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When William Couper arrived in Norfolk it was a
bustling shipping town. He immediately set up a
business providing supplies to the many ships,
and as this business grew, so did his family.
Many years later William's
son John obtained a small
Leather Bound Book
while on a trip to Dundee, in 1896, that was written by his
grandfather William in Longforgan, . This described the family
business in Scotland as growing flax, and
weaving this into linen. This book was later
analyzed by Monroe Couper in 1976, and the
transcript is located at the
link here.
After arriving in Norfolk, Virginia, William
Couper established a business providing supplies
to the merchant ships. His son, John Diedrich
Couper, started the family business, The Couper
Marble Works existed for over 130 years; from
1848 to 1942 as the Couper Marble Works, and
from 1942 to 1981 as Couper
Memorials. [All business papers donated to the
Virginia Historical Society]. The business was
originally very successful,
due in part to the many victims who died of yellow
fever in the 19th century, where families
would order many tombstones. In fact, William had four
wives, due to their early deaths during
yellow fever outbreaks (see Genealogy
Chart A).
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It was in the
marble yards that John's son (William's
grandson), also William Couper (1853-1942), was
introduced to carving while watching Italian
craftsmen make the grave markers. William later
went on to become a noted American sculptor, and
made the Confederate
Monument in downtown Norfolk, as well as
over 200 other works.
The Couper family
home was on the corner of Freemason and
Cumberland Sts, Norfolk, VA. The Couper Marble
Works were at 617 Fairfax Avenue. The house was
sold in 1951. |