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James Walter Douglas (4 November 1837 – 25 June 1918) was a British North America born mining engineer and businessman who introduced a number of metallurgical innovations in copper mining and amassed a fortune through the copper mining industry in Arizona, before and after the turn of the 20th century. James Douglas lived on an estate with his family in a home built around 1890, located at what is now Raoul Wallenberg Forest, off Palisade Avenue in Spuyten Duyvil.
Born in 1837, in Quebec City, Canada, he studied both medicine and theology with the intent of becoming a minister but was never ordained. His interest in mining and geology eventually supplanted his interest in medicine and he was involved with many experiments in the hydrometallurgy of coppers. He became the first president of Phelps Dodge Corp., which became a Fortune 500 Company. (See also William E. Dodge of Riverdale). He was considered one of the most talented mining entrepreneurs in the mining industry and is widely credited with the exploitation of great ore body known as the “Copper Queen”, in Bisbee, Arizona.
In 1912 Douglas gave $100,000 to General Memorial Hospital (which would become known as Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center) for the endowment of ten beds for clinical research work, and the equipment for an X-ray plant and clinical laboratory. In 1915 Dr. Douglas helped to establish a radium department and lay the foundation in the United States for radiation therapy. At the time of his death in 1918, he had amassed a fortune of over $20,000,000.
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There are several local landmarks in our community that derive their origins from James Douglas, including the land upon which Seton Hospital once stood, PS 24, and Riverdale Park, but also the Kingsbridge Free Library, located at 3041 Kingsbridge Avenue. With funds contributed by Andrew Carnegie, this neo-Federal style building opened in 1905, and became the second NYPL branch in The Bronx. The one-story, three-bay, red brick structure has splayed stone lintels characteristic of the style, as well as an oversized pedimented entrance. The former library, is adjacent to the property of the Church of the Mediator, and is now occupied by the Spuyten Duyvil Preschool, a Six to Celebrate
recipient in 2024. -
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James Douglas was a vestry and warden of the Church of the Mediator. The Douglas family assigned the church the West 231st Street frontage. Mr. Douglas gave $5,000.00 toward a new church building, and additional $5,000.00 and land north of the present rectory.
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The most prized possession in the church, are two authentic Tiffany windows installed in “Mary’s Chapel,” off to the side of the main altar. Dr. James Douglas donated the works as a tribute to his daughter Lily, who died at the young age of 28. Louis Comfort Tiffany personally oversaw the installation.
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Not as prominent, but just as lovely are a triptych Lancet of Stained-Glass windows depicting St. Martha and Dorcas, crafted by C.E. Kempe & Co., a prominent London firm renowned for its medieval inspired style. In the New Testament, both St. Martha and Dorcas (Tabitha) are known for their acts of kindness and service to others. The “dedication “of these panels are in the right-hand corner, of James Douglas and his wife Naomi, and their birth and death dates. I assume that this window was donated by the children of James and Naomi, as the family lived in the Spuyten Duyvil house until 1944.
James Douglas died at this home on June 25, 1918, at the age of eighty- one. His funeral
was held at the Church of the Mediator, on June 26, and was attended by prominent representatives of the American Institute of Mining Engineers and of the Canadian Mining Institute.The Douglas Family archives are located at Arizona University library in the Papers of Lewis W. Douglas, 1859-1974.
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The Raoul Wallenberg plaque is interesting to what it does not state. The person who made this park possible after facing a few years of push back by the then elected officials was Tom Bird. Tom is a neighborhood and long time resident and member of the KHS and one of the last members of the Edgehill Church community. Years ago Tom was a very active community activist. If it wasn’t for his tenacity and not taking NO for an answer, there would be no Raoul Wallenberg park. At the time, 35 years ago, our elected officials were doing a John Kerry being for the park before they were against it and in this case back for it. This was during the Ed Koch administration when the” City was for Sale”. But Tom keep pushing with save the park committee meetings and finally an Arms Around the Park rally that brought the community together to save the park. When the day came for the ceremony to dedicate the Park a flatbed truck was parked in the middle of Seton Park and was filled to the brim with our elected officials, community board members and many others. The only person not on the stage was Tom Bird. And so it goes, Thanks Tom !
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