Tar Heel History
By Billy Arthur
Nathaniel Rochester
This patriot, pioneer and founder of Rochester, New York,
spent much of his life in North Carolina.
Nathaniel Rochester, an adopted
Tar Heel and revolutionist,
became a foresigh led manufac¬
turer. banker, real estate developer leg¬
islator in three states and founder in
1811 of a settlement that today is the
great metropolis of Rochester. New
York.
Spilling along the Lake Ontario shore¬
line and once called the Flour City for its
milling, it is today known as Kodak City
and is among world leaders in photo¬
graphic film, optical goods and horticul¬
tural products.
Bom in 1752 in Westmoreland
County, Virginia, near the birthplace of
George Washington. Nathaniel
Rochester was 1 1 years old when his
family moved near Oxford in Granville
County. He was an apt pupil in the
school of the Reverend Henry Pauillo
and at age 16 went to work 40 miles away
in Hillsborough with James Monroe, a
Scottish merchant (not the former pres¬
ident). for the sum of five pounds a year.
So industrious was Rochester that in two
months his wages were raised to 60
pounds and in five years lie was made a
partner in the business.
However, with the approach of the
Revolutionary War. the business was liq¬
uidated and he turned to civic, military
and political affairs. He became clerk in
the local Episcopal vestry, a member of
the Committee of Safety for Orange
County and a delegate to North
Carolina's first Provincial Congress,
which put the colony on a war footing.
In addition, before he was 25 years
old. Rochester was a major in the militia,
justice of the peace, paymaster for the
minutemen of the area and delegate to
the Congress at Halifax in May 1776
when he was promoted to colonel and
appointed commissary general of mili¬
tary stores for 10 regiments of North
Carolina troops.
Earlier, in February of that year.
.\athaniel Rochester was a man of many facets.
Rochester had commanded two infantry
companies and one cavalry outfit pursu¬
ing Tories marching to join the British at
Wilmington. En route they captured 500
Tories retreating from the Battle of
Moores Creek Bridge. I hiring no place
to imprison or provisions to feed them,
he released all but 50 on oaths they
would not take up arms again for the
crown (but many did). The remaining
50 were turned over to loyalist forces at
Cross Creek (now Fayetteville).
When visiting port cities of Virginia
and the Carolinas to obtain supplies for
the regimental depot, he became sick
for a long spell at Wilmington and
resigned his command. But his political
role was not affected. In 1777 Orange
County named him its representative in
the first General Assembly of the State of
North Carolina. He also assisted in
establishing an academy in his home
area, supervised construction of a new
courthouse, headed a commission to
erect a gun factory in
Hillsborough, led a
wagon train north to
obtain iron for it and was
appointed clerk of the
court.
According to an auto¬
biography written in
1825 solely for his family,
he held the clerk's office
until the "fees did not
pay for the stationery
used, owing to deprecia¬
tion of the paper curren¬
cy." On resigning in
1778. he became one of
three auditors of public
accounts for the state
and was restored to rank
of colonel in the militia.
In that year he also
entered the mercantile
business at Hillsborough
with Colonel Thomas
Hart, whose daughter
later married three-time
United States Speaker of
the House Henry Clay of
Kentucky. 1 lart had large
holdings of land, mills
and other establishments
and evidently inspired
the dynamic Rochester
to begin investing his
earnings in real estate.
As the war neared I lillsliorough in 1 780,
the partnership was dissolved, and Hart
and family moved to Hagerstown.
Maryland, for safety. He was followed
closely by Rochester.
During the next two decades.
Rochester was active in business and pol¬
itics. In addition to establishing a Hour
mill and a rope and nail business, he
became a member of the Maryland leg¬
islature. postmaster, sheriff, judge, presi¬
dential elector, farmer and Episcopal
vestryman. In 1807 he founded and
became the first president of the Bank
Pfcol.i . uuiir.. of N C- hmunn
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The Slate/August 1995
10
