Fiske Kimball
Encyclopedia
Fiske Kimball (1888 – 1955) was an American architect, architectural historian and museum director.
on December 8, 1888.
He was educated at Harvard University
, where he took both his Bachelors and Masters degrees in Architecture. He had teaching posts at the Universities of Illinois and Michigan, before being appointed to head the Department of Art and Architecture at the University of Virginia
in 1919.
In 1923, he established the Institute of Fine Arts
at New York University
In 1925, he was appointed as Director of the Philadelphia Museum of Art
where he served until his retirement in January, 1955.
Kimball was a pioneer in the field of architectural preservation in the United States
. As an architect, he played a leading part in the restoration of Monticello
and Stratford Hall Plantation
in Virginia
. Kimball also designed his own home, Shack Mountain
, in Albemarle County, Virginia
, not from far Monticello.
Kimball used Jefferson's architectural principles as the basis of his design of Shack Mountain, short for Shackelford Mountain, the surname of a branch of Jefferson's descendants. Built in 1935-1936, Shack Mountain is a Jefferson-style pavilion, like Monticello, that is considered Kimball's masterpiece. Kimball advised on the restoration of Colonial Williamsburg
as well. Shack Mountain was designated a National Historic Landmark
in 1992.
Kimball's wife Marie Goebel Kimball (1889–1955), the winner of two Guggenheim Fellowship
s, served as Monticello's first curator. She also wrote a three-volume biography of Jefferson.
Fiske Kimball died in Munich
, Germany
on August 14, 1955. He is buried, along with his wife, at Monticello Memorial Gardens on Monticello Mountain, about a mile from Jefferson's Monticello.
He is commemorated by the Fiske Kimball Fine Arts Library at the University of Virginia.
Biography
Kimball was born in Newton, MassachusettsNewton, Massachusetts
Newton is a city in Middlesex County, Massachusetts, United States bordered to the east by Boston. According to the 2010 U.S. Census, the population of Newton was 85,146, making it the eleventh largest city in the state.-Villages:...
on December 8, 1888.
He was educated at 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...
, where he took both his Bachelors and Masters degrees in Architecture. He had teaching posts at the Universities of Illinois and Michigan, before being appointed to head the Department of Art and Architecture at the University of Virginia
University of Virginia
The University of Virginia is a public research university located in Charlottesville, Virginia, United States, founded by Thomas Jefferson...
in 1919.
In 1923, he established the Institute of Fine Arts
New York University Institute of Fine Arts
The Institute of Fine Arts is one of the 14 divisions of New York University . It offers a Master of Arts and a Doctor of Philosophy, the Advanced Certificate in Conservation of Works of Art, and the Certificate in Curatorial Studies...
at New York University
New York University
New York University is a private, nonsectarian research university based in New York City. NYU's main campus is situated in the Greenwich Village section of Manhattan...
In 1925, he was appointed as Director of the Philadelphia Museum of Art
Philadelphia Museum of Art
The Philadelphia Museum of Art is among the largest art museums in the United States. It is located at the west end of the Benjamin Franklin Parkway in Philadelphia's Fairmount Park. The Museum was established in 1876 in conjunction with the Centennial Exposition of the same year...
where he served until his retirement in January, 1955.
Kimball was a pioneer in the field of architectural preservation in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. As an architect, he played a leading part in the restoration of Monticello
Monticello
Monticello is a National Historic Landmark just outside Charlottesville, Virginia, United States. It was the estate of Thomas Jefferson, the principal author of the United States Declaration of Independence, third President of the United States, and founder of the University of Virginia; it is...
and Stratford Hall Plantation
Stratford Hall Plantation
Stratford Hall Plantation in Westmoreland County, Virginia, was the home of four generations of the Lee family of Virginia, including two signers of the Declaration of Independence, and it was the birthplace of Robert Edward Lee , who became the Confederate General-in-chief during the American...
in Virginia
Virginia
The Commonwealth of Virginia , is a U.S. state on the Atlantic Coast of the Southern United States. Virginia is nicknamed the "Old Dominion" and sometimes the "Mother of Presidents" after the eight U.S. presidents born there...
. Kimball also designed his own home, Shack Mountain
Shack Mountain
Shack Mountain is a house near Charlottesville, Virginia, that is a tribute to Thomas Jefferson's architectural style. It was designed by and for Fiske Kimball , an architectural historian who was the founder of the University of Virginia School of Architecture, and who is credited with restoring...
