Edmund M. Wheelwright
Encyclopedia
Edmund March Wheelwright (September 14, 1854 – August 15, 1912) was one of New England
's most important architects in the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries, and served as city architect
for Boston, Massachusetts from 1891-1895.
Wheelwright was born in Roxbury, Massachusetts
, educated at Roxbury Latin School
and graduated from Harvard University
in 1876. He studied architecture at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology
and later in Europe, after which he worked in the offices of Peabody & Sterns and of firms in New York and Albany. In 1883 he started a business of his own and afterwards became a member of the firm of Wheelwright & Haven, more recently Wheelwright, Haven & Hoyt. In June 1887, Wheelwright married Elizabeth Boott Brooks. In 1893 Wheelwright and R. Clipston Sturgis were chosen by the trustees of the Museum of Fine Arts to spend a year studying art museums throughout Europe; they later they designed the museum's building on Huntington Avenue.
Wheelwright was a fellow of the American Institute of Architects
, serving on its Board of Directors from 1892-1894 and 1898-1900, as well as a fellow of the Boston Society of Architects. He published two books on school architecture: "The American Schoolhouse" and "School Architecture." Charles Donagh Maginnis
was his apprentice.
In addition, he was a consulting architect for:
. By 1897 he had formed a partnership and created the firm of "Wheelwright & Haven." This later became "Wheelwright, Haven and Hoyt," and (after Wainwright's death) "Haven and Hoyt." The firm operated until c. 1930. The Haven and Hoyt Collection at the Boston Public Library holds a variety of materials related to Wheelwright, including renderings and photographs.
New England
New England is a region in the northeastern corner of the United States consisting of the six states of Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, and Connecticut...
's most important architects in the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries, and served as city architect
Architect
An architect is a person trained in the planning, design and oversight of the construction of buildings. To practice architecture means to offer or render services in connection with the design and construction of a building, or group of buildings and the space within the site surrounding the...
for Boston, Massachusetts from 1891-1895.
Wheelwright was born in Roxbury, Massachusetts
Roxbury, Massachusetts
Roxbury is a dissolved municipality and current neighborhood of Boston, Massachusetts, United States. It was one of the first towns founded in the Massachusetts Bay Colony in 1630, and became a city in 1846 until annexed to Boston on January 5, 1868...
, educated at Roxbury Latin School
Roxbury Latin School
The Roxbury Latin School is the oldest school in continuous operation in North America. The school was founded in Roxbury, Massachusetts by the Rev. John Eliot under a charter received from King Charles I of England. Since its founding in 1645, it has educated boys on a continuous basis.Located...
and graduated from Harvard University
Harvard University
Harvard University is a private Ivy League university located in Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States, established in 1636 by the Massachusetts legislature. Harvard is the oldest institution of higher learning in the United States and the first corporation chartered in the country...
in 1876. He studied architecture at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology
Massachusetts Institute of Technology
The Massachusetts Institute of Technology is a private research university located in Cambridge, Massachusetts. MIT has five schools and one college, containing a total of 32 academic departments, with a strong emphasis on scientific and technological education and research.Founded in 1861 in...
and later in Europe, after which he worked in the offices of Peabody & Sterns and of firms in New York and Albany. In 1883 he started a business of his own and afterwards became a member of the firm of Wheelwright & Haven, more recently Wheelwright, Haven & Hoyt. In June 1887, Wheelwright married Elizabeth Boott Brooks. In 1893 Wheelwright and R. Clipston Sturgis were chosen by the trustees of the Museum of Fine Arts to spend a year studying art museums throughout Europe; they later they designed the museum's building on Huntington Avenue.
Wheelwright was a fellow of the American Institute of Architects
American Institute of Architects
The American Institute of Architects is a professional organization for architects in the United States. Headquartered in Washington, D.C., the AIA offers education, government advocacy, community redevelopment, and public outreach to support the architecture profession and improve its public image...
, serving on its Board of Directors from 1892-1894 and 1898-1900, as well as a fellow of the Boston Society of Architects. He published two books on school architecture: "The American Schoolhouse" and "School Architecture." Charles Donagh Maginnis
Charles Donagh Maginnis
Considered the father of American Gothic architecture, Charles Donagh Maginnis was born in County Londonderry, Ireland on January 7, 1867. He was educated in Dublin, emigrated to Boston at age 18 and got his first job apprenticing for architect Edmund M. Wheelwright as a draftsman. In 1900 he...
was his apprentice.
