Joseph Miller Huston (February 23, 1866 – 1940) was an

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 ...

notable for designing the third (and current) Pennsylvania State Capitol in

Harrisburg Harrisburg is the capital city of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, United States, and the county seat of Dauphin County. With a population of 50,135 as of the 2021 census, Harrisburg is the 9th largest city and 15th largest municipality in ...

. Construction started in 1902 of his '' Beaux-Arts'' design. He was one of five people convicted of

graft Graft or grafting may refer to: *Graft (politics), a form of political corruption * Graft, Netherlands, a village in the municipality of Graft-De Rijp Science and technology *Graft (surgery), a surgical procedure *Grafting, the joining of plant t ...

in 1910 after a state investigation of cost overruns in association with construction and furnishing the capitol.

Early life and education

Joseph Miller Huston was born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania in 1866. When he was seventeen, Joseph joined the firm of Frank Furness and Sons, where he worked during his college years. He graduated from

Princeton University Princeton University is a private research university in Princeton, New Jersey. Founded in 1746 in Elizabeth as the College of New Jersey, Princeton is the fourth-oldest institution of higher education in the United States and one of the ...

in 1892, re-joining Furness' firm full-time.

Career

In 1895, Huston founded his own firm, and began designing buildings in Philadelphia, such as the

Witherspoon Building Witherspoon Building is a historic office building located in the Market East neighborhood of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. It was designed by architect Joseph M. Huston (1866–1940) and built between 1895 and 1897. It was built for the Presbyteri ...

, (1895). In 1898–99, Huston toured Europe and Asia, along with his older brother, Samuel, experiencing historic styles which greatly influenced his later designs. State Capitol, Harrisburg, PA (61912)

Pennsylvania State Capitol . In 1901, at the age of 36, Joseph Huston won the design competition for the commission for the new Pennsylvania State Capitol over eight other competitors. His design was overwhelmingly heralded as a success. At its dedication on October 4, 1906,

President Theodore Roosevelt Theodore Roosevelt Jr. ( ; October 27, 1858 – January 6, 1919), often referred to as Teddy or by his initials, T. R., was an American politician, statesman, soldier, conservationist, naturalist, historian, and writer who served as the 26t ...

described the building as, " ''... the handsomest State Capitol I ever saw!''" The total cost of the project was nearly triple what the legislature had appropriated, in part because of inflated costs for construction and furnishings due to the state's purchasing mechanism. Huston, and four other officials were convicted of

in 1910 and sentenced to up to two years in prison for their parts in the overruns. Although he appealed, Huston lost his case and went to the

Eastern State Penitentiary The Eastern State Penitentiary (ESP) is a former American prison in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. It is located at 2027 Fairmount Avenue between Corinthian Avenue and North 22nd Street in the Fairmount section of the city, and was operational from ...

in 1911.

OAKS CLOISTER, NORTHWEST PHILADELPHIA, PA

Huston's home, known as

Oaks Cloister Oaks Cloister, is the name of the former residence of architect, Joseph Miller Huston. Constructed in 1900, the mansion is located at 5829 Wissahickon Ave,, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, 19141, in the Germantown section of Philadelphia, Pennsylvani ...

(c.1904) is located in the

Germantown Germantown or German Town may refer to: Places Australia * Germantown, Queensland, a locality in the Cassowary Coast Region United States * Germantown, California, the former name of Artois, a census-designated place in Glenn County * G ...

section of Philadelphia and has been described as one of the finest residences in the city. The Huston family sold the property in 1955 and it fell into disrepair over time and ultimately was abandoned. This venerable landmark was saved from demolition in 2002 by Dr. Russell Harris and Mr. John Casavecchia, who spent the following decade restoring the mansion to its original glory. In 1911, Huston designed the Searles Memorial Methodist Church, now located in the Old Pottstown Historic District. ''Note:'' This includes

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Huston, Joseph Miller 1866 births 1940 deaths Architects from Philadelphia Princeton University alumni 19th-century American architects 20th-century American architects