Lawrence, Newbold (1809–1885)

Childhood and Forest Hill Newbold spent the summers of his childhood at Forest Hill, the estate built by his father Joseph Lawrence. The property, now located at 133rd Street and Riverside Drive, provided an expansive landscape ideal for outdoor activities, including shooting and exploration.

Manhattan Residence In 1851, Newbold and Anna Hough Trotter moved into 45 East 29th Street in Manhattan, a three-story brick row house built on recently developed farmland. They lived there each winter season until their deaths. The parlor was decorated for Christmas, including a portrait of Joseph Trotter over the mantle, reflecting the family’s artistic and social culture.

Home Dramatic Society and Theatrical Productions The Lawrence family maintained a Home Dramatic Society, staging amateur performances in their Manhattan home. The year 1876 saw a variety of productions that engaged the children and reinforced the family’s cultural interests.

The house remained in family hands at least until the 1920s, with Caroline (1852–1937) as the final inhabitant. She never married. A surprise party was given one evening to the unmarried daughter who still lived in the house. Gifts of silver were presented to her, that she might have a share in the generosity brought forth at the marriages and anniversaries of the other sisters.

Caroline Trotter Lawrence in grandmother Ann Hough’s Quaker wedding dress (right)

The last family function was held in 1924, a wedding reception for a granddaughter: “It was an old fashioned party to suit the house, illumined only by candle light and gay with flowers. As the bride and groom descended the staircase their departure was in the midst of a shower of rose petals, which afterward lay inches deep on the floor!”