Brice C Jones

Mary Cadwalader Rawle Jones, born in 1850, was a prominent figure in American society during the Gilded Age. Known socially as Minnie, she hailed from established Philadelphia families and was the daughter of a respected attorney. She married Frederic Rhinelander Jones in 1870, with whom she had a daughter, Beatrix, who became a noted landscape architect. The couple separated in 1891 and divorced in 1896, after which Mary continued to be known as Mrs. Cadwalader Jones. She maintained a close relationship with her former sister-in-law, Edith Wharton. Jones was recognized for her intellectual curiosity and her engagement with the arts and literature, hosting a notable salon in her New York home that attracted prominent artists and writers of the era. She passed away in 1935 in London.

Mary Cadwalader Rawle Jones occupied a significant position within New York's elite social circles during the late 19th century. Her inclusion in Ward McAllister's "Four Hundred" list in 1892, alongside her daughter, marked her as part of the city's most distinguished families. Her obituary noted her "unquestioned position" and her adherence to exclusivity even as societal norms shifted. Jones was particularly known for hosting an influential artistic salon in her New York residence. This gathering place brought together leading figures of the day in art and literature, including sculptors, painters, and novelists. Her intellectual circle included figures like Henry Adams, who considered her a close friend. Jones was recognized for possessing a broader worldview than many women of her time and for her comfortable, open relationships with men.

Born Mary Cadwalader Rawle in Philadelphia in 1850, she was known by the nickname Minnie. Her marriage to Frederic Rhinelander Jones in 1870 joined her to another prominent New York family involved in banking and real estate. The couple had one child, Beatrix Cadwalader Jones, who later achieved recognition as a landscape architect. After separating in 1891 and divorcing in 1896, Mary maintained her residence and continued her social activities. She also engaged in volunteer work, notably at the New York City Hospital School, where she eventually chaired the advisory board for the Nursing School. Her summer home, Reef Point Estate in Maine, was later passed to her daughter and developed into a horticultural study center.

“She held an unquestioned position in the small circle of men and women who directed New York's society at the close of the last century, and after the letting down of the bars in recent years she continued to be regarded as one of those for whom exclusiveness still had value.”

“most natural, and even desirable, thing in the world.”