Résumé

Born in NY State, Worthy Niver came West to live in Spokane, WA, following the Fire of 1889. He stayed for a few years, but returned to Schenectady, NY, by 1900. The economic downturn in building after 1893 may have been a factor in Niver's leaving WA.

Principal, Worthy Niver, Architect, Spokane, WA, c. 1891-1893.

Niver was involved in a significant court case ruled on by the Washington State Supreme Court, Niver v. Nash, 7 Washington, 558, decided 12/30/1893. (See "Legal Decisions," American Architect, vol. CXXIV, no. 2432, 11/07/1923, p. 422.) The case considered whether Niver should collect fees for a brick building of his design that was promised to be well-planned and of a "first-class" nature. The defendant, L.B. Nash, counterclaimed that the building was neither first-class nor well planned and promised, and that we would not pay for such a contracted product. A lower court rejected Nash's counterclaim for procedural reasons. The Supreme Court found that Niver had not delivered what he had promised, and remanded the case for retrial. This decision probably did not buoy either Niver's spirits or business.

Relocation

Worthy Niver, Sr., was born in Clay, Onondaga County, NY, on 08/04/1848.

In 1900, the Nivers lived on Summit Avenue in Schenectady. The household included Worthy and his wife, their three sons and a border, Otis W. Youngs, (born c. 06/1866 in NY), a clerk at the General Electric Company, based in Schenectady.(See Ancestry.com, Source Citation Year: 1900; Census Place: Schenectady Ward 5, Schenectady, New York; Roll: 1160; Page: 18; Enumeration District: 0137, accessed 04/18/2025.)

Spouse

He married Anna Eliza Wemple (born 01/04/1845 in Rotterdam, NY-d. 05/19/1920 in Albany, NY). Anna was one of at least seven children of Abraham Dellemont Wemple (born 06/21/1804 in Schenectady, NY-d. 02/15/1857 in South Schenectady, NY) and Henrietta Springer (born 01/09/1806-d. 01/05/1899 in Schenectady, NY).

Children

According to the 1900 US Census, Worthy and his wife Anna had four children, three of whom survived in that year.