Chase R. Whitcher (December 8, 1876 – August 25, 1940) was an American

architect An architect is a person who plans, designs and oversees the construction of buildings. To practice architecture means to provide services in connection with the design of buildings and the space within the site surrounding the buildings that h ...

in practice in Lisbon and

Manchester, New Hampshire Manchester is a city in Hillsborough County, New Hampshire, United States. It is the most populous city in New Hampshire New Hampshire is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States. It is bordered by Massachusett ...

, from 1903 until his death in 1940. He served as State Architect from 1913 until the office was abolished in 1915.

Life and career

Chase Roy Whitcher was born December 8, 1876, in

Lisbon, New Hampshire Lisbon is a town in Grafton County, New Hampshire, United States. The population was 1,621 at the 2020 census. Lisbon hosts an annual lilac festival on Memorial Day weekend. The main village, where 965 people resided at the 2020 census, is defined ...

, to Ward Priest Whitcher and Pheeb H. Whitcher, née Perkins.William F. Whitcher,
Descendants of Chase Whitcher of Warren, N. H.
' (Woodsville: News Book and Job Print, 1907) He studied architecture at the

Massachusetts Institute of Technology The Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) is a Private university, private Land-grant university, land-grant research university in Cambridge, Massachusetts. Established in 1861, MIT has played a key role in the development of modern t ...

and with architects in

Boston Boston (), officially the City of Boston, is the capital city, state capital and List of municipalities in Massachusetts, most populous city of the Commonwealth (U.S. state), Commonwealth of Massachusetts, as well as the cultural and financ ...

, but did not receive a degree. In 1898 Whitcher returned to Lisbon, where he began working as an architect, probably with local contractor L. W. Goudie. In 1903 he established an independent architect's office in Lisbon. Circa 1907 he moved this office to Manchester, but kept his residence and family in Lisbon. By 1909, his wife and children had joined him in Manchester. For his entire time in Manchester, Whitcher kept his office in the Beacon Building, the city's most prestigious business address. Whitcher was in continuous practice in Manchester until his death in 1940. He was assisted during his career by at least two other architects, George O. Peabody and Roland S. Simonds, and several draftsmen. New Hampshire architects Carl E. Peterson and Malcolm D. Hildreth also worked in his office. In August of 1913 Whitcher was appointed New Hampshire's second and last State Architect, having charge of design and construction of buildings at the various state institutions. The office was abolished in 1915. After Whitcher's death, Simonds continued the practice, working until his own death in 1963.

Personal life

In 1898 Whitcher married Eda M. Aldrich, also a native of Lisbon. They had two daughters. After several years of renting in Lisbon and Manchester, circa 1915 Whitcher built a home for his family at 1153 Union Street in Manchester. This was a traditional Colonial Revival home, and Whitcher lived there until his death. Whitcher died August 25, 1940, in Manchester.

Legacy

Almost all of Whitcher's buildings were designed in the popular

Colonial Revival The Colonial Revival architectural style seeks to revive elements of American colonial architecture. The beginnings of the Colonial Revival style are often attributed to the Centennial Exhibition of 1876, which reawakened Americans to the archi ...

and Beaux-Arts styles, with only occasional forays in the Gothic Revival or eclectic styles. During his lifetime, Whitcher was best known as an architect of schools and public buildings, but is today best remembered for Hampshire House at The Balsams in

Dixville Notch Dixville may refer to: *Dixville, New Hampshire Dixville is a township in Coös County, New Hampshire, United States. The population was 4 as of the 2020 census, down from 12 at the 2010 census. In New Hampshire, locations, grants, townships ( ...

, one of the largest and most elaborate buildings of its time in New Hampshire.Bryant F. Tolles Jr., ''The Grand Resort Hotels of the White Mountains: A Vanishing Architectural Legacy'' (D. R. Godine, 1998) At least six of Whitcher's works have been listed on the United States

National Register of Historic Places The National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) is the United States federal government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures and objects deemed worthy of preservation for their historical significance or "great artist ...

, and others contribute to listed historic districts.

Architectural works

* Bank Block,

(1902)"Building Intelligence,"
American Architect and Building News
' 7, no. 1884 (July 5, 1902): xi. * Boynton Block,

(1902) *

Dow Academy Dow Academy was a historic school in Franconia, New Hampshire, United States. Founded in 1884, it served as the town's high school until 1958, after which its building, a Georgian Revival wood-frame building built in 1903, became a centerpiece of ...

Franconia, New Hampshire Franconia is a town in Grafton County, New Hampshire, United States. The population was 1,083 at the 2020 census. Set in the White Mountains, Franconia is home to the northern half of Franconia Notch State Park. Parts of the White Mountain Nation ...

