H. Neill Wilson
Encyclopedia
Glendale, Ohio
Glendale is a village in Hamilton County, Ohio, United States. The population was 2,188 at the 2000 census. It is site of the Glendale Historic District.-Geography:Glendale is located at ....
ca. 1853/1855 died 1926 in Pittsfield, Massachusetts
Pittsfield, Massachusetts
Pittsfield is the largest city and the county seat of Berkshire County, Massachusetts, United States. It is the principal city of the Pittsfield, Massachusetts Metropolitan Statistical Area which encompasses all of Berkshire County. Its area code is 413. Its ZIP code is 01201...
) was an 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...
with his father James Keys Wilson
James Keys Wilson
James Keys Wilson was a prominent architect in Cincinnati, Ohio. He studied with Charles A. Mountain in Philadelphia and then Martin E. Thompson and James Renwick in New York James Keys Wilson (1828–1894) was a prominent architect in Cincinnati, Ohio. He studied with Charles A. Mountain in...
in Cincinnati, Ohio
Ohio
Ohio is a Midwestern state in the United States. The 34th largest state by area in the U.S.,it is the 7th‑most populous with over 11.5 million residents, containing several major American cities and seven metropolitan areas with populations of 500,000 or more.The state's capital is Columbus...
; on his own in Minneapolis, Minnesota
Minnesota
Minnesota is a U.S. state located in the Midwestern United States. The twelfth largest state of the U.S., it is the twenty-first most populous, with 5.3 million residents. Minnesota was carved out of the eastern half of the Minnesota Territory and admitted to the Union as the thirty-second state...
; and for most of his career in Pittsfield, Massachusetts
Pittsfield, Massachusetts
Pittsfield is the largest city and the county seat of Berkshire County, Massachusetts, United States. It is the principal city of the Pittsfield, Massachusetts Metropolitan Statistical Area which encompasses all of Berkshire County. Its area code is 413. Its ZIP code is 01201...
. The buildings he designed include the Rookwood Pottery building in Ohio and several massive summer cottages in Berkshire County, Massachusetts.
Career
H. Neill Wilson started his career working for his father, a prominent Cincinnati architect, in 1873. He moved on after seven years and established himself in Minneapolis, MinnesotaMinnesota
Minnesota is a U.S. state located in the Midwestern United States. The twelfth largest state of the U.S., it is the twenty-first most populous, with 5.3 million residents. Minnesota was carved out of the eastern half of the Minnesota Territory and admitted to the Union as the thirty-second state...
in 1879 where a building boom was under way.
Wilson moved to Pittsfield, Massachusetts
Massachusetts
The Commonwealth of Massachusetts is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States of America. It is bordered by Rhode Island and Connecticut to the south, New York to the west, and Vermont and New Hampshire to the north; at its east lies the Atlantic Ocean. As of the 2010...
in 1885 and did several projects in Berkshire County. He worked in the Northeast until his death in 1926. He was elected as 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...
in February 1887.
Noted works
In Ohio, Wilson's Rookwood Pottery building remains, although it was expanded after initial construction, as well as the Glendale Lyceum (ca. 1891) building.His "splendid" Berkshire, County "cottages" were featured in an illustrated book by Jackson and Gilder. The Shadowbrook residence where Andrew Carnegie
Andrew Carnegie
Andrew Carnegie was a Scottish-American industrialist, businessman, and entrepreneur who led the enormous expansion of the American steel industry in the late 19th century...
also lived and died was particularly massive. It was destroyed by a fire in 1956. It was rebuilt, but the newer structure is not considered up to par with the original.
Of his work in Pittsfield, Massachusetts, the William Russell Allen House
William Russell Allen House
William Russell Allen House is a historic house at 359 East Street in Pittsfield, Massachusetts. It was designed by H. Neill Wilson.It was built in 1886 and added to the National Historic Register in 1980....
and Pilgrim Memorial Church and Parish House
Pilgrim Memorial Church and Parish House
Pilgrim Memorial Church and Parish House is an historic house at 249 Wahconah Street in Pittsfield, Massachusetts. It was designed by H. Neill Wilson "et al."The house was built in 1897 and added to the National Register of Historic Places in 2005....
are still standing and are listed on the National Register of Historic Places
National Register of Historic Places
The National Register of Historic Places is the United States government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures, and objects deemed worthy of preservation...
. The Berkshire County Home for Aged Women building (1888) and Red Lion Inn, Pittsfield, Massachusetts also remain.
In redesigning the 1773 Red Lion Inn building in 1897 following "a devastating fire" that started in the pastry kitchen, Wilson designed an 80-room building with a separate kitchen building.
