Jarvis was successful in retail and wholesale grocery, banking, and insurance industries in New York.

As the result of his success, Jarvis was able to be a contributor and founder of a number of educational, historical, religious, and other efforts.

[4][6] The house was built for the bishop about 1797 when he became a trustee of the newly opened Episcopalian academy in Cheshire.

His uncle, Noah Jarvis, let him live in his home and made an arrangement with a wool store for George to work as an apprentice with no pay for a year while he learned the business.

Noah provided a loan so that George could establish a grocery business near Broadway on Grand Street.

He issued copper hard times tokens with his address 142 Grand near Elm, a bust image of Liberty, and the year 1837.

[9] Jarvis was president of the Lenox Fire Insurance Company beginning in 1860,[10] during which time it had acquired a $90,000 surplus after having been "crippled".

[9] Jarvis was a member of the Brooklyn Mercantile Library, New York Chamber of Commerce, and the Long Island Historical Society.

Thus began the first of many efforts by Jarvis to donate funds for people's Episcopal seminary education.

[13] He purchased land in Denver for Bishop Randall, his daughter, the Diocese to build a church, other charities, and personal investment.

[14] Jarvis donated funds for the development of Wolfe Hall, an Episcopal school for girls in Denver.

[18] Randall coordinated the creation of the university in Golden, Colorado, which operated from 1870 until 1874, when it was destroyed by a fire.

During the time that Davis was managing his business, he had also served in the National Guard of the City of New York from September 1, 1832, to June 4, 1841, when he was honorably discharged.

[19] Horatio Seymour, Governor of New York, appointed Jarvis as a War Committee member in 1862.

Unable to approve of his daughter's suitor, Jarvis broke their relationship and arranged for Mary Caroline to travel to Europe for a "Grand Tour", which did not relieve her broken heart.

[26][27] During an extended trip to celebrate his daughter's wedding, Jarvis bought four lots that the couple could build a house upon at the southwest corner of Stout and 16th Street.

Among the charities that Javis left money to in his will, the largest was for construction of Trinity College of Hartford, Connecticut.