Russell Warren (1783–1860) 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 ...

, best known for his work in the

Greek Revival style Greek Revival architecture is a architectural style, style that began in the middle of the 18th century but which particularly flourished in the late 18th and early 19th centuries, predominantly in northern Europe, the United States, and Canada, ...

. He practiced in

Bristol Bristol () is a City status in the United Kingdom, cathedral city, unitary authority area and ceremonial county in South West England, the most populous city in the region. Built around the River Avon, Bristol, River Avon, it is bordered by t ...

and Providence.

Life and career

Warren was born in

Tiverton, Rhode Island Tiverton is a town in Newport County, Rhode Island, United States. The population was 16,359 at the 2020 census. Geography Tiverton is located on the eastern shore of Narragansett Bay, across the Sakonnet River from Aquidneck Island (also ...

. He arrived in Bristol in 1800, and began to design and build unique Federal-style houses for the upper and middle class residents of that town. In 1823, Warren left Providence and went south to

Georgetown, South Carolina Georgetown is the third oldest city in the U.S. state of South Carolina and the county seat of Georgetown County, South Carolina, Georgetown County, in the South Carolina Lowcountry, Lowcountry. As of the 2010 United States Census, 2010 census ...

, where he became a

building contractor A contractor (North American English) or builder (British English), is responsible for the day-to-day oversight of a construction site, management of vendors and trades, and the communication of information to all involved parties throughout the c ...

. In 1826 Warren moved back to Rhode Island, opening an architect's office in Providence. In 1828, he collaborated with fellow Providence architect James C. Bucklin of Tallman & Bucklin in the design of the

Westminster Arcade The Westminster Arcade (also known as the Providence Arcade, Arcade Providence, or The Arcade) is a historic shopping center at 130 Westminster Street and 65 Weybosset Street in downtown Providence, Rhode Island erected in 1828. It is notable a ...

, designing the Westminster Street facade. He joined Tallman & Bucklin formally in 1830, the firm becoming Warren, Tallman & Bucklin. This firm was dissolved the following year, although they occasionally collaborated in later years.Jordy, William H. and Christopher P. Monkhouse. ''Buildings on Paper: Rhode Island Architectural Drawings, 1825-1945''. 1982. Warren would become the foremost architect in southeastern New England, working as far away as

Plymouth Plymouth ( ) is a port city status in the United Kingdom, city and unitary authority in Devon, South West England. It is located on Devon's south coast between the rivers River Plym, Plym and River Tamar, Tamar, about southwest of Exeter and ...

. For a few months in 1835 and 1836, Warren worked with Alexander J. Davis in New York, who had recently left his partnership with

Ithiel Town Ithiel Town (October 3, 1784 – June 13, 1844) was an American architect and civil engineer. One of the first generation of professional architects in the United States, Town made significant contributions to American architecture in the f ...

. The Congregational Church in New Bedford was conceived under Davis at this time, but was built by Warren after he had returned to Providence. Although he had never been to

Greece Greece, officially the Hellenic Republic, is a country in Southeast Europe. Located on the southern tip of the Balkan peninsula, it shares land borders with Albania to the northwest, North Macedonia and Bulgaria to the north, and Turkey to th ...

, Warren was a master of Greek architectural styles. In 1838, he designed a set of three Greek Revival houses within 50 feet of each other on Hope Street in Bristol. Each house represented one of the different Greek styles: an Ionic house for future governor Francis M. Dimond, a Corinthian house for Captain Josiah Talbot, and a Doric house for Captain John Fletcher. The latter is now demolished. Warren continued in solo practice until 1846, when he took his son Osborn Warren as partner. The new firm was known as Russell Warren & Son, and lasted for two years, when Russell and Osborn are listed separately in the directory. From then until his death, Warren practiced independently. His commissions waned in the 1850s, owing to the emergence of other architects such as Thomas A. Tefft and Alpheus C. Morse. Warren died in 1860. He is buried in Grace Church Cemetery, Providence, Rhode Island. In 1842, at the dedication at

