Telling Their Stories, Recognizing Their Impact: Jane Grandison
Content warning: Jane worked with the Frick family during some of the most difficult times in their lives; this blog post includes discussion of infant mortality and child loss.
A Gilded Age house was only as good as the staff that supported it, and luckily for the Frick household, they had a reliable support system in Jane Grandison, the family nurse and confidante. During the Gilded Age, nursing as a profession was a very intimate career. Nurses like Mrs. Grandison worked closely with a handful of families to help them with long-term childcare on top of any medical expertise they also provided. Because of this it was common for nurses and the families they worked for to develop strong relationships. In the case of the Fricks, Jane was a trusted employee and partner during some of the most difficult periods of their lives.
Jane Grandison pictured with Martha and Childs Frick. Photo courtesy of the Frick Art Reference Library.
Much of Jane’s early years are unknown, but she, like many other African Americans, may have migrated to Pittsburgh to seek better opportunities. Born in 1833 in Arkansas, she married Jeremiah “Jerry” Grandison, a native of Washington D.C. The 1880 Pittsburgh census lists Jane Grandison as living in the Hill District neighborhood on Logan Street with Jerry and their two children, Ida and William.
Jane and her family were well-known residents of the Hill District. Her husband Jerry made history in 1878 when Mayor Robert Liddell chose him and two other Black men, Dorsey Jones and Scott Taper, to serve as police officers for the very first time.
Throughout the 1880s, Jane worked as a professional nurse and wealthy families in Pittsburgh, which included the Fricks, frequently employed her. It’s probable that in 1889 she accompanied the Frick family on their vacation in Europe. On this trip, she would have helped to care for the very young Helen Frick. During the summer of 1891, Jane was traveling in Cresson Springs in Cambria County Pennsylvania, to assist the Dalzell family; John Dalzell was a congressman who represented Pittsburgh in the House of Representatives and served for 13 consecutive terms. John and his wife, Mary Duff, had five children and were a well-known family in the city. The Fricks were at the resort as well, attempting to improve the health of their oldest daughter, Martha. A close friend and employee of the Frick’s, Annie Blumenschine Stephany, recalls Jane inquiring about the health of Martha during that same summer. After Martha tragically passed away in August of 1891, Mrs. Grandison was hired by the Fricks once again in 1892.
Jane Grandison (far right) pictured with unknown children at an unknown location. Photo courtesy of the Frick Art Reference Library.
In addition to caring for Helen, Jane attended to Adelaide Frick either during or directly after the birth of her fourth child, Henry Clay Frick Jr. Henry’s birth was an extremely difficult labor and delivery process for both the mother and child. Jane helped care for Henry Jr. for the entirety of his life, which only lasted for several weeks. After Henry Clay Frick Jr. passed away, the family took post-mortem photographs of the infant, which was common at the time. These photos include Jane Grandison holding the baby on her lap. Her employment by the Frick family during this summer is even more notable because of the tumultuous nature of the time period. During the same summer in 1892, Henry Frick hired 300 Pinkertons, a private police agency, to break a strike in one of his steel mills, resulting in the death of 10 people. Directly afterward, there was an assassination attempt on Henry’s life by Alexander Berkman, an avowed anarchist. Because of the care that she showed his family, Jane was the only person that Henry Frick trusted to cook for him after that incident. Jane’s role at Clayton during and after the summer of 1892 speaks volumes to the intimate relationship between a nurse and her employer, as she was present for an extremely difficult period in the Fricks’ lives—she likely knew them at their most vulnerable.
Content warning: Post-mortem photography was common during the Gilded Age and often seen as part of the grieving ritual. Jane Grandison was photographed with Henry Clay Frick, Jr. after his death. You can access the image here. Photo courtesy of the Frick Art Reference Library.
