James Knox Taylor
Encyclopedia
James Knox Taylor was Supervising Architect
of the United States Department of the Treasury
from 1897 to 1912. His name is listed ex officio as supervising architect of hundreds of federal buildings built throughout the United States during the period.
and attended schools in Minnesota
. He attended Massachusetts Institute of Technology
where he was a classmate of William Martin Aiken
, who would precede him in the position of Supervisory Architect, and Cass Gilbert
. After graduation he worked in the New York City office of Charles C. Haight
and later with Bruce Price
. In 1882 he moved to St. Paul, Minnesota where he formed a partnership with Gilbert, as Gilbert & Taylor. They built many homes and churches. Subsequently they designed the Pioneer and Endicott Buildings
. In 1893 he moved to Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
and formed a partnership with Amos J. Boyden. In 1895 he got a job with Aiken, the Supervisory Architect, as a temporary draftsman. In 1897, following a Civil Serice Commission examination, he became the Supervisory Architect, the first architect promoted from within.
introduced a bill that allowed the Supervisory Architect to hold competitions among private architects for major structures. Competitions under Taylor's supervision included the Alexander Hamilton U.S. Custom House
, James Farley Post Office
, Cleveland Federal Building, U.S. Post Office and Courthouse (Baltimore, Maryland)
and U.S. Customhouse (San Francisco, California) (which are all now on the National Register of Historic Places
) among others. The competitions were met with enthusiasm by the community but were also marred by scandal, as when Taylor picked his ex-partner Cass Gilbert
for the New York Customs House commission. In 1913 the act was repealed.
In 1912, Taylor returned to MIT for two years as director of the department of architecture, then moved to Yonkers, New York
, where for several years he continued practicing. In 1928, he retired to Tampa, Florida
, where he died the following year.
Office of the Supervising Architect
The Office of the Supervising Architect was an agency of the United States Treasury Department that designed federal government buildings from 1852 to 1939....
of the United States Department of the Treasury
United States Department of the Treasury
The Department of the Treasury is an executive department and the treasury of the United States federal government. It was established by an Act of Congress in 1789 to manage government revenue...
from 1897 to 1912. His name is listed ex officio as supervising architect of hundreds of federal buildings built throughout the United States during the period.
Early career
The son of H. Knox and Mary (Young) Taylor, he was born in Knoxville, IllinoisKnoxville, Illinois
Knoxville is a city in Knox County, Illinois, United States. The population was 3,183 at the 2000 census. It is part of the Galesburg Micropolitan Statistical Area.-Description:Knoxville is located just southeast of the City of Galesburg...
and attended schools in 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...
. He attended 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...
where he was a classmate of William Martin Aiken
William Martin Aiken
William Martin Aiken was an American architect who served as Supervising Architect of the United States Treasury and oversaw and participated in the design and construction of numerous federal buildings during his appointment that now reside on the National Register of Historic Places.-Early...
, who would precede him in the position of Supervisory Architect, and Cass Gilbert
Cass Gilbert
- Historical impact :Gilbert is considered a skyscraper pioneer; when designing the Woolworth Building he moved into unproven ground — though he certainly was aware of the ground-breaking work done by Chicago architects on skyscrapers and once discussed merging firms with the legendary Daniel...
. After graduation he worked in the New York City office of Charles C. Haight
Charles C. Haight
Charles Coolidge Haight was an American architect who practiced in New York City. A number of his buildings survive including at Yale University and Trinity College . He also designed most of the campus of the Episcopal General Theological Seminary in Chelsea Square, New York...
and later with Bruce Price
Bruce Price
Bruce Price was the American architect of many of the Canadian Pacific Railway's Château-type stations and hotels...
. In 1882 he moved to St. Paul, Minnesota where he formed a partnership with Gilbert, as Gilbert & Taylor. They built many homes and churches. Subsequently they designed the Pioneer and Endicott Buildings
Pioneer and Endicott Buildings
The Pioneer and Endicott Buildings are two buildings in Saint Paul, Minnesota. The 1890 Endicott building forms L-shape around 1889 Pioneer building. The Endicott building was designed by Cass Gilbert and James Knox Taylor; the Pioneer building was designed by Solon Spencer Beman in the Romanesque...
