F. W. Geissenhainer III
Frederick William Geissenhainer III was born on Birth 20 March 1825 in East Vincent Township, Chester, Pennsylvania, and Christened on 26 May 1825 in East Pikeland Township, Chester, Pennsylvania. 239 He was the son of Rev. Dr. Frederick W. Geissenhainer II (b.1797-d. 1879) and Mary (Moore) Geissenhainer (b.1801-d.1972).240 His grandfather, Frederick W. Geissenhainer I was a German immigrant and Lutheran minister, who settled and started a family in Pennsylvania. His father had likewise had become a Lutheran Minister.241
In 1827, Frederick W. Geissenhainer II moved the family to New York City, where he was an assistant pastor at St. Matthew’s Lutheran Church, from 1827- 1840, and pastor at the United German Evangelical Lutheran Church (later named St. Paul’s) until his death in 1879.242
Frederick W. Geissenhainer III grew up in New York City. By 1850, he had begun a career as a lawyer. Over the next few decades, he had become a prominent and wealthy attorney in New York City.243 He married Lucia (Whitman) Geissenhainer (b.1845) sometime between 1870 and 1880.244
By 1880, Geissenhainer had moved to the then unincorporated community of Sea Cliff, Oyster Bay, New York.245 He became a prominent figure in that community. He helped lead the effort to have Sea Cliff incorporated as a village in 1883 and became the first village president. He constructed a railroad line and depot in Sea Cliff. He helped to establish a church in the village. He was part of a group that established a school for the children in Sea Cliff and established a school district for the village. In 1884, he was part of a group that created the village’s fire company, provided much of the funding used to acquire its equipment and vehicles, and supplied the company with water from his private reservoir. The company named the F. W. Geissenhainer fire engine company in his honor.246
In 1888, the Prohibition Party slate of candidates for the village election were elected, with Geissenhainer being selected as village president.247 After his time as village president, Geissenhainer continued to live in Sea Cliff. By 1900, Geissenhainer appears to have retired from being a lawyer and had moved to making money as a landlord.248
Frederick William Geissenhainer III had died on March 10, 1906, in Sea Cliff, Oyster Bay, Nassau County, New York. He was buried in the Geissenhainer family vault in the All Faiths Cemetery, Middle Village, Queens, New York.
Sources:
239 “Frederick W. Geissenhainer”, FamilySearch.org, Accessed, June 19, 2021, https://www.familysearch.org/tree/person/details/LYBK-3B6; “F W Guissenhainer: United States Census, 1900”, FamilySearch.org, Accessed, June 19, 2021, https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:MSJX-LR4; “Frederick William Geissenhainer (1825-1906) -Find A Grave Memorial”, Find a Grave, Accessed June 19, 2021, https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/156318388/frederick-william-geissenhainer.
240 “Frederick W. Geissenhainer”, FamilySearch.org; “Rev Frederick William Geissenhainer Jr. (1797-1875), Find A Grave Memorial”, Find a Grave, Accessed June 19, 2021, https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/129549412/frederick-william-geissenhainer.
241 “Rev Frederick William Geissenhainer Sr. (1771-1838)- Find A Grave Memorial”, Find a Grave, Accessed June 19, 2021, https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/130452812/frederick-williamgeissenhainer; Maurita, “The Pastoral Records of Frederick W. Geissenhainer”, New-York Historical Society, July 7, 2015, https://blog.nyhistory.org/the-pastoral-records-of-frederick-wgeissenhainer/.
242 “Rev Frederick William Geissenhainer Jr. (1797-1875), Find A Grave Memorial”, Find a Grave; Maurita, “The Pastoral Records of Frederick W. Geissenhainer”
243 “Frederick W. Geissenhainer”, FamilySearch.org; “Frederick W Gepenhainer: United States Census, 1850”, FamilySearch.org, Accessed, June 19, 2021, https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:MCBF-437?from=lynx1UIV8&treeref=LYBK-3B6; “Fred'R W Gussenhainer: United States Census, 1880”, FamilySearch.org, Accessed, June 19, 2021, https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:MZFH-9HC?from=lynx1UIV8&treeref=LYBK-3B6; Reres, “Birth of A Village: Sea Cliff’s First President”, Village Bulletin, (Sea Cliff, New York), June 2017
244 “Frederick W. Geissenhainer”, FamilySearch.org; “Fred W Gessunheim: United States Census, 1870”, FamilySearch.org, Accessed, June 19,
2021.,https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:M8FZ-ND3?from=lynx1UIV8&treeref=LYBK-3B6
245 “Frederick W. Geissenhainer”, FamilySearch.org; “Fred'R W Gussenhainer: United States Census, 1880”, FamilySearch.org; Kathleen Diresta, “With much fanfare, Sea Cliff celebrates 135th birthday”, liherald.com, October 18, 2018, Accessed, June 18, 2021, https://www.liherald.com/stories/with-much-fanfare-sea-cliff-celebrates-135th-birthday,108260; Reres, “Birth of A Village: Sea Cliff’s First President”, Village Bulletin, (Sea Cliff, New York), June 2017
246 Reres, “Birth of A Village: Sea Cliff’s First President”, Village Bulletin, (Sea Cliff, New York), June 2017; Diresta, “With much fanfare, Sea Cliff celebrates 135th birthday”; “SEA CLIFF, (L. I.) N. Y., WELL PROTECTED”, Fire Engineering, September 3, 2019, https://www.fireengineering.com/leadership/sea-cliff-l-i-n-y-well-protected/#gref.
247 “The Whole Ticket Elected”, The Voice, (New York City, New York), April 5, 1888, Accessed, June 4
248 “Frederick W. Geissenhainer”, FamilySearch.org; “F W Guissenhainer: United States Census, 1900”
249 “Frederick W. Geissenhainer”, FamilySearch.org; “Frederick William Geissenhainer (1825-1906) -Find A Grave Memorial”, Find a Grave
-- Contributed by Jonathan Makeley
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