Charles Bulfinch (August 8, 1763 – April 15, 1844) was an early 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 ...

, and has been regarded by many as the first American-born professional

to practice.Baltzell, Edward Digby. ''Puritan Boston & Quaker Philadelphia''. Transaction Publishers (1996), p. 322-24. .

Life

Bulfinch split his career between his native

Boston Boston (), officially the City of Boston, is the state capital and most populous city of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, as well as the cultural and financial center of the New England region of the United States. It is the 24th- mo ...

Massachusetts Massachusetts (Massachusett: ''Muhsachuweesut Massachusett_writing_systems.html" ;"title="nowiki/> məhswatʃəwiːsət.html" ;"title="Massachusett writing systems">məhswatʃəwiːsət">Massachusett writing systems">məhswatʃəwiːsət'' En ...

, and

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, where he served as Commissioner of Public Building and built the intermediate

United States Capitol rotunda The United States Capitol rotunda is the tall central rotunda of the United States Capitol in Washington, D.C. It has been described as the Capitol's "symbolic and physical heart". Built between 1818 and 1824, the rotunda is located below the ...

and dome. His works are notable for their simplicity, balance, and good taste, and as the origin of a distinctive Federal style of classical domes, columns, and ornament that dominated early 19th-century

American architecture The architecture of the United States demonstrates a broad variety of architectural styles and built forms over the country's history of over two centuries of independence and former Spanish and British rule. Architecture in the United States ...

Early life

Bulfinch was born in Boston to Thomas Bulfinch, a prominent physician, and his wife, Susan Apthorp, daughter of

Charles Apthorp Charles Apthorp (1698–1758) was a merchant and slave trader in Boston, colonial Massachusetts. Apthorp managed his import business from Merchants Row, and "in his day he was called the richest man in Boston." He also served in the employ of th ...

. At the age of 12, he watched the Battle of Bunker Hill from this home on the Boston side of the Charles River. He was educated at Boston Latin School and

Harvard University Harvard University is a private Ivy League research university in Cambridge, Massachusetts. Founded in 1636 as Harvard College and named for its first benefactor, the Puritan clergyman John Harvard, it is the oldest institution of high ...

, from which he graduated with an AB in 1781 and master's degree in 1784. He then made a

grand tour The Grand Tour was the principally 17th- to early 19th-century custom of a traditional trip through Europe, with Italy as a key destination, undertaken by upper-class young European men of sufficient means and rank (typically accompanied by a tut ...

Europe Europe is a large peninsula conventionally considered a continent in its own right because of its great physical size and the weight of its history and traditions. Europe is also considered a subcontinent of Eurasia and it is located entirel ...

from 1785 to 1788, traveling to London, Paris, and the major cities of Italy. Bulfinch was greatly influenced by Renaissance architect

Andrea Palladio Andrea Palladio ( ; ; 30 November 1508 – 19 August 1580) was an Italian Renaissance architect active in the Venetian Republic. Palladio, influenced by Roman and Greek architecture, primarily Vitruvius, is widely considered to be one of ...

. He was also influenced by the classical architecture in

Italy Italy ( it, Italia ), officially the Italian Republic, ) or the Republic of Italy, is a country in Southern Europe. It is located in the middle of the Mediterranean Sea, and its territory largely coincides with the homonymous geographical ...

and the neoclassical buildings of Sir Christopher Wren,

Robert Adam Robert Adam (3 July 17283 March 1792) was a British neoclassical architect, interior designer and furniture designer. He was the son of William Adam (1689–1748), Scotland's foremost architect of the time, and trained under him. With his ...

, William Chambers, and others in the

United Kingdom The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom (UK) or Britain, is a country in Europe, off the north-western coast of the European mainland, continental mainland. It comprises England, Scotlan ...

