John D. Gardiner, a Yale graduate who was pastor of the Sag Harbor Presbyterian Church.
[6] Stephen's grandfather Samuel was a nephew of Ezra L'Hommedieu, the Continental Congressman from New York.
[3] L'Hommedieu was involved in the construction of the Cincinnati, Hamilton and Dayton Railroad,[7] which was chartered in 1846 with capital of $500,000 and was elected president of the road on July 3, 1848.
[8] He served as president for twenty-two years before retiring in 1871 after which he "took an extensive tour of the Old World, embracing Egypt and the Holy Land.
[9] L'Hommedieu died on May 25, 1875, in West Point, New York, while visiting his grandson at the U.S. Military Academy.