Charles Crist Delmonico (1860-1901) was elected to The Lambs in 1882 as a Non-Professional member and was a Charter Member of the Club. He was a restaurateur and part of the family who managed the famous restaurant operations known as Delmonico’s. When he was about 14, The Lambs were founded at a Delmonico’s location, which was created by his mother’s family.
When he was about 24 he took over as general manager of Delmonico’s restaurants, from 1884-1901.
He was born March 6, 1860, in New York, and his christening was celebrated at Delmonico’s located on the corner of Chambers Street and Broadway. His parents were Theodore Crist (1823-1870) and Giovaninna Delmonico Crist (1836-1870). Both of his parents died within a month of each other in Paris. “Charlie” and his two siblings were raised by his aunt and uncle in New York.
Delmonico’s was founded by two Swiss immigrants in December 1827, John and Peter Delmonico, at 23 William Street. It is called the first fine dining restaurant in the United States. It spawned other locations around Manhattan throughout the 19th century and became the most famous restaurant in the nation, introducing gourmet dining to the public. The descendants would go on to open more locations further uptown. A history of the business and family is here. In 1831, a younger third brother, Lorenzo, emigrated to New York, and he would remain with the restaurants for 40 years.
“On April 9, 1862, Lorenzo opened a converted mansion at Fifth Avenue and East 14th Street into the most luxurious restaurant that had ever existed in New York.” This was where The Lambs started in December 1874. When Lorenzo Delmonico died in 1881 he left the business to his nephew, Charles Constant Delmonico.
In January 1884, Charles Constant Delmonico died unexpectedly. He had owned all of the Delmonico’s operations, and he left a half interest to his sister, Rosa, and divided the other half interest among his deceased sister Giovannina’s three children: Charles Delmonico Crist, Lorenzo Delmonico Crist, and Josphine Otard (nee Josephine Crist). Charles Delmonico Crist changed his legal name to Charles Crist Delmonico (nicknamed “Charles C.” or “Young Charlie”), and his brother and sister did likewise. Rosa Delmonico brought “Young Charley” into the family business and was its active general manager, until his death in 1901.
During the period of Young Charley’s management, from 1884 to 1901, the four Delmonico’s Restaurants continued to be well managed. He established his headquarters at the 26th Street restaurant and visited the other locations infrequently. It was Charles who moved the restaurant to its famous location on Fifth Avenue and Forty-fourth Street where it would remain until the building was demolished in 1925.
He was an avid sportsman and billiards enthusiast. Like many Lambs, he enjoyed first nights at the theater and horse racing. He traveled to Europe and vacationed in Arkansas’ hot springs, where he met his future wife.
In October 1900 he married Jeanne Ross Edwards. It would not be a long marriage for the couple. Charles was one of the few men in his family to marry, however.
He suffered from tuberculosis. Charles tried to recuperate on Long Island to no avail. In June 1901 he traveled to Colorado Springs, Colorado, for his health. He died there on September 20, 1901. He was 41 years old. He left an estate valued at $91,597.00, about $3.3 million today.
Charles Crist Delmonico is interred in the family plot in Woodlawn Cemetery, The Bronx. His restaurant continued on under extended family members.
Delmonico’s went “out of the family” in 1905. Under different management it continued one block east of The Lambs, on Fifth Avenue and Forty-Fourth Street, until it was demolished in 1925. Today Delmonico’s is managed in modern times by a corporation that purchased the naming rights.