Thomas Jefferson Thomas Jefferson (April 13, 1743 – July 4, 1826) was an American statesman, diplomat, lawyer, architect, philosopher, and Founding Father who served as the third president of the United States from 1801 to 1809. He was previously the natio ...

became something of a

mentor Mentorship is the influence, guidance, or direction given by a mentor. A mentor is someone who teaches or gives help and advice to a less experienced and often younger person. In an organizational setting, a mentor influences the personal and p ...

to him in Europe, as he would later be to Robert Mills. Upon his return to the United States in 1787, he became a promoter of the ship ''

Columbia Rediviva ''Columbia Rediviva'' (commonly known as ''Columbia'') was a privately owned American ship under the command, first, of John Kendrick, and later Captain Robert Gray, best known for going to the Pacific Northwest for the maritime fur trade. ...

's'' voyage around the world under command of Captain Robert Gray (1755–1806). It was the first American ship to circumnavigate the globe. In 1788, he married Hannah Apthorp, his first cousin. Their sons include Thomas Bulfinch (1796–1867), author of ''Bulfinch's Mythology'', and Stephen Greenleaf Bulfinch (1809–1870), Unitarian clergyman and author.

Career

Massachusetts_State_House_Boston_November_2016

Old_State_House,_Hartford,_Connecticut_2011

Bulfinch's first building was the Hollis Street Church (1788). Among his other early works are a memorial column on Beacon Hill (1789), the first monument to the

American Revolution The American Revolution was an ideological and political revolution that occurred in British America between 1765 and 1791. The Americans in the Thirteen Colonies formed independent states that defeated the British in the American Revoluti ...

; the Federal Street theater (1793); the " Tontine Crescent" (built 1793–1794, now demolished), fashioned in part after John Wood's Royal Crescent; the Old State House in Hartford, Connecticut (1796); and the Massachusetts State House (1798). He was elected a Fellow of the

American Academy of Arts and Sciences The American Academy of Arts and Sciences (abbreviation: AAA&S) is one of the oldest learned societies in the United States. It was founded in 1780 during the American Revolution by John Adams, John Hancock, James Bowdoin, Andrew Oliver, a ...

in 1791. Over the course of ten years, Bulfinch built a remarkable number of private dwellings in the Boston area, including Joseph Barrell's Pleasant Hill (1793), a series of three

houses in Boston A house is a single-unit residential building. It may range in complexity from a rudimentary hut to a complex structure of wood, masonry, concrete or other material, outfitted with plumbing, electrical, and heating, ventilation, and air condi ...

for Harrison Gray Otis (1796, 1800, 1806), and the John Phillips House (1804). He built several churches in Boston, of which New North (built 1802–1804) is the last standing. Serving from 1791 to 1795 on Boston's board of selectmen, he resigned due to business pressures but returned in 1799. From 1799 to 1817, he was the chairman of Boston's board of selectmen continuously, and served as a paid police superintendent, improving the city's streets, drains, and lighting. Under his direction, both the infrastructure and civic center of Boston were transformed into a dignified, classical style. Bulfinch was responsible for the design of the

Boston Common The Boston Common (also known as the Common) is a public park in downtown Boston, Massachusetts. It is the oldest city park in the United States. Boston Common consists of of land bounded by Tremont Street (139 Tremont St.), Park Street, Beac ...

, the remodeling and enlargement of

Faneuil Hall Faneuil Hall ( or ; previously ) is a marketplace and meeting hall located near the waterfront and today's Government Center, in Boston, Massachusetts. Opened in 1742, it was the site of several speeches by Samuel Adams, James Otis, and others ...

(1805), and the construction of

India Wharf India Wharf (1804-c. 1962) in Boston, Massachusetts, flourished in the 19th century, when it was one of the largest commercial wharves in the port. The structure began in 1804 to accommodate international trade at a time when several other improve ...