, in Albemarle County, Virginia
Albemarle County, Virginia
As of the census of 2000, there were 79,236 people, 31,876 households, and 21,070 families residing in the county. The population density was 110 people per square mile . There were 33,720 housing units at an average density of 47 per square mile...
, not from far Monticello.
Kimball used Jefferson's architectural principles as the basis of his design of Shack Mountain, short for Shackelford Mountain, the surname of a branch of Jefferson's descendants. Built in 1935-1936, Shack Mountain is a Jefferson-style pavilion, like Monticello, that is considered Kimball's masterpiece. Kimball advised on the restoration of Colonial Williamsburg
Colonial Williamsburg
Colonial Williamsburg is the private foundation representing the historic district of the city of Williamsburg, Virginia, USA. The district includes buildings dating from 1699 to 1780 which made colonial Virginia's capital. The capital straddled the boundary of the original shires of Virginia —...
as well. Shack Mountain was designated a National Historic Landmark
National Historic Landmark
A National Historic Landmark is a building, site, structure, object, or district, that is officially recognized by the United States government for its historical significance...
in 1992.
Kimball's wife Marie Goebel Kimball (1889–1955), the winner of two Guggenheim Fellowship
Guggenheim Fellowship
Guggenheim Fellowships are American grants that have been awarded annually since 1925 by the John Simon Guggenheim Memorial Foundation to those "who have demonstrated exceptional capacity for productive scholarship or exceptional creative ability in the arts." Each year, the foundation makes...
s, served as Monticello's first curator. She also wrote a three-volume biography of Jefferson.
Fiske Kimball died in Munich
Munich
Munich The city's motto is "" . Before 2006, it was "Weltstadt mit Herz" . Its native name, , is derived from the Old High German Munichen, meaning "by the monks' place". The city's name derives from the monks of the Benedictine order who founded the city; hence the monk depicted on the city's coat...
, Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
on August 14, 1955. He is buried, along with his wife, at Monticello Memorial Gardens on Monticello Mountain, about a mile from Jefferson's Monticello.
He is commemorated by the Fiske Kimball Fine Arts Library at the University of Virginia.
Main Works
- Thomas Jefferson, architect, Original Designs in the Collection of Thomas Jefferson Coolidge, Junior, 1916
- A History of Architecture, 1918 (with George Harold Edgell )
- Domestic Architecture of the American Colonies and of the early Republic, 1922
- American Architecture, 1928
- Mr. Samuel McIntire, Carver : The architect of Salem, 1940
- The Creation of the Rococo, 1943
Further reading
- Thomas Jefferson, Architect: Original Designs in the Collection of Thomas Jefferson Coolidge, Junior, Fiske Kimball, 1916
- http://books.google.com/books?id=QckVAAAAYAAJ&printsec=frontcover&dq=%22fiske+kimball%22+university+of+virginia&source=bl&ots=jqRtZOXvBI&sig=n342Ylt2dCutmH_OZK33eqdbxjM&hl=en&ei=W0JXTKCqK4H6swPC3JDaAg&sa=X&oi=book_result&ct=result&resnum=6&ved=0CC4Q6AEwBTge#v=onepage&q&f=falseDomestic Architecture of the American Colonies and of the Early Republic, Fiske Kimball, Charles Scribner's Sons, New York, 1922]
External links
- 'Fiske Kimball', Thomas JeffersonThomas JeffersonThomas Jefferson was the principal author of the United States Declaration of Independence and the Statute of Virginia for Religious Freedom , the third President of the United States and founder of the University of Virginia...
's MonticelloMonticelloMonticello is a National Historic Landmark just outside Charlottesville, Virginia, United States. It was the estate of Thomas Jefferson, the principal author of the United States Declaration of Independence, third President of the United States, and founder of the University of Virginia; it is...
, monticello.org - Fiske Kimball Papers, Philadelphia Museum of ArtPhiladelphia Museum of ArtThe Philadelphia Museum of Art is among the largest art museums in the United States. It is located at the west end of the Benjamin Franklin Parkway in Philadelphia's Fairmount Park. The Museum was established in 1876 in conjunction with the Centennial Exposition of the same year...
, Philadelphia, PennsylvaniaPhiladelphia, PennsylvaniaPhiladelphia is the largest city in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania and the county seat of Philadelphia County, with which it is coterminous. The city is located in the Northeastern United States along the Delaware and Schuylkill rivers. It is the fifth-most-populous city in the United States,... - 'Fiske Kimball: Culmination and Legacy', University of VirginiaUniversity of VirginiaThe University of Virginia is a public research university located in Charlottesville, Virginia, United States, founded by Thomas Jefferson...