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|'''John Pitkin Norton House'''. Now owned by Yale University, this house is an irregular Italianate villa inspired by A. J. Downing's designs. The window surrounds, canopies, and styling are typical of Austin, as is the flamboyant Moorish entryway. Although much of the detailing, such as the canopies and balconies, had been lost, the house was restored in 2003 by Yale. The third floor and left wing are additions made to Austin's initial design.<ref>http://historicbuildingsct.com/?tag=henry-austin&paged=3 See also HABS documentation http://www.loc.gov/pictures/item/ct0068/</ref>
|'''John Pitkin Norton House'''. Now owned by Yale University, this house is an irregular Italianate villa inspired by A. J. Downing's designs. The window surrounds, canopies, and styling are typical of Austin, as is the flamboyant Moorish entryway. Although much of the detailing, such as the canopies and balconies, had been lost, the house was restored in 2003 by Yale. The third floor and left wing are additions made to Austin's initial design.<ref>http://historicbuildingsct.com/?tag=henry-austin&paged=3 See also HABS documentation http://www.loc.gov/pictures/item/ct0068/</ref>
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Revision as of 03:27, 16 September 2011

Henry Austin
New Haven City Hall tower
Born(1804-12-04)December 4, 1804
Mt. Carmel, Connecticut
DiedDecember 17, 1891(1891-12-17) (aged 87)
New Haven, Connecticut
NationalityAmerican
OccupationArchitect
BuildingsGrove Street Cemetery Gates

James Dwight Dana House
John Pitkin Norton House
New Haven City Hall

Yale College Library (Dwight Hall)

Henry Austin (December 4, 1804 – December 17, 1891) was a prominent and prolific American architect based in New Haven, Connecticut. He practiced for more than fifty years and designed many public buildings and homes primarily in the New Haven area.[1] His most significant years of production seem to be the 1840s and 50s.[2]

Life and Practice

The paucity of precise information concerned with Austin and a lack of many personal papers (such as diaries or letters) makes a complete bibliography of his life difficult to write.[3] Austin was born in Mt. Carmel, Connecticut in 1804 and was the son of Daniel and Adah (Dorman) Austin. He first seems to have worked as a carpenter's apprentice and then began his career in architecture in association with Ithiel Town and Alexander Jackson Davis, although the nature of his relationship to Town and Davis has not been clearly ascertained.[4] In 1837, he opened his own office in Hartford, evidenced by newspaper advertisements.[5] In Hartford, he designed the tower of Christ Church Cathedral (1838), the Wadsworth Athenaeum with Town and Davis (1842), and the demolished gothic-revival Kellogg house (1841); he also became associated at this time with Nelson Hotchkiss a New Haven real estate developer and designed with him villas along "Park Row" in Trenton, probably his first major commission.[6]

Henry Austin was particularly enamored of the so-called candelabra columns and introduced them into the American architectural vocabulary. These examples are from the Dana House in New Haven.

In 1841, he moved his practice to New Haven where his first significant commission was the now-demolished, Greek Revival George Gabriel House (1841).[7] In New Haven, Austin's style diversified; in one ad, Austin claimed he could design buildings "in every variety of architectural style".[8] He worked in a range of styles popular in the nineteenth century including Gothic, Italianate, Egyptian and Moorish Revival.[1] In some buildings, he employed an eclectic mix of styles, creating varied, exotic forms. His New Haven work left a lasting impression on the domestic architecture of the then-developing real estate projects in the areas of Wooster Square and Hillhouse Avenue. In Wooster Square he designed the Italianate James E. English House (1845), the exotic Indian/Moorish Willis Bristol House (1845), the Nelson Hotchkiss House (1850), and the irregular Italianate villa Oliver B. King House (1852). On Hillhouse Avenue he worked on the James Dwight Dana House (1848) and the John Pitkin Norton House (1849), as well as remodeled the Greek Revival Ithiel Town House of 1836 for Joseph E. Sheffield in 1859 (demolished), encasing Town's structure in an exuberant Italianate shell. In New Haven, Austin made the so-called candelabra column (a column inspired by Indian architecture consisting of superimposed vegetal layers) his signature, as well as elaborate Indian/Moorish lambrequins over windows.[9] Other signifcant works in New Haven include the Grove Street Cemetery Gate in Egyptian Revival (1839-1847), Dwight Hall at Yale (1842-1847), the City Savings Bank (demolished, 1852), the Palladium Building (formerly Young Men's Institute, 1855) and the strange Moorish New Haven Railroad Station (demolished, 1848). His most significant non-residential commission in New Haven was the City Hall (1860), a polychrome, asymmetrical, Gothic Revial structure, which, although significantly altered in the 1980s, still maintains Austin's facade and some interior decorative features.

Indian architecture made a deep impression on Austin and found its way into much of his detail work. This is the porch from the Willis Bristol House in New Haven.