. In these Boston years, he also designed the Massachusetts State Prison (1803); Boylston Market (1810); University Hall for Harvard University (1813–1814);

First Church of Christ, Unitarian The First Church of Christ, Unitarian, also known as First Church of Christ, Lancaster and colloquially as "the Bulfinch Church", is a historic congregation with its meeting house located at 725 Main Street facing the Common in Lancaster, Massa ...

Lancaster, Massachusetts Lancaster is a town in Worcester County, Massachusetts, in the United States. Incorporated in 1653, Lancaster is the oldest town in Worcester County. As of the 2020 census, the town population was 8,441. History In 1643 Lancaster was first ...

(1815–1817); and the Bulfinch Building, home of the

Ether Dome The Ether Dome is a surgical operating amphitheater in the Bulfinch Building at Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston. It served as the hospital's operating room from its opening in 1821 until 1867. It was the site of the first public demonstr ...

at Massachusetts General Hospital (1818), its completion overseen by

Alexander Parris Alexander Parris (November 24, 1780 – June 16, 1852) was a prominent American architect-engineer. Beginning as a housewright, he evolved into an architect whose work transitioned from Federal style architecture to the later Greek Revival. Parr ...

, who was working in Bulfinch's office at the time the architect was summoned to Washington. Despite this great activity and civic involvement, Bulfinch was

insolvent In accounting, insolvency is the state of being unable to pay the debts, by a person or company ( debtor), at maturity; those in a state of insolvency are said to be ''insolvent''. There are two forms: cash-flow insolvency and balance-sheet i ...

several times starting in 1796, including at the start of his work on the statehouse, and was jailed for the month of July 1811 for debt (in a prison he had designed himself). There was no payment for his services as selectman, and he received only $1,400 for designing and overseeing the construction of the State House. In the summer of 1817, Bulfinch's roles as selectman, designer, and public official coincided during a visit by President

James Monroe James Monroe ( ; April 28, 1758July 4, 1831) was an American statesman, lawyer, diplomat, and Founding Father who served as the fifth president of the United States from 1817 to 1825. A member of the Democratic-Republican Party, Monroe was ...

. The two men were almost constantly in each other's company for the week-long visit, and a few months later (1818), Monroe appointed Bulfinch the successor to Benjamin Henry Latrobe (1764–1820) as

Architect of the Capitol The Architect of the Capitol (AOC) is the federal agency responsible for the maintenance, operation, development, and preservation of the United States Capitol Complex. It is an agency of the legislative branch of the federal government and is ...

in Washington, DC (the Capitol Building had been partially burned by the British in 1814.) In this position, he was paid a salary of $2,500 per year plus expenses. As Commissioner of Public Building, Bulfinch completed the

Capitol A capitol, named after the Capitoline Hill in Rome, is usually a legislative building where a legislature meets and makes laws for its respective political entity. Specific capitols include: * United States Capitol in Washington, D.C. * Numerous ...

's wings and central portion, designed the western approach and portico, and constructed the Capitol's original low wooden dome to his own design (replaced by the present cast-iron dome completed in the mid-1860s). In 1829 Bulfinch completed the construction of the Capitol, 36 years after its

cornerstone The cornerstone (or foundation stone or setting stone) is the first stone set in the construction of a masonry foundation. All other stones will be set in reference to this stone, thus determining the position of the entire structure. Over tim ...

was laid. During his interval in Washington, Bulfinch also drew plans for the State House in Augusta, Maine (1829–1832), a Unitarian Church and prison in Washington, D.C.. In 1827, he was elected into the

National Academy of Design The National Academy of Design is an honorary association of American artists, founded in New York City in 1825 by Samuel Morse, Asher Durand, Thomas Cole, Martin E. Thompson, Charles Cushing Wright, Ithiel Town, and others "to promote the f ...

as an Honorary member. He returned to Boston in 1830, where he died on April 15, 1844, aged 80, and was buried in

King's Chapel King's Chapel is an American independent Christian unitarian congregation affiliated with the Unitarian Universalist Association that is "unitarian Christian in theology, Anglican in worship, and congregational in governance." It is housed ...