New Bedford New Bedford is a city in Bristol County, Massachusetts, United States. It is located on the Acushnet River in what is known as the South Coast (Massachusetts), South Coast region. At the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, New Bedford had a ...

of Warren's new Parker House, the president of the corporation said of Warren and Providence, "Her architects have made it a “City of Palaces”; she has furnished us with hosts who will give to the world a stranger’s welcome."Medeiros, Peggy. "A Lost Warren Building?". ''http://blogs.southcoasttoday.com/''. 5 Sept. 2014. Web.

Architectural works

Russell Warren, 1800–1823 and 1826–1830

* William van Doorn House, 86 State St., Bristol, RI (1807)''Historic and Architectural Resources of Bristol, Rhode Island''. 1990. * Hey-Bonnie Hall (William DeWolf House), 127 Poppasquash Rd., Bristol, RI (1808) - Demolished 1944. * Russell Warren House, 92 State St., Bristol, RI (1810) * Thomas Nelson House, 82 State St., Bristol, RI (1810) * Linden Place (George DeWolf House), 500 Hope St., Bristol, RI (1810) * Benjamin Bosworth House, 515 Hope St., Bristol, RI (1815) - Demolished.Simpson, Richard V. ''Historic Bristol: Tales from an Old Rhode Island Seaport''. 2008. *

, 130 Westminster St., Providence, RI (1827–28) - Designed in association with Tallman & Bucklin.Woodward, Wm. McKenzie. ''Providence: A Citywide Survey of Historic Resources''. 1986. * Bristol County Courthouse, 441 County St.,

New Bedford, MA New Bedford is a city in Bristol County, Massachusetts, United States. It is located on the Acushnet River in what is known as the South Coast region. At the 2020 census, New Bedford had a population of 101,079, making it the state's ninth-la ...

(1828–31) * Westminster Congregational Church, 121 Mathewson St., Providence, RI (1828–29) - Later the Rialto Theatre. Mostly demolished. * St. Mark's Episcopal Church, 21 Lyndon St., Warren, RI (1829) - Altered. *

Joseph Grinnell Joseph P. Grinnell (February 27, 1877 – May 29, 1939) was an American field biologist and zoologist. He made extensive studies of the fauna of California, and is credited with introducing a method of recording precise field observations known ...

House, 379 County St., New Bedford, MA (1830)"County Street Walking Tour". ''http://www.nbpreservationsociety.org/''. 2012. Web.

Warren, Tallman & Bucklin, 1830–1831

* Chatham County Courthouse, 133 Montgomery St.,

Savannah, GA Savannah ( ) is the oldest city in the U.S. state of Georgia and the county seat of Chatham County. Established in 1733 on the Savannah River, the city of Savannah became the British colonial capital of the Province of Georgia and later the f ...

(1830–33) - Demolished in 1889. * City Hotel, 164 Weybosset St., Providence, RI (1831) - Demolished in 1903.

Russell Warren, 1831–1835

* Mechanics' and Merchants' Banks Building, 56-62 N. Water St.,

(1831) - Built as the home of these two competing institutions.Silvia, Joe. "The Grand Designs of Russell Warren; New Bedford Architecture". ''http://www.newbedfordguide.com/''. 16 April 2013. Web. * Grace Episcopal Church, 175 Mathewson St., Providence, RI (1832) - Demolished only a decade later for the

Upjohn The Upjohn Company was an American pharmaceutical manufacturing firm (est. 1886) in Hastings, Michigan, by Dr. William E. Upjohn, an 1875 graduate of the University of Michigan medical school. The company was originally formed to make ''friable ...

church. *

Pilgrim Hall The Pilgrim Hall Museum at 75 Court Street in Plymouth, Massachusetts is the oldest public museum in the United States in continuous operation, having opened in 1824. History The Pilgrim Society, established in 1820, runs the museum. The museum ...

