James Renwick, Jr.

James Renwick, Jr. (b. November 11, 1818, Bloomingdale, New York - d. June 23, 1895, New York City, United States), was a well-known American architect in the 19th-century. The Encyclopedia of American Architecture calls him "one of the most successful American architects of his time." James Renwick, Jr. ... James Renwick, Jr. ... November 11 is the 315th day of the year (316th in leap years) in the Gregorian Calendar, with 50 days remaining. ... 1818 is a common year starting on Thursday. ... Bloomingdale is a place located in Essex County in the State of New York in the United States of America. ... June 23 is the 174th day of the year (175th in leap years) in the Gregorian Calendar, with 191 days remaining. ... 1895 was a common year starting on Tuesday (see link for calendar). ... New York City, officially named the City of New York, is the most populous city in the United States, the most densely populated major city in North America, and is the largest financial center in the world. ... Architect at his drawing board, 1893 An architect, also known as a building designer, is a person involved in the planning, designing and oversight of a buildings construction, whose role is to guide decisions affecting those building aspects that are of aesthetic, cultural or social concern. ... Alternative meaning: Nineteenth Century (periodical) The 19th century lasted from 1801 to 1900 in the Gregorian calendar (using the Common Era system of year numbering). ...

He was born into a wealthy and well-educated family. His mother, Margaret Brevoort, wealthy and socially prominent, was from a well-established New York family. His father, James Renwick, was an engineer and professor of natural philosophy at Columbia College, now Columbia University. His two brothers were also engineers.

Renwick was not trained as an architect. His ability and interest was nurtured through his cultivated background, which granted him early exposure to travel, and through a broad cultural education that included architectural history. He learned the skills from his father. He studied engineering at Columbia College (now Columbia University), entering at the age of twelve and graduating in 1836. He received an M.A. three years later. On graduating he took a position as structural engineer with the Erie Railroad and subsequently was a supervisor on the Croton Reservoir, acting as an assistant engineer on the Croton Aqueduct in New York City. Columbia University is a private university in the Morningside Heights neighborhood of Manhattan, New York City. ... Look up engineer on Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ... The Croton Aqueduct was a large and complex water distribution system constructed for New York City between 1837 and 1842. ...

He received his first major commission, at the age of twenty-five, in 1843 when he won the competition to design Grace Church, an Episcopal church in New York City, which followed the English Gothic style. In 1846 Renwick won the competition for the design of the Smithsonian Institution Building in Washington, DC. Built between 1847 and 1855, the many-turreted building, generally referred to as ‘the Castle’, was in the Romanesque style, as requested by the Board of Regents of the Smithsonian, and was built of red sandstone quarried in Seneca, Maryland. It was a major factor in the Gothic revival in the United States. The Castle The Smithsonian Institution Building, located on the National Mall in Washington, DC, houses the Smithsonian Institutions administrative offices and information center. ... Aerial photo (looking NW) of the Washington Monument and the White House in Washington, DC. Washington, D.C., officially the District of Columbia (also known as D.C.; Washington; the Nations Capital; the District; and, historically, the Federal City) is the capital city and administrative district of the United... Victoria Tower at the Palace of Westminster, London: Gothic details provided by A.W.N. Pugin The Gothic revival was a European architectural movement with origins in mid-18th century England. ...

Renwick went on to design what is considered his finest achievement, and his best-known building: St. Patrick's Cathedral, on the corner of New York City's Fifth Avenue and 51st street. He was chosen as architect for the cathedral in 1853, building started in 1858 and it opened in May of 1879. The cathedral is the most ambitious essay in Gothic that the revival of the style produced, and is a mixture of the German, French, and English Gothic influences. Several cathedrals are named after Saint Patrick. ...

Another building that Renwick designed housed the first Corcoran Gallery of Art (now home to the Smithsonian's Renwick Gallery), in the Second Empire style, in Washington D.C. (1859-1871). Other commissions include the first major buildings on the campus of Vassar College in Poughkeepsie, New York (1861-1865), including the Main Hall (1860), Saint Bartholomew's Church (1871-1872) in New York City, All Saints' Roman Catholic Church (1882-1893) in Harlem, which was designed in the Victorian Gothic style, the New York Public Library, many mansions for the wealthy of New York, banks, the Charity and Smallpox Hospitals on Roosevelt Island, the main building of the Children's Hospital on Randal's Island, the Inebriate and Lunatic Asylums on Ward's Island, and the former facade of the New York Stock Exchange. He was also supervising architect for the Commission of Charities and Correction The Corcoran Gallery of Art is the largest privately supported cultural institution in Washington, DC. The museums main focus is American art. ... The Renwick Gallery is part of the Smithsonian American Art Museum, located in Washington, D.C., and focuses on American crafts and decorative arts from the 19th century to the 21st century. ... 1859 is a common year starting on Saturday. ... 1871 was a common year starting on Sunday (see link for calendar). ... Closeup of the Vassar Main Building Vassar College is a private, coeducational liberal arts college situated in Poughkeepsie, NY. Formerly a womens college, Vassar is the only fully co-educational member of the Seven Sisters. ... 1861 is a common year starting on Tuesday. ... 1865 is a common year starting on Sunday. ...

Several of Renwick's proteges became influential architects in their own right, including Bertram Goodhue, who was a partner of Ralph Adams Cram and designed the Nebraska State Capitol building, and John Wellborn Root. Goodhue by Lee Lawrie, holding the Rockefeller Chapel, Chicago, Illinois Bertram Grosvenor Goodhue (April 28, 1869 - April 23, 1924) was a renowned American architect celebrated for his work in neo-gothic design. ... Cover of Time Magazine (December 13, 1926) Ralph Adams Cram, (December 16, 1863 - September 22, 1942), was an American architect of collegiate and ecclesiastical buildings, often in the gothic style. ... Nickname: Star City Location in Nebraska Founded Incorporated 18671 1869  County Lancaster County Mayor Coleen Seng Area  - Total  - Water 195. ... John Wellborn Root (January 10, 1850 - January 15, 1891) was a significant U.S. architect who worked out of Chicago with Daniel Burnham. ...

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Major buildings designed

• Grace Church, New York City (1843-1846)
• Calvary Church, New York City (1846-1847)
• Smithsonian Institution Building, Washington D.C.]] (1847-1855)
• St. Patrick's Cathedral, New York City (1858-1879)
• Corcoran Gallery of Art (currently the Renwick Gallery), Washington D.C. (1859-1871)
• Cathedral High School, New York City (1869)
• Greymore Friars' Residence, New York City (1869)
• St. Bartholomew's Church, New York City (1871-1872)

1843 was a common year starting on Sunday (see link for calendar). ... 1846 was a common year starting on Thursday (see link for calendar). ... The Smithsonian Institution Building or Castle on the National Mall serves as the Institutions headquarters. ... St. ... The Corcoran Gallery of Art is the largest privately supported cultural institution in Washington, DC. The museums main focus is American art. ... 1869 is a common year starting on Friday (link will take you to calendar). ... 1872 was a leap year starting on Monday (see link for calendar). ...

External links

• Biography at Smithsonian Scrapbook

Source

Packard, Robert. (Ed.) (1995). The Encyclopedia of American Architecture (2nd ed.). New York: McGraw-Hill.