Edward C. Clark

Edward Cabot Clark (December 19, 1811 – October 14, 1882) was an American lawyer, businessman and investor. He was a founder of the Singer Sewing Machine Company, along with his business partner Isaac Merritt Singer.
Together, they began investing in real estate in the 1870s. They built The Dakota, an apartment house at 72nd Street and Central Park West in New York City. This building was completed in 1884. John Lennon was shot in 1980 in the legal footprint of the property.
In 1835, Clark married Caroline Jordan (1815–1874), and they had Alfred Corning Clark as their child. Alfred was the father of Stephen Carlton Clark and Edward Severin Clark.
In 1856, Clark created the hire-purchase plan, which was the first American installment plan.