William Tinsley (architect)
Encyclopedia
William Tinsley was an Irish architect who emigrated to the United States
in 1851. He and his family settled in Cincinnati where Tinsley received commissions to design several prestigious buildings in the Midwestern United States
.
, County Tipperary
. In about 1820 he entered the family building business. Although baptised into the Church of Ireland
, Tinsley converted to Methodism
at the age of twenty-one. Following the death of his father in 1825, William took over the company and received several commissions from local landowners. He studied the designs of church architect James Pain
, and was made official architect for the Diocese of Lismore on Pain's death.
to New York
via Liverpool
before settling in Cincinnati. His first major commission in his adopted country was the original North Western Christian University building which he began in the Winter of 1852-53. He completed several other commissions, among them work for Rockwell, Kenyon (Ascension Hall), and Wabash colleges as well as Ohio Wesleyan University
and the University of Wisconsin. His last major work was the Ohio State School for the Blind
at Columbus
, Ohio. Following his death in 1885, he was interred at Crown Hill Cemetery, Indianapolis
.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
in 1851. He and his family settled in Cincinnati where Tinsley received commissions to design several prestigious buildings in the Midwestern United States
Midwestern United States
The Midwestern United States is one of the four U.S. geographic regions defined by the United States Census Bureau, providing an official definition of the American Midwest....
.
Ireland
William, the younger son of Thomas Tinsley and Lucy Brough, was born in ClonmelClonmel
Clonmel is the county town of South Tipperary in Ireland. It is the largest town in the county. While the borough had a population of 15,482 in 2006, another 17,008 people were in the rural hinterland. The town is noted in Irish history for its resistance to the Cromwellian army which sacked both...
, County Tipperary
County Tipperary
County Tipperary is a county of Ireland. It is located in the province of Munster and is named after the town of Tipperary. The area of the county does not have a single local authority; local government is split between two authorities. In North Tipperary, part of the Mid-West Region, local...
. In about 1820 he entered the family building business. Although baptised into the Church of Ireland
Church of Ireland
The Church of Ireland is an autonomous province of the Anglican Communion. The church operates in all parts of Ireland and is the second largest religious body on the island after the Roman Catholic Church...
, Tinsley converted to Methodism
Methodism
Methodism is a movement of Protestant Christianity represented by a number of denominations and organizations, claiming a total of approximately seventy million adherents worldwide. The movement traces its roots to John Wesley's evangelistic revival movement within Anglicanism. His younger brother...
at the age of twenty-one. Following the death of his father in 1825, William took over the company and received several commissions from local landowners. He studied the designs of church architect James Pain
James Pain
James Pain was born into a family of English architects. His grandfather was William Pain, his father James Pain and his brother George Richard Pain. James Pain served as an apprentice to the architect John Nash of London. James and George Richard were commissioned by the Board of First Fruits...
, and was made official architect for the Diocese of Lismore on Pain's death.
United States
In 1851, following a decline in business after the Great Famine, Tinsle and his wife Lucy and their nine children emigrated to the US. They sailed from WaterfordWaterford
Waterford is a city in the South-East Region of Ireland. It is the oldest city in the country and fifth largest by population. Waterford City Council is the local government authority for the city and its immediate hinterland...
to New York
New York
New 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...
via Liverpool
Liverpool
Liverpool is a city and metropolitan borough of Merseyside, England, along the eastern side of the Mersey Estuary. It was founded as a borough in 1207 and was granted city status in 1880...
before settling in Cincinnati. His first major commission in his adopted country was the original North Western Christian University building which he began in the Winter of 1852-53. He completed several other commissions, among them work for Rockwell, Kenyon (Ascension Hall), and Wabash colleges as well as Ohio Wesleyan University
Ohio Wesleyan University
Ohio Wesleyan University is a private liberal arts college in Delaware, Ohio, United States. It was founded in 1842 by Methodist leaders and Central Ohio residents as a nonsectarian institution, and is a member of the Ohio Five — a consortium of Ohio liberal arts colleges...
and the University of Wisconsin. His last major work was the Ohio State School for the Blind
Ohio State School for the Blind
Ohio State School for the Blind is a school located in Columbus, Ohio, United States. It is run by the Ohio Department of Education for blind and visually impaired students across Ohio...
at Columbus
Columbus, Ohio
Columbus is the capital of and the largest city in the U.S. state of Ohio. The broader metropolitan area encompasses several counties and is the third largest in Ohio behind those of Cleveland and Cincinnati. Columbus is the third largest city in the American Midwest, and the fifteenth largest city...
, Ohio. Following his death in 1885, he was interred at Crown Hill Cemetery, Indianapolis
Indianapolis
Indianapolis is the capital of the U.S. state of Indiana, and the county seat of Marion County, Indiana. As of the 2010 United States Census, the city's population is 839,489. It is by far Indiana's largest city and, as of the 2010 U.S...
.
Sources
- William Tinsley, architect William N. Pickerill, 1914.
- Victorian architect: the life and work of William Tinsley John Douglas Forbes, 1953.