Henry Van Brunt
Encyclopedia
Henry Van Brunt FAIA
(September 5, 1832 – April 8, 1903) was a 19th-century American
architect
and architectural writer.
Born in Boston in 1832, Van Brunt attended Boston Latin School
, and graduated from Harvard College
in 1854. From 1854 to 1857, he apprenticed with architect George Snell, then worked with Richard Morris Hunt
, in New York City.
During the Civil War, Van Brunt served as Secretary to the Admiral of the North Atlantic Squadron
, United States Navy
. He resigned on February 15, 1864.
In the 1860s Van Brunt and fellow Harvard graduate William Robert Ware
established the architectural firm of Ware & Van Brunt. The firm produced designs for many buildings in the Boston area, including Harvard University's Memorial Hall
, "said to be one of the greatest examples of Ruskinian Gothic architecture outside of England".
In 1869, he married Alice S. Osborn; together they had 6 children. In 1874 Van Brunt published a translation of Eugène Viollet-le-Duc
's Discourses on architecture, and he remained a prolific writer through his career.
His partnership with Ware dissolved in 1881. The same year, Van Brunt and former employee Frank M. Howe established the firm of Van Brunt & Howe, and about six years after took the dramatic step of moving his office from Boston to Kansas City
, partly for multiple commissions for the Union Pacific Railroad
for grand stations in western cities like Ogden, Utah
(1889; burned down 1923), Denver, Colorado
(1895; rebuilt 1912), and Omaha, Nebraska
(1899; replaced 1931). Many Kansas City civic landmarks of the time were Van Brunt's designs. Stylistically, most of his later work is comfortably consistent with Richardsonian Romanesque
; in at least one case, the Hoyt Library
, he adapted and finished a rejected Richardson design.
In 1884 he was elected an officer of the American Institute of Architects
. In 1899 he became President of the AIA for a one-year term.
Van Brunt returned to Massachusetts around 1902, and died in Milton, Massachusetts
in 1903.
FAIA
Fellow of the American Institute of Architects is a postnomial, designating an individual who has been named a fellow of the American Institute of Architects...
(September 5, 1832 – April 8, 1903) was a 19th-century American
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
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...
and architectural writer.
Life and work
Boston Latin School
The Boston Latin School is a public exam school founded on April 23, 1635, in Boston, Massachusetts. It is both the first public school and oldest existing school in the United States....
, and graduated from Harvard College
Harvard College
Harvard College, in Cambridge, Massachusetts, is one of two schools within Harvard University granting undergraduate degrees...
in 1854. From 1854 to 1857, he apprenticed with architect George Snell, then worked with Richard Morris Hunt
Richard Morris Hunt
Richard Morris Hunt was an American architect of the nineteenth century and a preeminent figure in the history of American architecture...
, in New York City.
During the Civil War, Van Brunt served as Secretary to the Admiral of the North Atlantic Squadron
North Atlantic Squadron
The North Atlantic Squadron was a section of the United States Navy operating in the North Atlantic. It was renamed as the North Atlantic Fleet in 1902. In 1905 the European and South Atlantic Squadrons were abolished and absorbed into the North Atlantic Fleet. On Jan...
, United States Navy
United States Navy
The United States Navy is the naval warfare service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the seven uniformed services of the United States. The U.S. Navy is the largest in the world; its battle fleet tonnage is greater than that of the next 13 largest navies combined. The U.S...
. He resigned on February 15, 1864.
In the 1860s Van Brunt and fellow Harvard graduate William Robert Ware
William Robert Ware
William Robert Ware , born in Cambridge, Massachusetts into a family of the Unitarian clergy, was an American architect, author, and founder of two important American architectural schools....
established the architectural firm of Ware & Van Brunt. The firm produced designs for many buildings in the Boston area, including Harvard University's Memorial Hall
Memorial Hall (Harvard University)
Memorial Hall is an imposing brick building in High Victorian Gothic style, located on the Harvard University campus in Cambridge, Massachusetts...
, "said to be one of the greatest examples of Ruskinian Gothic architecture outside of England".
In 1869, he married Alice S. Osborn; together they had 6 children. In 1874 Van Brunt published a translation of Eugène Viollet-le-Duc
Eugène Viollet-le-Duc
Eugène Emmanuel Viollet-le-Duc was a French architect and theorist, famous for his interpretive "restorations" of medieval buildings. Born in Paris, he was a major Gothic Revival architect.-Early years:...
