William A. Bradley

William A. Bradley (February 25, 1794 - August 28, 1867) was an American politician who served as the eleventh Mayor of Washington, D.C. from 1834 to 1836.

Once the Cashier for the Bank of Washington, Bradley was postmaster for the city of Washington in the 1850s until removed by President Franklin Pierce in 1853.^[1]

In 1851, he purchased Analostan Island (now Theodore Roosevelt Island) from the estate of John Carter.^[2] The island had previously been part of the land holdings of Virginia patriot George Mason, and he used the estate as an entertainment resort.^[3] Although it was used as a hospital during the U.S. Civil War. After the war, Bradley used it as a resort again until his death in 1867.

During the 1820s, Bradley was a member of the prestigious society, Columbian Institute for the Promotion of Arts and Sciences, who counted among their members former presidents Andrew Jackson and John Quincy Adams and many prominent men of the day, including well-known representatives of the military, government service, medical and other professions.^[4]

In addition, Bradley was a director for the original Chesapeake & Ohio Canal Company, chartered in 1850.^[5]

He was interred at Glenwood Cemetery.^[6]

In 1887, a new schoolhouse on 13th 1/2 Street SE (later Linworth Place, SE) between C and D was named Bradley School in his honor.^[7] It was closed sometime after 1921.

References

1. Senate Executive Journal -TUESDAY, December 20, 1853]
2. Proctor, John Clogett (1949). Proctor's Washington and Environs. John Clogett Proctor, LL.D. p. 98.
4. Rathbun, Richard. The Columbian institute for the promotion of arts and sciences: A Washington Society of 1816-1838. Bulletin of the United States National Museum, October 18, 1917. Retrieved 2010-06-20.
5. Chesapeake & Ohio Canal Marker
6. "Funeral of William A. Bradley". The Evening Star. September 2, 1867. p. 3.
7. "Untitled report at the bottom of column 5" (PDF). The Evening Star. 27 June 1887. Retrieved 1 July 2016.