(Portico), 75 Court St., Plymouth, MA (1833–34) - The building stands, but Warren's portico was replaced in 1922. * Elmhyrst (William Vernon, Jr. House), 23 Freeborn St., Middletown, RI (1833)Yarnall, James L. ''Newport Through its Architecture''. 2005. * North Christian Church, Purchase & Middle Sts., New Bedford, MA (1833) - Demolished 1923.Telley, Jesse T. ''History of the Churches of New Bedford''. 1869. * St. Michael's Episcopal Church, 399 Hope St.,

Bristol, RI Bristol is a town in Bristol County, Rhode Island, United States, as well as the county seat. The population of Bristol was 22,493 at the 2020 United States census, 2020 census. It is a deep water seaport named after Bristol, England. Major ind ...

(1833) - Burned 1858. * St. Paul's Episcopal Church, 2679 E. Main Rd.,

Portsmouth, RI Portsmouth is a town in Newport County, Rhode Island, United States. The population was 17,871 at the 2020 U.S. census. Portsmouth is the second-oldest municipality in Rhode Island, after Providence; it was one of the four colonies which merged ...

(1833) - Altered. * William R. Rodman House, 188 County St., New Bedford, MA (1833–36) * John Avery Parker House, County & Pearl Sts., New Bedford, MA (1834) - Demolished c.1902. * Levi H. Gale House, 89 Touro St., Newport, RI (1834) * Manning Hall,

Brown University Brown University is a Private university, private Ivy League research university in Providence, Rhode Island, United States. It is the List of colonial colleges, seventh-oldest institution of higher education in the US, founded in 1764 as the ' ...

, Providence, RI (1834) * North Baptist Church, N. Baptist & Farewell Sts., Newport, RI (1834) - Demolished 1906. * Linden Place (Remodeling), 500 Hope St., Bristol, RI (1834)Jordy, William H. ''Buildings of Rhode Island''. 2004. * Warren Ladies' Seminary, 340 Main St., Warren, RI (1834) - Burned in 1863.''Warren, Rhode Island: Statewide Preservation Report B-W-1''. 1975. * Zion Episcopal Church, 49 Touro St., Newport, RI (1834) - Later St. Joseph's, now the Jane Pickens Theatre. Altered. * Grace Episcopal Church, Union St., New Bedford, MA (1835) - Demolished.

Davis & Warren, 1835–1836

Dutch Reformed Church The Dutch Reformed Church (, , abbreviated NHK ) was the largest Christian denomination in the Netherlands from the onset of the Protestant Reformation in the 16th century until 1930. It was the traditional denomination of the Dutch royal famil ...

, 132 Grand St.,

Newburgh, NY Newburgh is a city in Orange County, New York, United States. With a population of 28,856 as of the 2020 census, it is a principal city of the Kiryas Joel–Poughkeepsie–Newburgh metropolitan area. Located north of New York City, and south ...

(1835)Truettner, Julia M. ''Aspirations for Excellence: Alexander Jackson Davis and the First Campus Plan for the University of Michigan, 1838''. 2002. * White Hall, Bristol College, Croydon, PA (1835) - Largely demolished. * First Congregational (Unitarian) Church, 71 8th St.,

(1836)

Russell Warren, 1836–1845

* John Fletcher House, 601 Hope St., Bristol, RI (c.1836) - Demolished. * Edwin L. Kerrison House, 138 Wentworth St.,

Charleston, SC Charleston is the most populous city in the U.S. state of South Carolina. The city lies just south of the geographical midpoint of South Carolina's coastline on Charleston Harbor, an inlet of the Atlantic Ocean formed by the confluence of th ...