's Discourses on architecture, and he remained a prolific writer through his career.
His partnership with Ware dissolved in 1881. The same year, Van Brunt and former employee Frank M. Howe established the firm of Van Brunt & Howe, and about six years after took the dramatic step of moving his office from Boston to Kansas City
Kansas City, Missouri
Kansas City, Missouri is the largest city in the U.S. state of Missouri and is the anchor city of the Kansas City Metropolitan Area, the second largest metropolitan area in Missouri. It encompasses in parts of Jackson, Clay, Cass, and Platte counties...
, partly for multiple commissions for the Union Pacific Railroad
Union Pacific Railroad
The Union Pacific Railroad , headquartered in Omaha, Nebraska, is the largest railroad network in the United States. James R. Young is president, CEO and Chairman....
for grand stations in western cities like Ogden, Utah
Ogden, Utah
Ogden is a city in Weber County, Utah, United States. Ogden serves as the county seat of Weber County. The population was 82,825 according to the 2010 Census. The city served as a major railway hub through much of its history, and still handles a great deal of freight rail traffic which makes it a...
(1889; burned down 1923), Denver, Colorado
Denver, Colorado
The City and County of Denver is the capital and the most populous city of the U.S. state of Colorado. Denver is a consolidated city-county, located in the South Platte River Valley on the western edge of the High Plains just east of the Front Range of the Rocky Mountains...
(1895; rebuilt 1912), and Omaha, Nebraska
Omaha, Nebraska
Omaha is the largest city in the state of Nebraska, United States, and is the county seat of Douglas County. It is located in the Midwestern United States on the Missouri River, about 20 miles north of the mouth of the Platte River...
(1899; replaced 1931). Many Kansas City civic landmarks of the time were Van Brunt's designs. Stylistically, most of his later work is comfortably consistent with Richardsonian Romanesque
Richardsonian Romanesque
Richardsonian Romanesque is a style of Romanesque Revival architecture named after architect Henry Hobson Richardson, whose masterpiece is Trinity Church, Boston , designated a National Historic Landmark...
; in at least one case, the Hoyt Library
Hoyt Library
The Hoyt Library is a historic library in downtown Saginaw, Michigan, USA. Built in the late 19th century by Eric Pinchet, the Richardson Romanesque library is home to numerous genealogical records of the Mid-Michigan area.- History :...
, he adapted and finished a rejected Richardson design.
In 1884 he was elected an officer 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 1899 he became President of the AIA for a one-year term.
Van Brunt returned to Massachusetts around 1902, and died in Milton, Massachusetts
Milton, Massachusetts
Milton is a town in Norfolk County, Massachusetts, United States and part of the Greater Boston area. The population was 27,003 at the 2010 census. Milton is the birthplace of former U.S. President George H. W. Bush and architect Buckminster Fuller. Milton also has the highest percentage of...
in 1903.
Ware & Van Brunt
- 1867 -- Ether MonumentEther MonumentThe Ether Monument, also known as The Good Samaritan, is a statue and fountain near the northwest corner of Boston's Public Garden, near the intersection of Arlington Street and Beacon Street....
, in the Boston Public Garden, with sculptor J.Q.A. Ward - 1867 -- First ChurchFirst Church in BostonFirst Church in Boston is a Unitarian Universalist Church founded in 1630 by John Winthrop's original Puritan settlement in Boston, Massachusetts. The current building is on 66 Marlborough Street in Boston.-History:...
, Boston, Massachusetts - 1868—St. John's Memorial Chapel at the Episcopal Divinity SchoolEpiscopal Divinity SchoolThe Episcopal Divinity School is a seminary of the Episcopal Church based in Cambridge, Massachusetts. Known throughout the Anglican Communion for prophetic teaching and action on issues of civil rights and social justice, its faculty and students have been directly involved in many of the social...
, Cambridge, Massachusetts - 1869 -- Adams AcademyAdams AcademyAdams Academy was a school that opened in 1872 in Quincy, Massachusetts, USA. John Adams, the second President of the United States, had many years before established the Adams Temple and School Fund. This fund gave of land to the people of Quincy in trust...
