Moses Gulesian: Armenian Immigrant Who Shaped Boston
An acquired American: The contributions and patriotism of Moses Hadji Gulesian
Moses Hadji Gulesian (1863-1951), an Armenian immigrant from Marash, rose from poverty to become a prominent Boston businessman, philanthropist, and patriot. Arriving in the United States in 1883 ahead of major Armenian migration waves, Gulesian built a successful copper business and amassed considerable wealth. He used his fortune to support hundreds of Armenian refugees displaced by the Hamidian massacres of the 1890s, including his own family.
Gulesian left a lasting mark on American history through his contributions to Boston's cultural and historical preservation. He contracted to replicate the copper lion and unicorn statues on Boston's Old State House, wrote plays, built his own theater, and led efforts to preserve the USS Constitution. Harvard professor Albert Bushnell Hart called him an exemplary "acquired American" who demonstrated that patriotism transcends birthplace.
