Representative Charles Sitgreaves

Charles Sitgreaves (April 22, 1803, in Easton, Pennsylvania – March 17, 1878, in Phillipsburg, New Jersey) was an American Democratic Party politician who represented New Jersey’s 3rd congressional district in the United States House of Representatives for two terms from 1865 to 1869. Born in Easton, he moved with his parents to New Jersey in 1806. He pursued classical studies in his youth, laying the foundation for a professional career in law and public service.

Sitgreaves studied law in New Jersey and was admitted to the bar in 1824. He commenced legal practice in Phillipsburg, New Jersey, which became his long-term home and the center of his professional, business, and political activities. His legal career provided the basis for his entry into state and local politics, as well as for his later involvement in banking and railroads.

Sitgreaves’s public career began at the state level. He served as a member of the New Jersey General Assembly from 1831 to 1833, participating in the legislative affairs of the state during a period of growth and political realignment. He then served in the New Jersey Legislative Council, the upper house of the state legislature, from 1834 to 1835. In addition to his legislative roles, he was active in the state militia, holding the rank of major commandant in the New Jersey militia from 1828 to 1838, a position that reflected both local standing and organizational responsibility.

His state political career continued in the New Jersey Senate, where he served from 1851 to 1854. Alongside his legislative work, Sitgreaves developed significant business interests. He became president of the Belvidere and Delaware River Railway, helping to oversee a key regional transportation enterprise that supported commerce along the Delaware River corridor. He also entered the banking sector and served as president of the National Bank of Phillipsburg from 1856 until his death in 1878, a tenure that underscored his long-standing influence in the financial life of his community.

Sitgreaves was also active in municipal government. He served as mayor of Phillipsburg, New Jersey, in 1861 and 1862, guiding the town during the opening years of the Civil War. His combined experience in law, state government, the militia, business, and local office positioned him as a prominent Democratic figure in New Jersey on the eve of his election to national office.

A member of the Democratic Party, Sitgreaves was elected as a Democrat to the Thirty-ninth and Fortieth Congresses, representing New Jersey’s 3rd congressional district. He served in the United States House of Representatives from March 4, 1865, to March 3, 1869. His service in Congress occurred during the critical Reconstruction era following the Civil War, when the nation grappled with the reintegration of the Southern states and the legal and political status of formerly enslaved people. As a member of the House of Representatives, Charles Sitgreaves participated in the legislative process, contributed to debates of the period, and represented the interests of his New Jersey constituents. He was not a candidate for renomination in 1868, thus concluding his congressional career after two terms in office.

After leaving Congress, Sitgreaves resumed and expanded his involvement in banking and railroading. He continued as president of the National Bank of Phillipsburg and remained associated with the Belvidere and Delaware River Railway, reflecting his ongoing role in regional economic development. He lived in Phillipsburg until his death there on March 17, 1878. Charles Sitgreaves was interred in Seventh Street Cemetery in Easton, Pennsylvania, returning in burial to the town of his birth.