 1948.
In 1873, the 46-acre Dosoris Island (Wife's Dowry in Latin) was purchased by Charles Dana, editor, and co-owner of The New York Sun newspaper. He lived in the existing home there and brought in the famous landscape architect Frederick Law Olmstead to create an exotic oasis full of trees and fauna from around the world.
Dosoris, minus East and West Islands, was called Dosoris Park in the 1800s, and was purchased by Charles Pratt, a board member of Standard Oil. Dosoris Park would encompass all of the Pratt family estates that were established between 1890 and 1915. Besides the area, and the road (Dosoris Lane) that connects Glen Cove’s commercial district to its north shore, the name has been preserved in Dosoris Pond, which separates East and West Islands from the mainland, and Dosoris Way, a street that parallels Forest Avenue. Additionally, West Island is often shown on maps as Dosoris Island. Again, a Standard Oil connection with the Pratt and Harkness families.
Charles Dana died in 1897 and in 1905 his son Paul subdivided the 46-acre island into two properties. He kept 31 acres for himself and sold 15 acres to William L. Harkness. This included the old frame house. In 1913 Harkness contracted James Gamble Rogers ( often used as "The Harkness family's architect") to build a more elegant residence - as seen in the photo below.
Photos above courtesy of Nancy Titus Helfrich granddaughter of Mr. and Mrs. Fred Titus.
There is a photo above of Mr. and Mrs. Fred Titus. Fred Titus started with the Harkness family in 1907 as superintendent of the grounds and had a staff of 28 gardeners, 2 painters, a carpenter, and a plumber.
Will Harkness died in 1919 at the age of 60 and his wife Edith Hale Harkness inherited the Dosoris home along with their other properties. Edith passed away in 1947 at the age of 81. Shortly afterward, the Dosoris estate was purchased by their one and only neighbor, Junius S. Morgan III, who in1928 had snapped up Paul Dana's half of the island and built Salutation. In about 1948, Mrs. Morgan demolished it to make way for a Colonial-Revival-style guesthouse in its place.
While the Harkness home is no longer standing on the island, the Morgan Salutation estate is and can be seen here. More information about the Gold Coast Mansions can be found here.
Junius's father Jack (JP Jr.) Morgan lived on East Island, right next door.
William Harkness was married to Edith Hale (1863–1947), daughter of Edwin B. Hale, a prominent banker from Cleveland.
Together, they were the parents of:
Louise Hale Harkness (b. 1897), married David Sinton Ingalls (1899–1985) in 1922. His mother, Jane Taft, was the niece of President William Howard Taft. He was the grandson of railroad executive Melville E. Ingalls and great-grandson of industrialist David Sinton. David was the US Navy's only flying ace in WW I
William Hale Harkness "Bill" (1900–1954), married Elisabeth Grant in 1932, and later on October 1, 1947, he married Rebekah Semple West Pierce (1915–1982). More about Bill and his home in Rhode Island and the Taylor Swift song written about him can be found here.
William L. Harkness died in New York City in 1919 and was buried at Woodlawn Cemetery in The Bronx, New York. He was initially interred in the Lamon V. Harkness Mausoleum. Later, Edith had their own Mausoleum built at Woodlawn near Lamon's. This was finished on 5/31/1923 and Will was moved there at that time. Edward S. Harkness's Mausoleum is also very nearby to Lamon and William's at Woodlawn.
He left an estate of $53,439,437, which would be approximately $835 million in 2021 dollars, of which $37,272,254 was stock in Standard Oil. Half of his estate including his houses at 12 West 53rd in New York and Dosoris at Glen Cove, NY went to his wife Edith Hale Harkness. The remaining half was divided between his daughter Louise Hale Harkness and son William Hale Harkness.
William Hale "Bill" Harkness is connected to Taylor Swift through his home in Rhode Island. See more about that here.
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