Burial Ground in Boston. His tomb was later moved to Mount Auburn Cemetery in

Cambridge, Massachusetts Cambridge ( ) is a city in Middlesex County, Massachusetts, United States. As part of the Boston metropolitan area, the cities population of the 2020 U.S. census was 118,403, making it the fourth most populous city in the state, behind Boston ...

. In 1943, a

United States The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territori ...

Liberty ship Liberty ships were a class of cargo ship built in the United States during World War II under the Emergency Shipbuilding Program. Though British in concept, the design was adopted by the United States for its simple, low-cost construction. Ma ...

named the SS ''Charles Bulfinch'' was launched. The ship was scrapped in 1971.

Designs

Designs marked with an asterisk (*) have been attributed to Bulfinch, though are not confirmed to have been designed by the architect * Second meeting house of the Hollis Street Church (1788), Boston, Massachusetts *Meeting House (1789- 1792),

Taunton, Massachusetts Taunton is a city in Bristol County, Massachusetts, United States. It is the seat of Bristol County. Taunton is situated on the Taunton River which winds its way through the city on its way to Mount Hope Bay, to the south. At the 2020 cen ...

*Bulfinch Church (1790-1793),

Pittsfield, Massachusetts Pittsfield is the largest city and the county seat of Berkshire County, Massachusetts, United States. It is the principal city of the Pittsfield, Massachusetts Metropolitan Statistical Area which encompasses all of Berkshire County. Pittsfield� ...

* Beacon Hill Memorial (1791), Boston, Massachusetts *Joseph Coolidge House (1792), Boston, Massachusetts * Federal Street Theatre (1793), Boston, Massachusetts * Tontine Crescent (1793-95), Boston, Massachusetts * First Harrison Gray Otis House (1795–96), Boston, Massachusetts * Massachusetts State House (1795–1798), Boston, Massachusetts * Old Connecticut State House (1796), Hartford, Connecticut * Dedham Community House (1798), Dedham, Massachusetts * Second Harrison Gray Otis House (1800–1802), Boston, Massachusetts * Holy Cross Church (1800-1803), Boston, Massachusetts *Worcester County Courthouse (1801-1803)

Worcester, Massachusetts Worcester ( , ) is a city and county seat of Worcester County, Massachusetts, United States. Named after Worcester, England, the city's population was 206,518 at the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, making it the second-List of cities i ...

* St. Stephen's Church (1802-1804), Boston, Massachusetts * Amory–Ticknor House (1804), Boston, Massachusetts * Nichols House (1804), Boston, Massachusetts *51–57 Mount Vernon Street (1804), Boston, Massachusetts *

Samuel Gridley and Julia Ward Howe House The Samuel Gridley and Julia Ward Howe House is a historic rowhouse at 13 Chestnut Street in the Beacon Hill neighborhood of Boston, Massachusetts, United States. It was designated a National Historic Landmark in 1974 for its association with t ...

* (1804-1805), Boston, Massachusetts *13-17 Chestnut Street (1804-1805), Boston, Massachusetts * Newburyport Superior Courthouse (1805), Newburyport, Massachusetts * Stoughton Hall, Harvard University (1805), Cambridge, Massachusetts * Third Harrison Gray Otis House (1806), Boston, Massachusetts *

expansion (1806), Boston, Massachusetts * Quarters A, Brooklyn Navy Yard* (1805-1806), Boston, Massachusetts * Second steeple of

Old North Church Old North Church (officially, Christ Church in the City of Boston), at 193 Salem Street, in the North End, Boston, is the location from which the famous "One if by land, two if by sea" signal is said to have been sent. This phrase is related ...