Austin also worked in other regions and states. In Connecticut, he designed churches in Gothic revival and Italianate styles in Northford (Congregational 1845), Waterbury (St. John's Episcopal Church, 1846), Kent (First Congregational 1849), Plainville (Congregational 1850), and Seymour (Trinity Episcopal, 1858). Perhaps his most significant out-of-state commission was the Morse-Libby House (Victoria Mansion) in Portland, ME, 1857-1860, for Sylvester Ruggles Morse. This large, elaborate Italianate mansion in brownstone is considered one of Austin's best works and has been called "one of the culminating domestic designs of the antebellum years, and of the Italianate villa in general."[10] One of his last major commissions was for the gothic, brownstone library (now Rich Hall, 1866-68) at Wesleyan College in Middletown, CT.

After the 1860s, Austin's style changed with the times, incorporating structures in the Second Empire and Stick styles. In 1868, he constructed two Second Empire houses on Prospect Street in New Haven for Oliver Winchester and David Russel Brown. The Winchester House has been demolished, but the Brown house remains, having been restored by Yale and renamed the Betts House. Austin's son, Fred, joined his father's practice in later years, but the firm did not survive long after Austin's death. Throughout his later years, Austin maintained control of his firm and was famous as he aged for wearing a dark brown wig.[11] He was the chairman of the Board of Commissioners of Public Buildings in New Haven at the time of his death[12]; he also served on the New Haven city council in 1854 and belonged to the Masons for fifty years.[13]

Austin was married twice, first to Harriet M. Hooker, then to Jane Hempstead, and had four children who survived into adulthood, Willard, Henry, David, and Fred.[14] He died in 1891 in New Haven and is interred in Grove Street Cemetery, whose famous gates he designed.

Selected works[15]

Image Date Location Name and Information
1845 New Haven CT, Wooster Square Willis Bristol House. An Italianate villa with striking Moorish/Indian design elements including candelabra columns, Moorish window lambrequins, and uniquely paned windows.[16]
1845 New Haven CT, Wooster Square James E. English House. An Italianate villa; the house has delicate candelabra columns, untypical of other Austin works. The porch displays a delicate, gothic quatrefoil balustrade. The third story is an addition to the original design from 1876.[17]
1845-1848 New Haven CT, Hillhouse Avenue James Dwight Dana House. Now owned by Yale University. The house is an Italianate villa with detailing influenced by Indian precedents, such as the candelabra columns on the porch.[18] The house also has an elaborately carved belvidere on the roof and drops bordering the heavy cornice.
1842-1845 New Haven CT Yale University Library now Dwight Hall. This symmetrical, brownstone, Gothic revival building was built as a library for Yale University. The tall central Gothic hall originally contained balconies with book alcoves, as did the side wings of the building. It was probably based on King's College Chapel in Cambridge, although the many tall pointed spires were not constructed as planned. In 1931, the building was adapted for use as a chapel and the interior altered to accomodate worshipers.[19]
1848-1849 New Haven CT Grove Street Cemetery Gates, 1848-1849. Austin designed the gate in Egyptian revival style with papyrus-bud capitals.[20]
[[1]] 1848-1849 New Haven CT New Haven Railroad Station. This station incorporated Italianate and Moorish revival styles. It was converted into a market in 1874 and was destroyed by fire in 1894.[21]
1849 New Haven CT, Hillhouse Avenue John Pitkin Norton House. Now owned by Yale University, this house is an irregular Italianate villa inspired by A. J. Downing's designs. The window surrounds, canopies, and styling are typical of Austin, as is the flamboyant Moorish entryway. Although much of the detailing, such as the canopies and balconies, had been lost, the house was restored in 2003 by Yale. The third floor and left wing are additions made to Austin's initial design.[22]
[[2]] 1850 Wallingford CT Moses Yale Beach House This Italian villa includes a columned veranda with "oriental" elements.[20] It was demolished in the 1960s.
1850 New Haven CT, Wooster Square Nelson Hotchkiss House This was the first house Austin designed for Nelso Hotchkiss with whom he had worked closely. The windows are surrounded by Austin's signature, notched surrounds. The house also features a delicate canopy over the central three part window.[23] This house is part of a series of villas Austin designed on Chapel Street.
1852 New Haven CT, Wooster Square Oliver B. King House aka Jonathan King House. This is an impressive, irregular Italianate villa, based on Downing's works, which is part of Austin's Chapel Street project. The house has been altered by the addition of a third floor and refenestration in the right wing.[24]
1854 New Haven CT, Wooster Square Hotchkiss-Betts House. Another Italianate villa on Chapel Street, the second house built for Austin's collaborator on several projects, Nelson Hotchkiss. The house features bowed bays and a central door with an elaborate double height porch, utilizing Gothic and Indian design elements with candelabra columns.
1855 New Haven CT Young Men's Institute now the Palladium Building. An attractive four-bay Anglo-Italianate/Renaissance Revial building, the ascription to Austin has never been proven but seems very likely.[25]
1858 New Haven CT, East Rock Lafayette B. Mendel House. This small Italianate design uses classical architectural elements and is a National Historic Landmark.
1859 New Haven CT, Hillhouse Avenue Joseph Sheffield House Austin supplied Italianate additions to Ithiel Town's mansion, including two large asymmetrical towers, a new porch, and symmetrical side wings with large bay windows. Although the house was on of Austin's most important works, it was demolished in 1957 by Yale to make way for Dunham Laboratory. For Image:[26]
1858-1860 Portland, ME Morse-Libby House (Victoria Mansion). This asymmetric brownstone Italian villa has a four-story tower, ornate carvings, deep overhanging eaves and graceful verandas. Considered to be one of Austin's most significant works, it is constructed of Portland brownstone and displays heavy, opulent classical detailing, which is far less eclectic than many of his earlier designs.[27] The interiors were designed by the Herter Brothers. It is now a museum.[28]
1860 New Haven CT New Haven City Hall This polychromatic Victorian Gothic structure bordering the New Haven Green with clock tower and tall iron staircase was one of Austin's most important works in New Haven. Many decorative motifs and varieties of stone were employed to give the building a colorful, Venetian effect. The design might have been based on a project for a "metropolitan hotel" published in The Illustrated London News in 1859.[29] The remains of this building (much of it was demolished in 1976) are now incorporated into the new City Hall, built in 1986, which abstractly extends the façade.[30] Austin's tower was demolished in the 1950s but reconstructed in the 1980s.
1866-1868 Middletown CT Wesleyan College Library now Rich Hall. This sandstone library follows the earlier library plan Austin developed at Dwight Hall. Although the building has been gutted by the college, Austin's gothic truss roof remains.[31]
1868 New Haven CT John M. Davies House now Betts House. Designed with David R. Brown, and now owned by Yale University. This 20,000-square-foot (1,900 m2) Victorian (French Second Empire style) mansion is on the National Register of Historic Places. Originally the home of John Davies (an associate of Oliver Winchester), it subsequently housed the Culinary Institute of America.[32] It is now home to the Yale Center for the Study of Globalization. The building was extensively restored by Yale in 2000-2002 after neglect and a fire (in 1990) had caused damage.[33]
[[3]] 1879-1880 Branford CT W. J. Clark House. This house is in the Stick style, one of the very few works that Austin designed in this style. It has a large tower set to the rear and a double height wrap-around porch. The detailing evokes the Swiss cottage style. For an image:[34]

