Page 44 - Galveston Waves August 2018

Did You Know?

G a l v e s t o n H i s t o r y

The Heritage of

The Rosenberg Library

Henry Rosenberg (1824 - 1893) 11, 1851. She died on June 4, 1888. He married
Henry Rosenberg, Galveston business Mollie Ragan Macgill (see ROSENBERG,
leader and philanthropist, was born in Bil- MOLLIE) of Hagerstown, Maryland, on No-
ten, Glarus Canton, Switzerland, on June vember 13, 1889. Both marriages were childless.
22, 1824, to Johann Rudolf and Waldburg Rosenberg died at Galveston on May 12, 1893,
(Blum) Rosenberg. With limited education- and was buried in Ludon Park Cemetery, Balti-
al opportunities, he went to work at seven- more, Maryland.
teen in a textile factory, where he and John Rosenberg’s civic contributions were not fully
Hessly, the son of his employer, became realized until after his death. His will provided
friends. Rosenberg followed Hessly to Gal- bequests to family and friends, followed by be-
veston, Texas, where he arrived in February quests to various charitable and religious causes.
1843 to work as a clerk in Hessly’s dry- Allotted in his will were $30,000 each to the Galveston Orphans’
goods store. He purchased half interest in Home, Grace Episcopal Church, Letitia Rosenberg Women’s Home
the store and acquired the remainder in three years’ time, then built it and a fund to put seventeen drinking fountains “for man and beast”
into the leading dry-goods store in the state by 1859. around Galveston. Rosenberg’s will also provided $65,000 for the con-
Rosenberg became a financier and investor and was active in banking, struction of a building for the Galveston Young Men’s Christian Asso-
real estate, and transportation. In 1866 he was appointed vice consul of ciation and $50,000 for erection of a heroes’ monument commemorat-
Switzerland for the state of Texas. He became Swiss consul three years ing the Texas Revolution. All of these projects were completed be-
later and held that position until his death. He began banking as a di- tween 1895 and 1900. The rest of Rosenberg’s estate, more than
rector of the First National Bank of Galveston in 1868 and expanded $600,000, provided for a free public library for the people of Galves-
his interests in 1871, when he became president of the Galveston City ton, the first free public library in the state.
Railroad Company. He was ap-
pointed city alderman the same The Rosenberg Library
year and served until 1872 as chair-
man of the licenses and assess- Rosenberg Library has offered
ments committee. He served a over a century of community ser-
second term from 1885 to 1887 vice to the Galveston area. The
and chaired the finance and reve- building itself was dedicated on
nue committee. He twice served June 22, 1904, the birthday of its
on the city library committee. He helped organize the Galveston Bank patron, Henry Rosenberg. The
and Trust Company in 1874 and served as its president and manager. Moody Memorial Wing opened in
After buying out the other stockholders, he continued the bank under 1971, more than doubling the
the name of H. Rosenberg, Banker, and functioned as its sole stock- floor space and allowing for a
holder. children’s library, a history center,
Rosenberg was also president of the Gulf, Colorado and Santa Fe Rail- several galleries to showcase museum collections, and later, a computer
way Company from 1874 to 1877, during which time the company laid lab.
its first fifty miles of track. He served as vice president of the Galves-
ton Wharf Company from 1889 until his death. He was a vestryman of Successor to the Galveston Mercantile Library, which was founded in
Trinity Episcopal Church from 1868 to 1883; he contributed about half 1871, Rosenberg Library is the oldest public library in Texas in contin-
the cost of construction of Eaton uous operation. With funding provided through a bequest from Henry
Memorial Chapel in 1882. He Rosenberg, the Rosenberg Library Association was organized pursuant
withdrew his membership in 1884 to a charter granted by the State of Texas on July 10, 1900, as a private
and became active in Grace corporation to give free library service to all Galvestonians. Since its
Church. In 1886 he donated the incorporation the institution has been governed by a board of twenty
Rosenberg Free School to the city trustees, who meet annually to elect a nine-member board of directors.
of Galveston. Rosenberg married
Letitia Cooper of Virginia on June

44 | Waves Magazine | August 2018 Issue