, now the Quincy Historical SocietyQuincy Historical SocietyThe Quincy Historical Society is located at 8 Adams Street in Quincy, Norfolk County, Massachusetts, USA. It was founded in 1893 by Charles Francis Adams, Jr..The society occupies the former Adams Academy building...
, Quincy, Massachusetts - 1870 -- Memorial Hall (Harvard University)Memorial Hall (Harvard University)Memorial Hall is an imposing brick building in High Victorian Gothic style, located on the Harvard University campus in Cambridge, Massachusetts...
, Cambridge, Massachusetts, continuously redesigned through 1897 - 1870—Addition to Harvard Hall, Harvard University, Cambridge, Massachusetts
- 1870 -- Weld Hall, Harvard University
- 1872—Charles Freeland tomb, Mount Auburn CemeteryMount Auburn CemeteryMount Auburn Cemetery was founded in 1831 as "America's first garden cemetery", or the first "rural cemetery", with classical monuments set in a rolling landscaped terrain...
, Cambridge - 1873—Lawrence Hall, Episcopal Divinity SchoolEpiscopal Divinity SchoolThe Episcopal Divinity School is a seminary of the Episcopal Church based in Cambridge, Massachusetts. Known throughout the Anglican Communion for prophetic teaching and action on issues of civil rights and social justice, its faculty and students have been directly involved in many of the social...
, Cambridge, expanded 1880 - 1875—Addition to Gore Hall, Harvard University, Cambridge, Massachusetts (demolished)
- 1875—Walter Hunnewell house, Hunnewell estate, Wellesley, MassachusettsWellesley, MassachusettsWellesley is a town in Norfolk County, Massachusetts, United States. It is part of Greater Boston. The population was 27,982 at the time of the 2010 census.It is best known as the home of Wellesley College and Babson College...
(then West Needham) - 1881—Yorktown Memorial, Yorktown, VirginiaYorktown, VirginiaYorktown is a census-designated place in York County, Virginia, United States. The population was 220 in the 2000 census. It is the county seat of York County, one of the eight original shires formed in colonial Virginia in 1634....
, with sculptor J.Q.A. Ward - 1881—Music Hall, Wellesley College, Massachusetts
Van Brunt & Howe
- 1881-1883—Library at the University of Michigan, Ann ArborHistory of the University of MichiganThe history of the University of Michigan began with its establishment in 1817 as the Catholepistemiad or University of Michigania. The school moved from Detroit to Ann Arbor in 1837 on land offered to the university by the city. The first classes were held in 1841, and eleven men graduated in the...
(redesigned in 1920 by Albert Kahn) - 1883—167 Brattle Street (his residence), Cambridge, Massachusetts
- 1883—Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts (demolished)
- 1884—First National Bank, Portland, Maine
- 1885—Cheyenne Union Depot, now the Wyoming Transportation MuseumWyoming Transportation MuseumThe Wyoming Transportation Museum, also referred to as the Cheyenne Depot Museum, is a railroad museum located in Cheyenne, Wyoming.It is located inside the historic Union Pacific Railroad depot. This depot was built in 1886 to 1887...
, Cheyenne, Wyoming - 1888 -- Cambridge Public LibraryCambridge Public LibraryThe Cambridge Public Library in Cambridge, Massachusetts is part of the Minuteman Library Network. The library includes a headquarters and several branch buildings throughout the city....
, Cambridge, MassachusettsCambridge, MassachusettsCambridge is a city in Middlesex County, Massachusetts, United States, in the Greater Boston area. It was named in honor of the University of Cambridge in England, an important center of the Puritan theology embraced by the town's founders. Cambridge is home to two of the world's most prominent... - 1888—Gibraltar Building, Kansas City, MissouriKansas City, MissouriKansas City, Missouri is the largest city in the U.S. state of Missouri and is the anchor city of the Kansas City Metropolitan Area, the second largest metropolitan area in Missouri. It encompasses in parts of Jackson, Clay, Cass, and Platte counties...
(razed) - 1889-1890 -- Emery, Bird, Thayer Dry Goods CompanyEmery, Bird, Thayer Dry Goods CompanyEmery, Bird, Thayer & Company was a department store in Downtown Kansas City that traced its history nearly to the city's origins as Westport Landing....
, Kansas City (razed in 1973) - 1890-1896 -- Union StationUnion Station (Portland)Union Station is a train station near the west shore of the Willamette River in the Old Town Chinatown section of Portland, Oregon, United States....
