Abner Peirce

Quick Facts

Significance:

Land Owner and Mill Builder

Date of Birth:

July 24, 1785

Place of Death:

Washington, DC

Date of Death:

June 27, 1851

Abner Peirce was born on July 24, 1785, to Isaac Peirce and Elizabeth Cloud Peirce in Pennsylvania. When he was five or six years old, the family moved to Maryland and lived on land that would become part of the District of Columbia. Abner would have spent a good deal of his childhood in what would eventually become Rock Creek Park.

Abner Peirce was responsible for helping his father build Peirce Mill in 1829. He was apparently an accomplished builder and had knowledge of construction techniques.

Abner inherited the Peirce estate as the eldest surviving son when Isaac died in 1841. He was named executor of Isaac's will and lived with his siblings until the time they married. The 1850 census indicates that Abner, then 65-years-old, was living with his 33-year-old nephew Pierce Shoemaker. Pierce and Abner were listed as being farmers and the estate was valued at $20,000.

Abner Peirce also appears on the 1850 Slave Schedule. This document lists the names of enslavers and identifying information of the people they enslaved. Abner is listed with 14 enslaved persons--the youngest being two 2-year-old boys and the oldest a 40-year-old male.

Abner advertised several hundred acres of land as being for sale in 1848. This land was described as being timbered at the time and suitable for houses. He also claimed that it had access to a "valuable waterfall" in Rock Creek and that it would be perfect for a mill or factory.

Very little is known about Abner. His name appears infrequently in newspapers, and he never got married. 

When Abner died in June of 1851, he bequeathed the entire Peirce estate to his nephew Pierce Shoemaker, who had been living with him for sometime.