Architectural works
Wheelwright designed the following:- Boston Public LibraryBoston Public LibraryThe Boston Public Library is a municipal public library system in Boston, Massachusetts, United States. It was the first publicly supported municipal library in the United States, the first large library open to the public in the United States, and the first public library to allow people to...
(while working for the firm of McKim, Mead, and WhiteMcKim, Mead, and WhiteMcKim, Mead & White was a prominent American architectural firm at the turn of the twentieth century and in the history of American architecture. The firm's founding partners were Charles Follen McKim , William Rutherford Mead and Stanford White...
) - Harvard Lampoon BuildingHarvard Lampoon BuildingThe Harvard Lampoon Building is a historic building in Cambridge, Massachusetts that is best known as the home of Harvard Lampoon and for its unusual design.-Architecture and design:...
- Horticultural HallHorticultural Hall, Boston, MassachusettsHorticultural Hall, at the corner of Huntington Avenue and Massachusetts Avenue in Boston, was built in 1901. It sits across the street from Symphony Hall. Since 1992, it has been owned by the Christian Science Church...
- Larz Anderson Auto MuseumLarz Anderson Auto MuseumLarz Anderson Auto Museum is located on the grounds of Larz Anderson Park in Brookline, Massachusetts and is the oldest collection of motorcars in the United States....
- Longfellow BridgeLongfellow BridgeThe Longfellow Bridge, also known to locals as the "Salt-and-Pepper Bridge" or the "Salt-and-Pepper-Shaker Bridge" due to the shape of its central towers, carries Route 3 and the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority's Red Line across the Charles River to connect Boston's Beacon Hill...
- Massachusetts Historical Society buildingMassachusetts Historical SocietyThe Massachusetts Historical Society is a major historical archive specializing in early American, Massachusetts, and New England history...
- New England Conservatory's Jordan HallJordan HallJordan Hall is a 1,019-seat concert hall in Boston, Massachusetts, the principal performance space of the New England Conservatory. It is one block from Boston's Symphony Hall, and together they are considered two of America's most acoustically perfect performance spaces...
- Anderson Memorial BridgeAnderson Memorial BridgeAnderson Memorial Bridge connects Allston, a neighborhood of Boston, and Cambridge. The bridge stands on the site of the Great Bridge built in 1662, the first structure to span the Charles River...
- Oak Square SchoolOak Square SchoolOak Square School is a historic school at 35 Nonantum Street in Brighton, Massachusetts, a neighborhood of Boston.The school was designed by Edmund March Wheelwright, who designed a wide variety of Boston landmark buildings. It was built in 1894 on the site of Breck Gardens and had a major addition...
In addition, he was a consulting architect for:
- Boston Museum of Fine ArtsMuseum of Fine Arts, BostonThe Museum of Fine Arts in Boston, Massachusetts, is one of the largest museums in the United States, attracting over one million visitors a year. It contains over 450,000 works of art, making it one of the most comprehensive collections in the Americas...
- Bulkeley BridgeBulkeley BridgeThe Bulkeley Bridge is a stone arch bridge composed of nine spans located in Hartford, Connecticut. The bridge carries Interstate 84, U.S. Route 6 and U.S. Route 44 across the Connecticut River, connecting Hartford to East Hartford...
in Hartford, ConnecticutHartford, ConnecticutHartford is the capital of the U.S. state of Connecticut. The seat of Hartford County until Connecticut disbanded county government in 1960, it is the second most populous city on New England's largest river, the Connecticut River. As of the 2010 Census, Hartford's population was 124,775, making... - Cleveland Museum of ArtCleveland Museum of ArtThe Cleveland Museum of Art is an art museum situated in the Wade Park District, in the University Circle neighborhood on Cleveland's east side. Internationally renowned for its substantial holdings of Asian and Egyptian art, the museum houses a diverse permanent collection of more than 43,000...
Firms
Mid-career, Wheelwright worked as an architect for the firm of McKim, Mead, and WhiteMcKim, Mead, and White
McKim, Mead & White was a prominent American architectural firm at the turn of the twentieth century and in the history of American architecture. The firm's founding partners were Charles Follen McKim , William Rutherford Mead and Stanford White...
. By 1897 he had formed a partnership and created the firm of "Wheelwright & Haven." This later became "Wheelwright, Haven and Hoyt," and (after Wainwright's death) "Haven and Hoyt." The firm operated until c. 1930. The Haven and Hoyt Collection at the Boston Public Library holds a variety of materials related to Wheelwright, including renderings and photographs.