O'Neill, Thomas

Submitted by Mike Miller

Thomas O'Neill, one of the earliest contractors in the city of New Orleans, was born in Ireland in 1821, and was reared and educated in Dublin. He learned the carpenter's trade of his father, Petor O'Neill, who was a builder of Ireland. The parents spent their entire lives in their native country. Thomas O'Neill came to the United States and settled in New Orleans on the 26th of March, 1849, after which he commenced working at his trade. Three weeks later he was made foreman, and held that position while working on the Odd Fellow hall in 1851, and the St. Charles hotel. In 1853 he embarked in business for himself as builder and general contractor. He designed the Morris building, also designed and built several hotels and many other prominent buildings, and was one of the largest contractors of the city. He then abandoned contracting for about ten years, or until 1876, after which he again took it up and has continued it up to the present. He built the Pickwick Club building, the Produce Exchange building and miles of cotton sheds, St. Joseph church, St. Stephen church, Christ church of Louisiana avenue, Newman residence on the same avenue, Dr. Long's residence, the public bath, and the --------hospital. Mr. O'Neill is an old builder, a prominent contractor, and one of the influential citizens of New Orleans. He is a prominent landlord and owns about forty houses in the city. In 1842, while still a resident of Ireland, he married Miss Bridget O'Toole, who bore him four children: Thomas, who was in the Civil war and who died about 1871; Peter is a preacher and an officer in Charity hospital, Mary is the widow of B. Barkey, and Bridget is the wife of P. Finnay, and the mother of ten children. Mrs. O'Neill died in July, 1885. Mr. O'Neill has ever shown a special aptitude for his profession.

Biographical and Historical Memoires of Louisiana, (vol. 2), p. 292. Published by the Goodspeed Publishing Company, Chicago, 1892.