(1838) * Francis M. Dimond House, 617 Hope St., Bristol, RI (1838) * Josiah Talbot House, 647 Hope St., Bristol, RI (1838) * New Bedford City Hall, 613 Pleasant St., New Bedford, MA (1839) - Now the Free Public Library. * Rhode Island State Arsenal, 176 Benefit St., Providence, RI (1839) * Smithville Seminary, 29 Institute Ln., North Scituate, RI (1839) * Atlantic House, 141 Pelham St., Newport, RI (1840) - Demolished in 1876. * Jonathan R. Bullock House, 15 John St., Bristol, RI (1840) - Moved from Hope Street in 1900, for construction of Belvedere Hotel. Altered. * Mark Anthony DeWolf House, Poppasquash Neck, Bristol, RI (1840) - Burned 1919. * Nathan Durfee House, Prospect St. at Rock, Fall River, MA (c.1840) - Demolished. * Pearl Street Depot, Pearl St. between Purchase & Acushnet, New Bedford, MA (1840) - A rare

Egyptian Revival Egyptian Revival is an architectural style that uses the motifs and imagery of ancient Egypt. It is attributed generally to the public awareness of ancient Egyptian monuments generated by Napoleon's French campaign in Egypt and Syria, invasion of ...

design. Demolished 1886. * William Foster House, 19 Charlesfield St., Providence, RI (1840) - Demolished. * Parker House, 888-908 Purchase St., New Bedford, MA (1841–42) - Demolished. * St. Patrick R. C. Church, Davis & State Sts., Providence, RI (1841) - Demolished in 1906. * Joseph Durfee House, 456 Rock St., Fall River, MA (1843) * Warren Baptist Church, 407 Main St., Warren, RI (1844) * William Lindsey House, 373 N. Main St., Fall River, MA (1844) * Athenaeum Row, 257-259-261-263-265 Benefit St., Providence, RI (c.1845)

Russell Warren & Son, 1846–1848

* Ocean House, 250-284 Bellevue Ave., Newport, RI (1846) - Burned in 1898. * Longfield (Charles D. Gibson House), 1200 Hope St., Bristol, RI (1848) * Providence City Hall, 122 Weybosset St., Providence, RI (1848) - Not built.

Russell Warren, 1849–1860

* Jonathan R. Bullock House, 89 State St.,

(1849) - Now a bed & breakfast, the Wissing House. * Charles Smith House, 624 Main St., Warren, RI (c.1850) * Richmond Street Congregational Church, 34 Richmond St., Providence, RI (1852) ** Demolished. * Stewart Street Baptist Church, Stewart St., Providence, RI (1852) ** Demolished. * Henry Lippitt Duplex, 198-200 Hope St., Providence, RI (1855) * Richard James Arnold House, 80 Rhode Island Ave., Newport, RI (1858) - Demolished.

Attributed to Warren

* John Howe House, 341 Hope St., Bristol, RI (1807) - Often called "The Four Eagles". * David Augustus Leonard House, 366 Hope St., Bristol, RI (1806–07) - Known today as Leonard Place. * George Devol House, 132 High St., Bristol, RI (1811) * Stephen S. Fales House, 139 High St., Bristol, RI (1811) * Bristol County Courthouse, 260 High St., Bristol, RI (1816) - Also attributed to John Holden Greene. * Washington Bank Building, Dixon House Sq., Westerly, RI (1836) - Demolished. * Alfred Bosworth House, 21 Federal St., Warren, RI (c.1840) * Benjamin Barker House, 1229 Main Rd., Tiverton, RI (c.1840) - Demolished 1981. * James D. Hathaway House, 311 Pine St., Fall River, MA (1843) * William B. Spencer House, 2 Ames St., Phenix, RI (1847)''Historic and Architectural Resources of West Warwick, Rhode Island: A Preliminary Report''. 1987.

Gallery

References and external links

{{DEFAULTSORT:Warren, Russell 1783 births People from Tiverton, Rhode Island Greek Revival architects 19th-century American architects Russell Warren buildings 1860 deaths Architects from Rhode Island Architects from Providence, Rhode Island