Harmar Denny

Harmar Denny (May 13, 1794 – January 29, 1852) was an American businessman, lawyer, and Anti-Masonic member of the U.S. House of Representatives from Pennsylvania. He was born in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, the son of Ebenezer Denny and Nancy Wilkins. His father, a prominent early Pittsburgh figure, had served as adjutant to General Josiah Harmar during wars on the western frontier, and Denny was given the general’s surname as his first name. He grew up in a family closely connected to the civic and military life of the developing western Pennsylvania region.

Denny pursued a formal education at Dickinson College in Carlisle, Pennsylvania, from which he graduated in 1813. He then studied law and was admitted to the bar of Pennsylvania in 1816. After his admission, he established a legal practice in Pittsburgh and became a law partner of Henry Baldwin, who later served as an Associate Justice of the Supreme Court of the United States. Through this partnership and his growing practice, Denny became a well-known member of the Pittsburgh bar and an increasingly influential figure in local affairs.

On November 25, 1817, Denny married Elizabeth F. O’Hara, daughter of General James O’Hara and Mary Carson O’Hara, members of another leading Pittsburgh family. Harmar and Elizabeth Denny had eleven children, further consolidating ties among prominent families in western Pennsylvania. In 1829, reflecting his deep religious commitments, he became a ruling elder of the First Presbyterian Church of Pittsburgh, a position that underscored his standing in the city’s religious and civic life.

Denny entered public office as a member of the Pennsylvania House of Representatives, in which he served from 1824 to 1829. During these years, he participated in state legislative affairs at a time when Pennsylvania was undergoing rapid economic and infrastructural development. His state service helped establish his reputation as a capable legislator and prepared him for national office. Alongside his legislative work, he continued his legal practice in Pittsburgh, balancing professional, political, and religious responsibilities.

As a member of the Anti-Masonic Party representing Pennsylvania, Denny contributed to the legislative process during four terms in the U.S. House of Representatives. He was elected as an Anti-Masonic candidate to the Twenty-first Congress to fill the vacancy caused by the resignation of William Wilkins and took his seat on December 15, 1829. He was subsequently reelected to the Twenty-second, Twenty-third, and Twenty-fourth Congresses, serving continuously until March 3, 1837. His service in Congress occurred during a significant period in American history, marked by the rise of new political parties, debates over banking and internal improvements, and the evolving democratic process. In this context, Denny participated in national legislative deliberations and represented the interests of his Pennsylvania constituents as part of the Anti-Masonic movement, one of the earliest third-party efforts in the United States.

After leaving Congress in 1837, Denny resumed the practice of law in Pittsburgh and remained active in public affairs. That same year he served as a delegate to the Pennsylvania State Constitutional Convention of 1837, contributing to the revision of the state’s fundamental law. He continued to engage in politics at the national level as well, serving as a presidential elector on the Whig ticket in 1840. His activities reflected a transition from Anti-Masonic politics into the broader Whig coalition that emerged in the 1830s and 1840s.

In the 1840s and early 1850s, Denny increasingly focused on business, transportation, and civic institutions. As commissioner under the act of incorporation of the Pennsylvania Railroad dated April 13, 1846, he played a role in the development of one of the era’s most important transportation enterprises. In 1848 he incorporated the Ohio and Pennsylvania Railroad Company, further advancing regional rail connections. That same year he was elected to membership in the American Philosophical Society, reflecting recognition of his standing in intellectual and civic circles. In 1849 he was elected president of the common council of Pittsburgh, a key municipal governing body. He declined a nomination to be a candidate for Congress in 1850, indicating a preference to remain in local and business leadership rather than return to national office. In 1851 and 1852 he served as president of the Pittsburgh and Steubenville Railroad, continuing his involvement in the expansion of rail infrastructure. He also served as a trustee of the Western University of Pennsylvania, now the University of Pittsburgh, and as a director of the Pittsburgh Theological Seminary, underscoring his commitment to higher education and religious instruction.

Harmar Denny died on January 29, 1852. He was buried at Allegheny Cemetery in Pittsburgh’s Lawrenceville neighborhood, one of the city’s principal burial grounds. His legacy extended into subsequent generations of public service: New York State Senator Henry E. H. Brereton (1865–1957) was his grandson, and Congressman Harmar D. Denny Jr. (1886–1966) was his great-grandson. The town of Harmarville, located about twelve miles up the Allegheny River from Pittsburgh, was named in his honor, commemorating his contributions to the political, legal, and economic development of western Pennsylvania.