Lawrence, Watson Effingham (1788–1872)

1788–1872

Parents: Effingham Lawrence (1760–1800) and Elizabeth Watson (1763–1852).
Spouse: Augusta Maria Nicoll (1792–1864), great-granddaughter of William Nicoll, the original patentee of Islip, Long Island.
Children: Jane Nicoll Lawrence (1810–after 1870), Elizabeth Watson Lawrence (1814–1867), Edward M. Lawrence (1815–after 1860), John Nicoll Lawrence (1816–1817), Augusta Nicoll Lawrence (1818–1820), Charlotte Augusta Lawrence (1823–1858), Watson Augustus Lawrence (1825–1841), Mary Yallman Lawrence (1828–1909), Emma Augusta Lawrence (1832–1902), Charles Edward Lawrence (1836–1907), and Ann Watson Lawrence (1839–1898).
Kinship: First cousin five times removed of the post–World War II Smith generation.

Early Life and Inheritance Watson Effingham Lawrence inherited a substantial fortune from his branch of the Lawrence family of Flushing. His lineage connected him to both the Long Island Lawrences and, through his marriage, to the influential Nicoll family, long prominent as landowners and public officials in Suffolk County.

Public Service He served as a magistrate of Flushing, a position reflecting both his family’s standing and his personal reputation for judgment and civic responsibility. He held this office until 1825, when he relocated to New York City.

Industrial and Land Development Ventures Seeking new investments beyond inherited land and securities, Watson purchased extensive property in Ulster County along the Hudson River. Recognizing the growing demand for hydraulic cement—particularly with the boom in canal, bridge, and public-works construction—he established cement works on his land.

His operations produced what was then known as “natural hydraulic cement,” similar to that used in major regional infrastructure projects. Lawrence demonstrated unusually progressive employer practices for the era: he built housing for his workers and laid out a small company town that he named Lawrenceville. With the mill, quarrying operations, housing, and supporting trades, Lawrenceville grew into a local industrial center.

Wealth and Later Years His cement enterprise proved highly successful, and by the mid-nineteenth century he was regarded as the wealthiest citizen in that part of the State. His investments in land, industrial production, and local development created a durable family fortune that carried into the next generation. He remained active in his business interests into old age and lived to 84.