The Gen. James S. Wadsworth Institute
of History and Genealogy
Hartford House
Geneseo, N.Y.

Table of Contents

Genealogy

History

Reunions
General James S. Wadsworth of Geneseo, N.Y. was one of the most distinguished members of the Wadsworth family that descended from William Wadsworth who arrived in Boston in 1632. Born in 1807, he entered into service in the Union Army during the Civil War at age 54.

He fought at Gettysburg where he received a brevet promotion to General. He was killed while fighting at The Battle of the Wilderness in 1864. He also served as Military Governor of Washington, D.C. and ran as the Republican candidate for Governor of New York in 1862.

He married Mary Craig Wharton of Philadelphia in 1834 and they honeymooned in London, England at the Villa of the Earl of Hertford in Regents Park. James & his bride liked the Villa so much that they received the plans and built a replica of it in Geneseo, named The Hartford House in 1835. For more on the history of the English Villa see: http://www.clarioncall.com/gchits/hh1.html

The Hartford House is still in the family 5 generations later and is now the home of the Wadsworth Institute, named for the General. For more on the history of the Wadsworth Family, particularly those who have followed the General as owners of the Hartford House, please click here.

The Institute is run by Corrin Strong, the current owner of the Hartford House and the Great-Great-Great Grandon of the General. Corrin has created space for the Institute in the front hall of the Hartford House Bed & Breakfast.  He is working on the genealogy of all male decendants of the original William Wadsworth and will be posting more information here soon.

He is also curator of a great deal of family documents and photographs kept at the Institute. In addition to the General, other significant family members include his grandson Sen. James W. Wadsworth Jr. The Senator married Alice Hay the daughter of Secretary of State John Hay.

Corrin can be reached at corrin07@gmail.com