, Portland, OregonPortland, OregonPortland is a city located in the Pacific Northwest, near the confluence of the Willamette and Columbia rivers in the U.S. state of Oregon. As of the 2010 Census, it had a population of 583,776, making it the 29th most populous city in the United States... - 1891 -- Hoyt LibraryHoyt LibraryThe Hoyt Library is a historic library in downtown Saginaw, Michigan, USA. Built in the late 19th century by Eric Pinchet, the Richardson Romanesque library is home to numerous genealogical records of the Mid-Michigan area.- History :...
, Saginaw, MichiganSaginaw, MichiganSaginaw is a city in the U.S. state of Michigan and the seat of Saginaw County. The city of Saginaw was once a thriving lumber town and manufacturing center. Saginaw and Saginaw County lie in the Flint/Tri-Cities region of Michigan... - 1893—Electricity Building and the Wyoming Building, World's Columbian ExpositionWorld's Columbian ExpositionThe World's Columbian Exposition was a World's Fair held in Chicago in 1893 to celebrate the 400th anniversary of Christopher Columbus's arrival in the New World in 1492. Chicago bested New York City; Washington, D.C.; and St...
, Chicago (demolished) - 1894—Spooner Hall, University of KansasUniversity of KansasThe University of Kansas is a public research university and the largest university in the state of Kansas. KU campuses are located in Lawrence, Wichita, Overland Park, and Kansas City, Kansas with the main campus being located in Lawrence on Mount Oread, the highest point in Lawrence. The...
, Lawrence, KansasLawrence, KansasLawrence is the sixth largest city in the U.S. State of Kansas and the county seat of Douglas County. Located in northeastern Kansas, Lawrence is the anchor city of the Lawrence, Kansas, Metropolitan Statistical Area, which encompasses all of Douglas County... - 1895 -- Union StationUnion Station (Denver)Union Station is Denver, Colorado, USA's historic train station at 17th and Wynkoop in the LoDo district. The station first opened in 1881.-History:...
, Denver, Colorado (largely razed in 1912) - 1896-1898—Hurst Hall, the first structure at the American UniversityAmerican UniversityAmerican University is a private, Methodist, liberal arts, and research university in Washington, D.C. The university was chartered by an Act of Congress on December 5, 1892 as "The American University", which was approved by President Benjamin Harrison on February 24, 1893...
, Washington, DC - 1904—Palace of Varied Industries, Louisiana Purchase ExpositionLouisiana Purchase ExpositionThe Louisiana Purchase Exposition, informally known as the Saint Louis World's Fair, was an international exposition held in St. Louis, Missouri, United States in 1904.- Background :...
, St. Louis, MissouriSt. Louis, MissouriSt. Louis is an independent city on the eastern border of Missouri, United States. With a population of 319,294, it was the 58th-largest U.S. city at the 2010 U.S. Census. The Greater St...
(razed) - 1904—Pipe Organ Case of the 10,000 pipe instrument exhibited by the Los Angeles Art Organ Co., Festival Hall, Louisiana Purchase ExpositionLouisiana Purchase ExpositionThe Louisiana Purchase Exposition, informally known as the Saint Louis World's Fair, was an international exposition held in St. Louis, Missouri, United States in 1904.- Background :...
, St. Louis, MissouriSt. Louis, MissouriSt. Louis is an independent city on the eastern border of Missouri, United States. With a population of 319,294, it was the 58th-largest U.S. city at the 2010 U.S. Census. The Greater St...
(a temporary construction)
Writing
- Translator of: Eugène Viollet-le-DucEugène Viollet-le-DucEugène Emmanuel Viollet-le-Duc was a French architect and theorist, famous for his interpretive "restorations" of medieval buildings. Born in Paris, he was a major Gothic Revival architect.-Early years:...
. Discourses on architecture. Boston : J.R. Osgood, 1875. - On the Present Condition and Prospects of Architecture. Atlantic Monthly 57, no. 341 (March 1886).
- Henry Hobson Richardson, Architect. Atlantic Monthly 58:349 (November 1886).
- Architecture in the West, Atlantic Monthly 64:386 (December 1889).
- Greek Lines and Other Architectural Essays. Houghton, Mifflin. 1893