Program

NYS Historic

Subject

Government, People, Religion

Location

623-601 Columbia St, Utica, NY 13502, USA

Lat/Long

43.10419, -75.241036

Grant Recipient

Irish Cultural Center of the Mohawk Valley

John C. Devereux was a leading citizen of the city of Utica in Oneida County, New York. He was born in Ireland and immigrated to America, settling in Utica around 1800 (Albany Evening Atlas, December 14, 1848). He was a successful merchant in Utica, benefiting from the city’s location on the Erie Canal.

In 1839, he was appointed mayor by the Utica common council for one year. On February 13, 1840, New York state passed an act that required city mayors be elected annually by voters. The law went into effect immediately and that March, Devereux was elected by the voters of Utica to serve as its first elected mayor for the year 1840.

Throughout his career, Devereux contributed greatly to the growth and development of Utica. While serving as mayor, Devereux helped establish the Savings Bank of Utica, which was incorporated in 1839. In 1819, he helped establish St. John’s Church, a Roman Catholic church in Utica, serving as a trustee and contributing financially to the construction of the church buildings. He also helped establish the St. John’s Church Orphan Asylum, for which he served on its first board of trustees in 1837. In 1834, Devereux establish the Hibernian Benevolent Society of Utica to provide charitable relief to its members in cases of illness or disability.

Devereux passed away at 74 years old in December 1848. A notice of his death published in the December 14, 1848 issue of the Albany Evening Atlas referred to him as, “a man of pure and elevated character, and of great benevolence” and stated that many citizens of Utica, “particularly the older residents, of Irish birth, who knew and appreciated his character, will hear with regret of his death.