(1903, NRHP-listed 1982) * Littleton Hospital (former),

Littleton, New Hampshire Littleton is a town in Grafton County, New Hampshire, United States. The population was 6,005 at the 2020 census. Situated at the northern edge of the White Mountains, Littleton is bounded on the northwest by the Connecticut River. The main vill ...

(1906–07)Laura B. Driemeyer,
Chase Roy Whitcher: A Monograph
' (Kensington: Preservation Company, 2008) * Laconia Hospital,

Laconia, New Hampshire Laconia is a city in Belknap County, New Hampshire, United States. The population was 16,871 at the 2020 census, up from 15,951 at the 2010 census. It is the county seat of Belknap County. Laconia, situated between Lake Winnipesaukee and Lake ...

(1907–08, demolished) * Pembroke Village School (former),

Suncook, New Hampshire Suncook is a census-designated place (CDP) in Merrimack County, New Hampshire, United States. The population was 5,501 at the 2020 census. Approximately two-thirds of Suncook is located in the town of Pembroke, with the remainder in Allenstown. ...

(1907–08) * Remodeling of the

Dunlap Building The Dunlap Building is a historic commercial building at 967 Elm Street in downtown Manchester, New Hampshire. It is a large five-story brick building occupying a corner lot on Manchester's principal commercial street. It was built in 1879 as a f ...

(1908, NRHP-listed 2004) * Beaumont Hall,

Tilton School Tilton School is an independent, coeducational, college-preparatory school in Tilton, New Hampshire, serving students from 9th to 12th grade and postgraduate students. Founded in 1845, Tilton's student body in the 2021-22 academic year consisted ...

Tilton, New Hampshire Tilton is a town on the Winnipesaukee River in Belknap County, New Hampshire, United States. The population was 3,962 at the 2020 census, up from 3,567 at the 2010 census. It includes the villages of Tilton and Lochmere and part of the village o ...

(1909) *

Bedford Town Hall The Bedford Town Hall is located at 70 Bedford Center Road in Bedford, New Hampshire. Built in 1910, it is a prominent early work of Chase R. Whitcher, a noted architect of northern New England in the early 20th century. The building is the third ...

Bedford, New Hampshire Bedford is a New England town, town in Hillsborough County, New Hampshire, Hillsborough County, New Hampshire, United States. At the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, the population was 23,322, reflecting a growth of 10% from 2010. Bedford i ...

(1909–10, NRHP-listed 1984) * Quinby Building, Laconia State School,

(1909) * Bath Town Hall,

Bath, New Hampshire Bath is a town in Grafton County, New Hampshire, United States. The population was 1,077 at the 2020 census, unchanged from the 2010 census. Now a tourist destination and commuter town for Littleton, the town is noted for its historic architectur ...

(1910) * Colebrook Academy,

Colebrook, New Hampshire Colebrook is a town in Coös County, New Hampshire, United States. The population was 2,084 at the time of the 2020 census, down from 2,301 at the 2010 census.United States Census BureauAmerican FactFinder 2010 Census figures. Retrieved March 23, ...

(1910–11) * Lincoln Chambers,

(1910–11) * Warner Town Hall,

Warner, New Hampshire Warner is a town in Merrimack County, New Hampshire, United States. The population was 2,937 at the 2020 census. The town is home to Magdalen College of the Liberal Arts, Rollins State Park and Mount Kearsarge State Forest. The town's central ...

(1910) * Brown School (former),

(1911–12) * Maynard School (former),

(1911–12) * Soldiers Memorial Building,

Deerfield, New Hampshire Deerfield is a town in Rockingham County, New Hampshire, United States. The population was 4,855 at the 2020 census, up from 4,280 at the 2010 census. Deerfield is the location of the annual Deerfield Fair. History Deerfield was originally pa ...

(1913–14) * First Congregational Church,

(1914) * Portsmouth State Armory, Portsmouth, New Hampshire (1914–16, demolished 2004) * Mary Lyon Hall,

Plymouth State University Plymouth State University (PSU), formerly Plymouth State College, is a public university in the towns of Plymouth and Holderness, New Hampshire. As of fall 2020, Plymouth State University enrolls 4,491 students (3,739 undergraduate students ...

Plymouth, New Hampshire Plymouth is a rural town in Grafton County, New Hampshire, United States, in the White Mountains Region. It has a unique role as the economic, medical, commercial, and cultural center for the predominantly rural Plymouth, NH Labor Market Area. Pl ...

