Seth Low Pierrepont (1884–1956) was a United States diplomat and politician.

Early life and education

Born in Brooklyn, New York on December 25, 1884 to Henry Evelyn Pierrepont, a merchant, and Ellen Low, Pierrepont was one of six children.[1] He was the nephew of Seth Low, mayor of New York City and President of Columbia University. In 1907 he graduated from Columbia University with a bachelor's degree.[2]

Career

Diplomatic and Navy service

Pierrepont was in the diplomatic service in Portugal, Italy, France, and Chile, eventually becoming chief of the Latin-American Division of the U.S. State Department from 1911 until 1913. During World War 1, he was on domestic duty in the United States Navy.[3]

Politician

Pierrepont moved to Ridgefield, Connecticut in 1913. While there, he became active in local politics and was a member of the Connecticut House of Representatives from 1921 to 1927, serving as a member of the Republican Party.[3][2] He served on the Ridgefield Board of Finance from 1921 to 1951. He was president of the Fairfield County Farm Bureau, was on the board of directors of Berea College from 1916 until his death, was a president of the Ridgefield Library, headed Ridgefield's celebration of the Connecticut Tercentenary in 1936, was chairman of the Connecticut Salvage Committee during World War 2, and was an official of St. Stephen's Church of Ridgefield for 40 years.[4][5] He was a delegate to the 1933 Connecticut Convention to Ratify the 21st Amendment.[6]

Philanthropy

In the early 1930s, Pierrepont purchased the land that would later become Seth Low Pierrepont State Park Reserve. He created a new lake that he later named Lake Naraneka from an "impassable" swamp on the property. He stated: "We are calling it Lake Naraneka after one of the Indian chiefs who signed the deed to the town of Ridgefield."[7] He later complained to Connecticut state authorities when he found the name "Pierrepont lake" being used on maps.

In his will, Pierrepont allocated 321 acres of the property to become Seth Low Pierrepont State Park Preserve, as a gift to the Connecticut State Park and Forest Commission. He also expressed his desire for his remaining family to give the remainder of the property to the state, but that never ended up happening as his widow decided to sell it to another man named Jerry Tuccio.[8][7]

Personal life

In 1909, Pierrepont married Nathalie Chauncey.[9] He died in 1956 and is buried in Green-Wood Cemetery in Brooklyn.[2]

References

  1. ↑ "HENRY E. PIERREPONT DEAD.; Retired Merchant Was One of the Brooklyn Family of Pierreponts". The New York Times. 1911-11-05. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2023-07-07.
  2. 1 2 3 "SETH PIERREPONT, U.S. EX-AIDE, DIES; Former Assistant in State Department's Division in Latin America Was 71". The New York Times. 1956-04-01. ISSN 0362-4331. ProQuest 113469545. Retrieved 2023-07-07.
  3. 1 2 "Ridgefield Man Named Conference Secretary". The Bridgeport Times and Evening Farmer. 1921-11-15. p. 7. Retrieved 2023-07-07.
  4. ↑ "Seth Low Pierrepont: The Man of the Park and Pond". www.naturegeezer.com. Retrieved 7 July 2023.
  5. ↑ Sanders, Jack. "Ridgefield Place Names beginning with P". jackfsanders.tripod.com. Retrieved 7 July 2023.
  6. ↑ "Top Place On Voting Machine Won By "Wets"". The Journal. 1933-05-24. p. 3. Retrieved 2023-07-07.
  7. 1 2 Sanders, Jack. "Naraneke and Ned". The Ridgefield Press. Retrieved 7 July 2023.
  8. ↑ "SETH PIERREPONT STATE PARK". stateparks.com. Retrieved 7 July 2023.
  9. ↑ "Brooklyn Society". The Brooklyn Daily Eagle. 1909-06-03. p. 10. Retrieved 2023-07-07.
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