Jane Grandison’s impact on the city extends far beyond the walls of Clayton and other homes of Pittsburgh’s upper class. One of her greatest legacies was the creation of the Home for Aged and Infirm Colored Women alongside Mary Bond Peck, whose brother David Jones Peck was the first African American to graduate from Rush Medical School in Chicago, IL in 1847. The home, established as a place of refuge for those who needed assistance, opened in 1883, initially in the Hill District. According to the Pittsburgh Press, “When the work was started there was no capital other than woman’s indomitable will at the back of the project, and it was by perseverance and patience that success was achieved.” The institution hosted tens of women at a time. One of the first women to stay was “Aunt Peggy,” who was well over 100 years old at the time of her registration at the Home. Mrs. Grandison served as the president of the Home for a time and, during her administration, two new pieces of property were purchased by the institution. She also secured the first state funding for the Home and some of the largest donations in the institution's history. The Home for Aged and Infirm Colored Women moved to the Lincoln-Lemington-Belmar neighborhood and later became known as the Lemington Home. These organizations served the residents of the neighborhood for over 120 years until 2005, when it ultimately closed. In addition to her work with these vital organizations, Jane also served on the Board of Managers of the Lincoln Memorial Cemetery Association and was a member of Trinity AME Church.
At the time of Jane Grandison’s passing in 1896, she was a highly respected resident of the Pittsburgh community. At the end of her life, her estate totaled $1,950 (approximately $70,000 today), which was distributed amongst her children and grandchildren. She is buried in Homewood Cemetery. Her funerary announcement reads:
“Her family lost a loving parent, the community a praiseworthy citizen, the association an earnest, conscientious official, and the board of managers an associate whose demise is deeply deplored and whose absence will be felt in many ways for a long period.”
Today, Jane Grandison is remembered for her life of service, both to the families she worked for and to her community.
Special thanks to Julie Ludwig and Jennie Bedford for their assistance with this blog post.
Bibliography
“Home for Aged and Infirmed Colored Women.” Pittsburgh Dispatch, April 14, 1889.
“Home for Aged and Infirmed Colored Women.” The Pittsburgh Press, February 21, 1897.
“Jane Grandison Frick’s Nursemaid.” Pittsburgh Courier, February 24, 1962.
“Lemington Home Fund.” The Pittsburgh Foundation, n.d. https://pittsburghfoundation.org/node/35208.
“Mayor Liddell’s Appointments - A Big Job - New Deputy Mayors.” The Pittsburgh Post, January 31, 1878.
Wheaton, Nathalie. “From the Rush Archives: David Jones Peck, MD.” Web log. RUSH Archives (blog). Library of RUSH University Archives, February 1, 2021. https://library.rush.edu/blog/From-the-Rush-Archives-David-Jones-Peck-MD-Part-1-of-4.
A Gilded Age house was only as good as the staff that supported it, and luckily for the Frick household, they had a reliable support system in Jane Grandison, the family nurse and confidante. During the Gilded Age, nursing as a profession was a very intimate career. Nurses like Mrs. Grandison worked closely with a handful of families to help them with long-term childcare on top of any medical expertise they also provided. Because of this it was common for nurses and the families they worked for to develop strong relationships. In the case of the Fricks, Jane was a trusted employee and partner during some of the most difficult periods of their lives.
Jane Grandison pictured with Martha and Childs Frick. Photo courtesy of the Frick Art Reference Library.
Much of Jane’s early years are unknown, but she, like many other African Americans, may have migrated to Pittsburgh to seek better opportunities. Born in 1833 in Arkansas, she married Jeremiah “Jerry” Grandison, a native of Washington D.C. The 1880 Pittsburgh census lists Jane Grandison as living in the Hill District neighborhood on Logan Street with Jerry and their two children, Ida and William.
Jane and her family were well-known residents of the Hill District. Her husband Jerry made history in 1878 when Mayor Robert Liddell chose him and two other Black men, Dorsey Jones and Scott Taper, to serve as police officers for the very first time.
Throughout the 1880s, Jane worked as a professional nurse and wealthy families in Pittsburgh, which included the Fricks, frequently employed her. It’s probable that in 1889 she accompanied the Frick family on their vacation in Europe. On this trip, she would have helped to care for the very young Helen Frick. During the summer of 1891, Jane was traveling in Cresson Springs in Cambria County Pennsylvania, to assist the Dalzell family; John Dalzell was a congressman who represented Pittsburgh in the House of Representatives and served for 13 consecutive terms. John and his wife, Mary Duff, had five children and were a well-known family in the city. The Fricks were at the resort as well, attempting to improve the health of their oldest daughter, Martha. A close friend and employee of the Frick’s, Annie Blumenschine Stephany, recalls Jane inquiring about the health of Martha during that same summer. After Martha tragically passed away in August of 1891, Mrs. Grandison was hired by the Fricks once again in 1892.