Chicago lawyer Wirt Dexter Walker
Wirt Dexter Walker
Wirt Dexter Walker was a Chicago lawyer He was the son of successful Chicago attorney James M. Walker and Eliza M. Walker and was named after Wirt Dexter, the junior partner at his father's firm Walter VanArman & Dexter. After his graduation from Yale University he inherited a large sum of money...
hired him in 1890 to design his cottage.
Projects
- Glendale Town Hall and Police Station of 1871, an Italianate architecture building, is his earliest credited work. It is listed on the U.S. National Register of Historic Places. It was replaced as town hall by Samuel HannafordSamuel HannafordSamuel Hannaford was an American architect based in Cincinnati, Ohio. Some of the best known landmarks in the city, such as Music Hall and City Hall, were of his design...
’s building that remains in use. - Red Lion Inn, Pittsfield, Massachusetts (1897) in Stockbridge, Massachusetts, a rebuilding project after the 1773 building was destroyed by fire.
- Rookwood Pottery (constructed 1891 - 1892), the "original part", in an early Tudor Revival architecture and Arts & Crafts architecture style. The building at 1077 Celestial, Mt. Adams, Ohio was expanded during the early 20th Century by the architectural firm of Elzner & Anderson.
- Leonard Beckwith Houses (1892) in Berkshire County
- Plan for Wirt Dexter WalkerWirt Dexter WalkerWirt Dexter Walker was a Chicago lawyer He was the son of successful Chicago attorney James M. Walker and Eliza M. Walker and was named after Wirt Dexter, the junior partner at his father's firm Walter VanArman & Dexter. After his graduation from Yale University he inherited a large sum of money...
summer residence on West Shore of Lake OnotaLake OnotaLake Onota is located in Pittsfield, Massachusetts. The cottagers of the late 19th century and early 20th Century built large summer mansions along its shores. It is and is located entirely in the City of Pittsfield and owned by it... - The Orchard in Berkshire County (1899)
- Shadowbrook (1893), also known as Shadowbrook Castle, an estate in Lenox, MassachusettsLenox, MassachusettsLenox is a town in Berkshire County, Massachusetts, United States. Set in Western Massachusetts, it is part of the Pittsfield, Massachusetts Metropolitan Statistical Area. The population was 5,077 at the 2000 census. Where the town has a border with Stockbridge is the site of Tanglewood, summer...
that was commissioned by Anson Phelps StokesAnson Phelps StokesFor other men with the same name, see Anson Phelps Stokes Anson Phelps Stokes was a merchant, banker, publicist, philanthropist, and became a multimillionaire. Born in New York City, he was the son of James Boulter and Caroline Stokes; brother of William Earl Dodge Stokes and Olivia Eggleston...
in 1891 at a cost of one million dollars. It was purchased in 1917 by Andrew CarnegieAndrew CarnegieAndrew Carnegie was a Scottish-American industrialist, businessman, and entrepreneur who led the enormous expansion of the American steel industry in the late 19th century...
, who died there in 1919. The 100 room house burned in 1956 and was rebuilt for the Society of JesusSociety of JesusThe Society of Jesus is a Catholic male religious order that follows the teachings of the Catholic Church. The members are called Jesuits, and are also known colloquially as "God's Army" and as "The Company," these being references to founder Ignatius of Loyola's military background and a...
"with lesser quality of construction". It may have been the largest private residence ever built in America when it was completed. The Shadow Brook FarmShadow Brook Farm Historic DistrictShadow Brook Farm Historic District on state Route 183 in Stockbridge, Massachusetts, is a historic district that includes six re-purposed farm buildings related to the former Shadowbrook mansion destroyed by fire in 1956. Designed by architect H. Neill Wilson with landscaping by Frederick Law...
area on Lenox West Road on MA 183 near Bucks Lane in Stockbridge Massachusetts was listed as a historic districtHistoric district (United States)In the United States, a historic district is a group of buildings, properties, or sites that have been designated by one of several entities on different levels as historically or architecturally significant. Buildings, structures, objects and sites within a historic district are normally divided...
on the National Register of Historic Places. - Lakeside in Berkshire County (1894)
- Blythewood (Massachusetts), a 450 acres (1.8 km²) estate that included outbuildings, laundry facilities, servants quarters, superintendent's residence, two barns, two farm houses, dairy, coach house, wood house, gate house, greenhouse, and gardener's residence. The cottage had 12 bedrooms, 7 bathrooms, electric lights and internal and a contemporary modern style.
- Ten Eyck Hotel, later known as the Sheraton Ten Eyck, in AlbanyAlbany, New YorkAlbany is the capital city of the U.S. state of New York, the seat of Albany County, and the central city of New York's Capital District. Roughly north of New York City, Albany sits on the west bank of the Hudson River, about south of its confluence with the Mohawk River...