References

  1. ^ a b "Henry Austin", International Dictionary of Architects and Architecture. St. James Press, 1993.
  2. ^ O'Gorman pg.2
  3. ^ O'Gorman Henry Austin: In every variety of architectural style (Middletown, 2008) pp.xv-xvi
  4. ^ O'Gorman pp.3-6
  5. ^ O'Gorman pg.9
  6. ^ O'Gorman, pp.14-17
  7. ^ O'Gorman pg.14
  8. ^ O'Gorman pg.9
  9. ^ O'Gorman pp.28-30
  10. ^ O'Gorman pg.65
  11. ^ O'Gorman pg.2 n.4
  12. ^ O'Gorman pg. 2
  13. ^ O'Gorman pg.1
  14. ^ O'Gorman pg.1 n.1
  15. ^ Brown, Elizabeth M.: "New Haven: A Guide to Architecture and Urban Design", Yale University Press, New Haven, Connecticut, 1976.
  16. ^ See also HABS documentation http://www.loc.gov/pictures/item/ct0061/
  17. ^ http://historicbuildingsct.com/?tag=henry-austin
  18. ^ http://historicbuildingsct.com/?tag=henry-austin&paged=3. See also HABS documentation http://www.loc.gov/pictures/item/ct0063/ The house is on the NRHP.
  19. ^ O'Gorman pp.124-130
  20. ^ a b Meeks, C. L. V. (June, 1948), "Henry Austin and the Italian Villa", The Art Bulletin, 30 (2), College Art Association: 145–149, doi:10.2307/3047173, JSTOR 3047173 {{citation}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)CS1 maint: date and year (link)
  21. ^ Priscilla Searles, New Haven’s Enterprise Hall of Fame, Business New Haven, 1/25/1999
  22. ^ http://historicbuildingsct.com/?tag=henry-austin&paged=3 See also HABS documentation http://www.loc.gov/pictures/item/ct0068/
  23. ^ O'Gorman pg.44
  24. ^ O'Gorman pp.63-64
  25. ^ O'Gorman pp.146-9
  26. ^ http://www.yalealumnimagazine.com/issues/01_03/popup/landmarks/6.html
  27. ^ O'Gorman pp.66-74
  28. ^ Victoria Mansion
  29. ^ O'Gorman pp.150-159
  30. ^ New Haven City Hall restoration and new construction
  31. ^ O'Gorman pp.160-164
  32. ^ David W. Dunlap (July 22, 2001), "POSTINGS: $13.5 Million Renovation and Restoration for 133-Year-Old Building; Yale Mansion to House Globalization Center", New York Times
  33. ^ "Davies Mansion to be renovated, renamed" (– Scholar search), Yale Bulletin and Calendar, vol. 30, no. 7, October 19, 2001 {{citation}}: External link in |format= (help) [dead link]
  34. ^ http://www.lib.umassd.edu/digicoll/stickarch/stickarch_index.html?building=ClarkW

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