(1915–16) * Merchants National Bank Building,

(1915, demolished) * Stratford Public School,

North Stratford, New Hampshire North Stratford is an unincorporated community in the town of Stratford in Coos County, New Hampshire, United States. It is located in the northwest corner of the town, along the Connecticut River and adjacent to Bloomfield, Vermont. North Stra ...

(1915–16) * Hampshire House, The Balsams,

Dixville Notch, New Hampshire Dixville Notch is an unincorporated community in Dixville township, Coos County, New Hampshire, United States. The population of the township, all of whom live in Dixville Notch, was 4 as of the 2020 census. The village is known for being one ...

(1916–18, NRHP-listed 2002) * Manchester Practical Arts High School (former),

(1920) * Weston School,

(1921) * A. Crosby Kennett High School (former),

Conway, New Hampshire Conway is a town in Carroll County, New Hampshire, United States. It is the most populous community in the county, with a population of 9,822 at the 2020 census, down from 10,115 at the 2010 census. The town is on the southeastern edge of the Whi ...

(1922–23) * Manchester Country Club,

(1922–23) * Brown Building,

New Hampshire State Hospital The New Hampshire State Hospital was originally constructed in 1842 in Concord, New Hampshire, as the seventeenth such mental institution in the country to cater to the state's mentally ill population. History It began simply with the m ...

, Concord, New Hampshire (1923–24) * Millville School, Concord, New Hampshire (1923, NRHP-listed 1985) * Capitol Theatre and Masonic Temple, Concord, New Hampshire (1925–27) * Huntress Hall,

Keene State College Keene State College is a public liberal arts college in Keene, New Hampshire. It is part of the University System of New Hampshire and the Council of Public Liberal Arts Colleges. Founded in 1909 as a teacher's college (originally, Keene Norma ...

Keene, New Hampshire Keene is a city in, and the seat of Cheshire County, New Hampshire, United States. The population was 23,047 at the 2020 census, down from 23,409 at the 2010 census. Keene is home to Keene State College and Antioch University New England. It ...

(1925–26) * Masonic Temple,

(1925) * Butterfield Hall,

(1926–27) * Lisbon Public Library,

(1926) * Public Service Company of New Hampshire Building,

(1926) * General Draper High School,

Hopedale, Massachusetts Hopedale is a town in Worcester County, Massachusetts, United States. It is located 25 miles southwest of Boston, in eastern Massachusetts. With origins as a Christian utopian community, the town was later home to Draper Corporation, a large loo ...

(1927) * Rhodes Hall,

(1927–28) * Col. Town Community House,

Lancaster, New Hampshire Lancaster is a town located along the Connecticut River in Coös County, New Hampshire, United States. The town is named after the city of Lancaster in England. As of the 2020 census, the town population was 3,218, the second largest in the coun ...

(1927) * Cogswell Memorial School,

Henniker, New Hampshire Henniker is a town in Merrimack County, New Hampshire, United States. As of the 2020 census, the reported total population of the town was 6,185, although the figure, 27.9% greater than the 2010 population, has been questioned by local officials. ...

(1930–31) * Pembroke Fire Station (former),

(1930) * Tobey Building,

, Concord, New Hampshire (1930) * Chapel,

Valley Cemetery The Valley Cemetery (or the Valley Street Cemetery) is a public cemetery located in Manchester, New Hampshire, United States. It is bounded on the east by Pine Street, on the north by Auburn Street, on the west by Willow Street, and on the south b ...

(1932, NRHP-listed 2004) * Spaulding Memorial School,

Townsend, Massachusetts Townsend is a town in Middlesex County, Massachusetts, United States. The population was 9,127 at the 2020 census. History Townsend was first settled by Europeans in 1676 in an area known by indigenous people of the area as Wistequassuck, an ...

(1932) * Greenville Consolidated School,

Greenville, Maine : Greenville is a town in Piscataquis County, Maine, United States. The population was 1,437 at the 2020 census. The town is centered on the lower end of Moosehead Lake, the largest body of fresh water in the state. Greenville is the historic g ...

(1933) * Pfeiffer Hall,

(1938)''Engineering News-Record'' 119, no. 27 (December 30, 1937): 32. * Spaulding High School,

Rochester, New Hampshire Rochester is a city in Strafford County, New Hampshire, United States. The population was 32,492 at the 2020 census. In addition to the downtown area, the city contains the villages of East Rochester, Gonic, and North Rochester. Rochester is ...

(1938–39)

Notes

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Whitcher, Chase R. Architects from New Hampshire 20th-century American architects People from Lisbon, New Hampshire People from Manchester, New Hampshire 1876 births 1940 deaths