* (1806), Boston, Massachusetts *

(1807), Boston, Massachusetts *87 Mount Vernon Street (1807), Boston, Massachusetts * Third meeting house of the Federal Street Church (1809), Boston, Massachusetts *Massachusetts Bank (1809) Boston, Massachusetts * Boylston Market (1810), Boston, Massachusetts * Suffolk County Courthouse (1810), Boston, Massachusetts *Essex Bank (1811),

Salem, Massachusetts Salem ( ) is a historic coastal city in Essex County, Massachusetts, located on the North Shore of Greater Boston. Continuous settlement by Europeans began in 1626 with English colonists. Salem would become one of the most significant seaports tr ...

* University Hall, Harvard University (1813–1815),

* New South Church (1814), Boston, Massachusetts *Manufacturers & Mechanics Bank (1814-1815), Boston, Massachusetts * Middlesex County Courthouse (1814-1816), Cambridge, Massachusetts *

(1816),

* Salem Town Hall (1816–17), Salem, Massachusetts *Chapel and library,

Andover Theological Seminary Andover Theological Seminary (1807–1965) was a Congregationalist seminary founded in 1807 and originally located in Andover, Massachusetts on the campus of Phillips Academy. From 1908 to 1931, it was located at Harvard University in Cambridge. ...

(1817-1818),

Andover, Massachusetts Andover is a town in Essex County, Massachusetts, United States. It was settled in 1642 and incorporated in 1646."Andover" in ''The New Encyclopædia Britannica''. Chicago: Encyclopædia Britannica Inc., 15th ed., 1992, Vol. 1, p. 387. As of th ...

* Massachusetts General Hospital, Bulfinch Building (1818-1823), Boston, Massachusetts *

United States Capitol The United States Capitol, often called The Capitol or the Capitol Building, is the seat of the legislative branch of the United States federal government, which is formally known as the United States Congress. It is located on Capitol Hill ...

alterations (1822-1823),

* First Unitarian Church (1821-1822), Washington, D.C *

The George Washington University , mottoeng = "God is Our Trust" , established = , type = Private federally chartered research university , academic_affiliations = , endowment = $2.8 billion (2022) , presid ...

, Columbian College (1821-1822), original building,

* U.S. Capitol Gatehouses and Gateposts (1827),

* Maine State House (1832), Augusta, Maine

Gallery of designs

File:1st Harrison Gray Otis House.JPG, 1st Harrison Gray Otis House, 141 Cambridge Street File:2nd Harrison Gray Otis House.jpg, 2nd Harrison Gray Otis House, 85 Mount Vernon Street File:Tont3.jpg, Tontine Crescent, Boston File:Faneuil Hall (5813514354).jpg,

expansion. File:Harvard Yard im Sommer.jpg, University Hall (Harvard University) File:Massachusetts General Hospital, Bulfinch Building.jpg, Massachusetts General Hospital, Bulfinch Building File:Boylston Market (08 02 003687).jpg, Boylston Market, Boston, Massachusetts File:First Church of Christ Lancaster MA Photo 04.jpg,

File:Maine State House, mid 1800s - Augusta, Maine.jpg, Maine State House, Augusta, Maine File:Capitol1846.jpg,

, 1846 File:Joseph Coolidge House Boston Massachusetts.jpeg, Joseph Coolidge House, Boston, 1792

References

* ''Charles Bulfinch: Architect and Citizen'', C. A. Place, Da Capo Press, 1968 * ''The Architecture of Charles Bulfinch'', H. Kirker, Harvard University Press, 1998 *
The Bulfinch Building: State of the Art from the Start
', R. Tomsho, Massachusetts General Hospital Magazine, 2011

External links

*
Walking Tour of Charles Bulfinch's works on Beacon Hill

Charles Bulfinch * Boston Public Library

{{DEFAULTSORT:Bulfinch, Charles Architects of the Capitol Harvard University alumni Boston Latin School alumni Fellows of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences Architects from Boston 18th-century American architects 19th-century American architects 1763 births 1844 deaths Federalist architects Burials at Mount Auburn Cemetery People imprisoned for debt