. In 1893 he moved to Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Philadelphia 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,...
and formed a partnership with Amos J. Boyden. In 1895 he got a job with Aiken, the Supervisory Architect, as a temporary draftsman. In 1897, following a Civil Serice Commission examination, he became the Supervisory Architect, the first architect promoted from within.
Tarney Act
In 1893 Missouri Congressman John Charles TarsneyJohn Charles Tarsney
John Charles Tarsney was a politician from the U.S. state of Missouri.One of Tarsney's most long lasting contributions was the "Tarsney Act" which permitted private architects to design federal buildings after being selected in a competition under the supervision of Supervising Architect of the...
introduced a bill that allowed the Supervisory Architect to hold competitions among private architects for major structures. Competitions under Taylor's supervision included the Alexander Hamilton U.S. Custom House
Alexander Hamilton U.S. Custom House
The Alexander Hamilton U.S. Custom House is a building in New York City, built 1902–1907 by the federal government to house the duty collection operations for the port of New York. It is located near the southern tip of Manhattan, next to Battery Park, at 1 Bowling Green...
, James Farley Post Office
James Farley Post Office
The James A. Farley Post Office Building is the main post office building in New York City. Its ZIP code designation is 10001. Built in 1912, the building is famous for bearing the inscription: Neither snow nor rain nor heat nor gloom of night stays these couriers from the swift completion of...
, Cleveland Federal Building, U.S. Post Office and Courthouse (Baltimore, Maryland)
U.S. Post Office and Courthouse (Baltimore, Maryland)
The United States Post Office and Courthouse is a historic combined post office and Federal courthouse located in Baltimore, Maryland, United States. It occupies an entire city block and measures 238 feet, 2 inches east-west by 279 feet, 10 inches north-south...
and U.S. Customhouse (San Francisco, California) (which are all now 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...
) among others. The competitions were met with enthusiasm by the community but were also marred by scandal, as when Taylor picked his ex-partner Cass Gilbert
Cass Gilbert
- Historical impact :Gilbert is considered a skyscraper pioneer; when designing the Woolworth Building he moved into unproven ground — though he certainly was aware of the ground-breaking work done by Chicago architects on skyscrapers and once discussed merging firms with the legendary Daniel...
for the New York Customs House commission. In 1913 the act was repealed.
In 1912, Taylor returned to MIT for two years as director of the department of architecture, then moved to Yonkers, New York
Yonkers, New York
Yonkers is the fourth most populous city in the state of New York , and the most populous city in Westchester County, with a population of 195,976...
, where for several years he continued practicing. In 1928, he retired to Tampa, Florida
Tampa, Florida
Tampa is a city in the U.S. state of Florida. It serves as the county seat for Hillsborough County. Tampa is located on the west coast of Florida. The population of Tampa in 2010 was 335,709....
, where he died the following year.
Selected works
From 1897 through 1912 Taylor swift is credited as "supervising architect" for federal buildings constructed during his tenure, a list which includes dozens of post offices, court houses and other structures. Local architects are often credited as well. As the head of a sizable government office, Taylor's swift direct involvement with any of these projects is open to question.- Pioneer and Endicott BuildingsPioneer and Endicott BuildingsThe Pioneer and Endicott Buildings are two buildings in Saint Paul, Minnesota. The 1890 Endicott building forms L-shape around 1889 Pioneer building. The Endicott building was designed by Cass Gilbert and James Knox Taylor; the Pioneer building was designed by Solon Spencer Beman in the Romanesque...
, St. Paul, Minnesota, 1890 (with Cass GilbertCass Gilbert- Historical impact :Gilbert is considered a skyscraper pioneer; when designing the Woolworth Building he moved into unproven ground — though he certainly was aware of the ground-breaking work done by Chicago architects on skyscrapers and once discussed merging firms with the legendary Daniel...
) - Denver MintDenver MintThe Denver Mint is a branch of the United States Mint that struck its first coins on February 1, 1906. The mint is still operating and producing coins for circulation, as well as mint sets and commemorative coins. Coins produced at the Denver Mint bear a D mint mark...
, Denver, ColoradoDenver, ColoradoThe 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...
, 1897 - Old Post Office (Buffalo, New York), 1897
- Philadelphia MintPhiladelphia MintThe Philadelphia Mint was created from the need to establish a national identity and the needs of commerce in the United States. This led the Founding Fathers of the United States to make an establishment of a continental national mint a main priority after the ratification of the Constitution of...