In addition to caring for Helen, Jane attended to Adelaide Frick either during or directly after the birth of her fourth child, Henry Clay Frick Jr. Henry’s birth was an extremely difficult labor and delivery process for both the mother and child. Jane helped care for Henry Jr. for the entirety of his life, which only lasted for several weeks. After Henry Clay Frick Jr. passed away, the family took post-mortem photographs of the infant, which was common at the time. These photos include Jane Grandison holding the baby on her lap. Her employment by the Frick family during this summer is even more notable because of the tumultuous nature of the time period. During the same summer in 1892, Henry Frick hired 300 Pinkertons, a private police agency, to break a strike in one of his steel mills, resulting in the death of 10 people. Directly afterward, there was an assassination attempt on Henry’s life by Alexander Berkman, an avowed anarchist. Because of the care that she showed his family, Jane was the only person that Henry Frick trusted to cook for him after that incident. Jane’s role at Clayton during and after the summer of 1892 speaks volumes to the intimate relationship between a nurse and her employer, as she was present for an extremely difficult period in the Fricks’ lives—she likely knew them at their most vulnerable.
Content warning: Post-mortem photography was common during the Gilded Age and often seen as part of the grieving ritual. Jane Grandison was photographed with Henry Clay Frick, Jr. after his death. You can access the image here. Photo courtesy of the Frick Art Reference Library.
Jane Grandison’s impact on the city extends far beyond the walls of Clayton and other homes of Pittsburgh’s upper class. One of her greatest legacies was the creation of the Home for Aged and Infirm Colored Women alongside Mary Bond Peck, whose brother David Jones Peck was the first African American to graduate from Rush Medical School in Chicago, IL in 1847. The home, established as a place of refuge for those who needed assistance, opened in 1883, initially in the Hill District. According to the Pittsburgh Press, “When the work was started there was no capital other than woman’s indomitable will at the back of the project, and it was by perseverance and patience that success was achieved.” The institution hosted tens of women at a time. One of the first women to stay was “Aunt Peggy,” who was well over 100 years old at the time of her registration at the Home. Mrs. Grandison served as the president of the Home for a time and, during her administration, two new pieces of property were purchased by the institution. She also secured the first state funding for the Home and some of the largest donations in the institution's history. The Home for Aged and Infirm Colored Women moved to the Lincoln-Lemington-Belmar neighborhood and later became known as the Lemington Home. These organizations served the residents of the neighborhood for over 120 years until 2005, when it ultimately closed. In addition to her work with these vital organizations, Jane also served on the Board of Managers of the Lincoln Memorial Cemetery Association and was a member of Trinity AME Church.
At the time of Jane Grandison’s passing in 1896, she was a highly respected resident of the Pittsburgh community. At the end of her life, her estate totaled $1,950 (approximately $70,000 today), which was distributed amongst her children and grandchildren. She is buried in Homewood Cemetery. Her funerary announcement reads:
“Her family lost a loving parent, the community a praiseworthy citizen, the association an earnest, conscientious official, and the board of managers an associate whose demise is deeply deplored and whose absence will be felt in many ways for a long period.”
Today, Jane Grandison is remembered for her life of service, both to the families she worked for and to her community.
Special thanks to Julie Ludwig and Jennie Bedford for their assistance with this blog post.
Bibliography
“Home for Aged and Infirmed Colored Women.” Pittsburgh Dispatch, April 14, 1889.
“Home for Aged and Infirmed Colored Women.” The Pittsburgh Press, February 21, 1897.
“Jane Grandison Frick’s Nursemaid.” Pittsburgh Courier, February 24, 1962.
“Lemington Home Fund.” The Pittsburgh Foundation, n.d. https://pittsburghfoundation.org/node/35208.
“Mayor Liddell’s Appointments - A Big Job - New Deputy Mayors.” The Pittsburgh Post, January 31, 1878.
Wheaton, Nathalie. “From the Rush Archives: David Jones Peck, MD.” Web log. RUSH Archives (blog). Library of RUSH University Archives, February 1, 2021. https://library.rush.edu/blog/From-the-Rush-Archives-David-Jones-Peck-MD-Part-1-of-4.
