Photograph of Nathanial Jacobi.
Nathaniel Jacobi was born in 1828 in London, England, and his family immigrated to the United States in 1832. Jacobi discovered Wilmington, NC through a military mission during the Civil War and after the war he remained in the area. He purchased the hardware business of James Wilson in 1869. Jacobi changed the name of the store to N. Jacobi Company and remained owner until his death.
In addition to the hardware business, Jacobi served as the Director of the Murchison National Bank and as President of the Mechanics Home Association. He was one of the founders of the Temple of Israel and served as Vice President. Jacobi was also an Odd Fellow and was well-known in North Carolina as the "Father" of the Odd Fellow's Orphan Home in Goldsboro. He is buried in Oakdale Cemetery.