(Third Building), 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,...
, 1901 - Old Post Office (Buffalo, New York), 1901
- Gatke HallGatke HallGatke Hall is the second-oldest building at Willamette University in Salem, Oregon, United States. A two-story structure, it was originally built in downtown Salem in 1903 across the street from the Marion County Courthouse and served as a post office...
, now part of Willamette UniversityWillamette UniversityWillamette University is an American private institution of higher learning located in Salem, Oregon. Founded in 1842, it is the oldest university in the Western United States. Willamette is a member of the Annapolis Group of colleges, and is made up of an undergraduate College of Liberal Arts and...
, Salem, OregonSalem, OregonSalem is the capital of the U.S. state of Oregon, and the county seat of Marion County. It is located in the center of the Willamette Valley alongside the Willamette River, which runs north through the city. The river forms the boundary between Marion and Polk counties, and the city neighborhood...
, 1901 - United States Courthouse Building and Downtown Postal Station (Tampa, Florida), 1902-1905
- Public Safety BuildingPublic Safety Building (Cumberland, Maryland)Public Safety Building, or Old Post Office, is a historic building in Cumberland, Allegany County, Maryland. It was constructed between 1902 and 1904, in the Classical Revival style. It is built of brick, rising from a monumental stone base. There is a slightly projecting pavilion with four...
, Cumberland, MarylandCumberland, MarylandCumberland is a city in the far western, Appalachian portion of Maryland, United States. It is the county seat of Allegany County, and the primary city of the Cumberland, MD-WV Metropolitan Statistical Area. At the 2010 census, the city had a population of 20,859, and the metropolitan area had a...
, 1904 - U.S. Post Office and Court House, San Francisco, now the United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth CircuitUnited States Court of Appeals for the Ninth CircuitThe United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit is a U.S. federal court with appellate jurisdiction over the district courts in the following districts:* District of Alaska* District of Arizona...
, 1905 - U.S. Custom House, Houston Texas, 1907-1911
- Old Post Office (Albuquerque, New Mexico), 1908
- Old Post Office/Museum of Ceramics (East Liverpool, Ohio), 1908
- Gainesville, Florida Post OfficeHippodrome State TheatreThe Hippodrome State Theatre is a regional professional theatre in downtown Gainesville, Florida, United States. It was founded in 1972 by local actors. The address is 25 Southeast 2nd Place....
, 1909 - U.S. Post Office (Beverly, Massachusetts), 1910
- U.S. Post Office (Belvidere, Illinois)U.S. Post Office (Belvidere, Illinois)The Belvidere U.S. Post Office is a historic building located in the Illinois city's downtown business district. It was built in 1911 and represents a good example of Classical Revival architecture. It was added to the National Register of Historic Places as United States Post Office-Belvidere in...
, 1911 - U. S. Post Office, Waterville, MaineWaterville, MaineWaterville is a city in Kennebec County, Maine, United States, on the west bank of the Kennebec River. The population was 15,722 at the 2010 census. Home to Colby College and Thomas College, Waterville is the regional commercial, medical and cultural center....
, 1911 - Alaska Governor's MansionAlaska Governor's MansionThe Alaska Governor's Mansion, located at 716 Calhoun Avenue in Juneau, Alaska, is the official residence of the Governor of Alaska and the governor's family. It was designed by James Knox Taylor...
, Juneau, AlaskaJuneau, AlaskaThe City and Borough of Juneau is a unified municipality located on the Gastineau Channel in the panhandle of the U.S. state of Alaska. It has been the capital of Alaska since 1906, when the government of the then-District of Alaska was moved from Sitka as dictated by the U.S. Congress in 1900...
, 1912 - United States Post Office (Johnstown, New York)United States Post Office (Johnstown, New York)US Post Office-Johnstown is a historic post office building located at located at Johnstown in Fulton County, New York. It was designed and built in 1912–1913, and is one of a number of post offices in New York State designed by the Office of the Supervising Architect of the Treasury Department,...
, Johnstown, New YorkJohnstown (city), New YorkJohnstown is a city and the county seat of Fulton County in the U.S. state of New York. As of the 2000 Census, the city had population of 8,511. Recent estimates put the figure closer to 8,100. The city was named by its founder, Sir William Johnson after his son John Johnson...
, 1912-1913