Richmond Pearson Collection (1852-1923)

Richmond Pearson Collection 1852-1923 M77.3.1 ; OS1977.3.1
Portrait of Richmond Pearson, (1852-1923) [pear003], Richmond Pearson Collection, D.H. Ramsey Library, Special Collections, UNC Asheville 28804
Title	Richmond Pearson Collection
Creator	Richmond Pearson Estate
Alt. Creator	Southern Highlands Research Center
Identifier	http://toto.lib.unca.edu/findingaids/mss/pearson/default_pearson.htm
Subject Keyword :	Richmond Pearson ; Buncombe County government ; Asheville, NC ; Populist party ; Republican party ; painting ; case photographs ; architecture ; Gabrielle Thomas Pearson ; James Thomas Pearson ; Marjorie Noel Pearson ; ambassadors ; Persia ; Congress ; Theodore Roosevelt ; General Assembly 1895 ;
Description	From 1884-1886 Pearson served as a member of the State house of representatives and was elected to the Fifty-fourth and Fifty-fifth Congresses (1895 and 1899) and later served again in the State House. In 1901Pearson was appointed by President Theodore Roosevelt as United States counsel to Genoa, Italy and in 1902 as Envoy Extraordinary and Minister Plenipotentiary to Persia. In 1907 he served as Minister to Greece and Montenegro. This collection contains personal papers, business items, photographs and original oil paintings belonging to Richmond Pearson. The oil paintings include a portrait of Richmond Pearson and of his son. The collection also contains certificates awarded to Thomas Pearson, including a framed letter dated 1815-07-27 from Joseph Pearson to citizens of Rowan, Randolph, and Chatham County in piedmont North Carolina.
Publisher	D.H. Ramsey Library, Special Collections, University of North Carolina at Asheville 28804
Contributor	Southern Highlands Research Center ; Jeffrey DeCristofaro
Date	2002-12-03, 2005-12-19 ; 2011-01-24
Type	Collection ; Text ; images
Format	One small document box, one realia box, 1 carton, 1 oversized box
Source	M1977.3.1, OS1977.3.1
Language	English
Relation	E.M. Ball Photographic Collection, D.H. Ramsey Library, Special Collections, University of North Carolina at Asheville 28804 ; Richmond Pearson Papers, #3647 Manuscripts Dept., Library of the Univ. of NC at Chapel Hill, Southern Historical Collection. Richmond M. Pearson Papers #584 Manuscripts Dept., Library of the Univ. of NC at Chapel Hill, Southern Historical Collection
Coverage	1852-1923 ; Asheville, NC
Rights	Any display, publication, or public use must credit the D.H. Ramsey Library, Special Collections, University of North Carolina at Asheville. Copyright retained by the creators of certain items in the collection, or their descendents, as stipulated by United States copyright law.
Donor	Richmond Pearson Estate
Acquisition	1977-03-03
Citation	Richmond Pearson Collection , D.H. Ramsey Library, Special Collections, University of North Carolina at Asheville 28804
Processed by	Special Collections staff, 1977, 2002, 2013
Biography:
	Richmond Pearson was born in Yadkin County on January 26, 1852. He attended Horner's School in Oxford, NC and went on to Princeton College where he graduated in 1872. A student of law, he was admitted to the bar in 1874. His skill at international diplomacy was recognized early and he was assigned as U.S. Counsel to Verviers and Liege, Belgium the same year he passed the bar, 1874 and served until 1877. From 1884-1886 he served as a member of the State house of representatives and was elected to the Fifty-fourth and Fifty-fifth Congresses (1895 and 1899). During this period he initiated several legislative acts. Perhaps the most controversial was an act to eliminate fences in most of the townships. An economic reform, the act required the owners of sheep, cattle, and other livestock to keep them "in bounds." General Johnston Jones violently opposed the legislation and their quarrel is well known in the annals of North Carolina legislative history. Also, in a much contested battle during the Fifty-sixth Congress, he defeated William T. Crawford by one vote and served from May 10, 1900 to March 3, 1901. On December 11, 1901 he was appointed by President Theodore Roosevelt as United States counsel to Genoa, Italy and in 1902 as Envoy Extraordinary and Minister Plenipotentiary to Persia. In 1907 he served as Minister to Greece and Montenegro. He resigned from all diplomatic service in 1909. Richmond Pearson married Gabrielle Thomas of Richmond, VA. In 1889 they established their "Richmond Hill" residence in Asheville, N.C.. The Pearson's three children were Richmond Pearson, Jr. (1886-1900), Marjorie Noel Pearson, (1890-1972), and James Thomas Pearson, (1893-1963). Richmond Pearson, Sr. died at "Richmond Hill" on September 12, 1923 and was interred in Riverside Cemetery in Asheville, NC. His wife, Gabrielle, died the following year, 1924 and is also buried in Riverside Cemetery in Asheville, NC. "Richmond Hill" eventually became a hotel before being destroyed by fire in March 2009. In 2011, digital photographs of the Richmond Hill Inn were donated by Jeffrey DeCristofaro. Mr. DeCristofaro retains the copyright for these images which have been included as a virtual addendum to this collection.
Series:	01	Documents
	02	Photographs
	03	Photograph Album
	04	Case Photographs
	05	Oversize
	06	Objects [Paintings]
	07	Richmond Hill Inn Photographs

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Richmond Pearson Collection 1852-1923

Portrait of Richmond Pearson, (1852-1923) [pear003], Richmond Pearson Collection, D.H. Ramsey Library, Special Collections, UNC Asheville 28804

Richmond Pearson Collection
1852-1923

Portrait of Richmond Pearson, (1852-1923) [pear003],
Richmond Pearson Collection, D.H. Ramsey Library, Special Collections, UNC Asheville 28804