, New YorkNew YorkNew York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
. A "grand old" hotel building that catered to elites in its day before it was imploded in the mid-1970s as part of the Hotel Ten Eyck Project to make way a bank building. A brown brick Hilton Hotel took "its revered place in the old heart of the capital city" before Omni Hotels took over the property which later became a Crowne PlazaCrowne PlazaCrowne Plaza is a chain of full service, upscale hotels catering to business travelers and to the meetings and conventions market. It forms part of the InterContinental Hotels Group family of brands, which include InterContinental and Holiday Inn and operates in 52 countries, usually located in...
hotel. - Interlaken (Massachusetts) (1894) design in Lenox, MassachusettsLenox, MassachusettsLenox is a town in Berkshire County, Massachusetts, United States. Set in Western Massachusetts, it is part of the Pittsfield, Massachusetts Metropolitan Statistical Area. The population was 5,077 at the 2000 census. Where the town has a border with Stockbridge is the site of Tanglewood, summer...
for D. W. Bishop - Wilson is believed to have "delineated" James W. McLaughlinJames W. McLaughlinJames W. McLaughlin was a Cincinnati, Ohio architect. He studied to be an architect working under famed James Keys Wilson. He fought in the American Civil War serving in the Union Army. He become a popular builder in Cincinnati during the late 19th century...
’s Benjamin H. Cox House (ca. 1884) on the southeast corner of East McMillan and Highland avenues in Mt. Auburn, Ohio. It was demolished in 2006 - William Russell Allen HouseWilliam Russell Allen HouseWilliam Russell Allen House is a historic house at 359 East Street in Pittsfield, Massachusetts. It was designed by H. Neill Wilson.It was built in 1886 and added to the National Historic Register in 1980....
(1885) in Pittsfield. Built as a summer cottage for Allen, a Missouri railroad and a granite quarry owner, it is "a rare example of American Queen Anne architecture because of its terra cottaTerra cottaTerracotta, Terra cotta or Terra-cotta is a clay-based unglazed ceramic, although the term can also be applied to glazed ceramics where the fired body is porous and red in color...
tileTileA tile is a manufactured piece of hard-wearing material such as ceramic, stone, metal, or even glass. Tiles are generally used for covering roofs, floors, walls, showers, or other objects such as tabletops...
exterior, the hand-painted ceiling, the fireplaces with polished onyx marble and cast bronze, and stained glass windows." The William Russell Allen House at 359 East Street in Pittsfield Massachusetts is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. - W.P. Burbank House (1887) in Pittsfield It was included in American Architect and Building News VOLUME XXII JULY-DECEMBER, 1887 (615).
- D.W. Bishop House (1888) in Lenox, Massachusetts
- William C. [Cooper] Procter House (1889) in Pittsfield
- Glendale Lyceum, (ca. 1891) a Richardsonian Romanesque style brick building on Congress Avenue in Glendale, OhioGlendale, OhioGlendale is a village in Hamilton County, Ohio, United States. The population was 2,188 at the 2000 census. It is site of the Glendale Historic District.-Geography:Glendale is located at ....
that remains "largely intact". - Plans for Brightwood Hall at 334 Bristol, Connecticut
- Berkshire County Home for Aged Women (1888), later a retirement home, at 89 South Street in Pitsfield. Built in a Richardsonian Romanesque style, it is one of the oldest continually operating nursing homes in Massachusetts.
- Pilgrim Memorial Church and Parish HousePilgrim Memorial Church and Parish HousePilgrim Memorial Church and Parish House is an historic house at 249 Wahconah Street in Pittsfield, Massachusetts. It was designed by H. Neill Wilson "et al."The house was built in 1897 and added to the National Register of Historic Places in 2005....
at 249 Wahconah Street in Pittsfield, Massachusetts. Listed on the National Register of Historic Places - Wollison-Shipton BuildingWollison-Shipton BuildingWollison-Shipton Building is a historic building at 142-156 North Street in Pittsfield, Massachusetts.It is listed in the National Register as being designed by "Wilson,Neil Henry", but what is probably meant is architect H. Neil Wilson....
, Pittsfield, Massachusetts. - Hoosac Savings Bank Building (ca. 1893), which includes "intricate terra cotta detailing" North Adams, MassachusettsNorth Adams, MassachusettsNorth Adams is a city in Berkshire County, Massachusetts, United States. It is part of the Pittsfield, Massachusetts Metropolitan Statistical Area. The population was 13,708 as of the 2010 census, making it the least populous city in the state...
and cost $60,000 to build. The bank remains in business and was recently renovated and restored.
Further reading
- Jackson and Gilder (2006)
- Painter, AIC (2006), 122, 123;
- Nuxhall, SGC, 49, 1.