Charles Blaney Cluskey (ca. 1808– January 1871) was an Irish architect active from the 1830s to the start of the

Civil War A civil war is a war between organized groups within the same Sovereign state, state (or country). The aim of one side may be to take control of the country or a region, to achieve independence for a region, or to change government policies.J ...

, and therefore he is recognized as an

antebellum Antebellum, Latin for "before war", may refer to: United States history * Antebellum South, the pre-American Civil War period in the Southern US ** Antebellum Georgia ** Antebellum South Carolina ** Antebellum Virginia * Antebellum architectu ...

architect. He is reputed to be the initiator of the

Greek Revival 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, ...

–style in the south, and his commissions, both public and private, can still be seen in Augusta, Milledgeville and

Savannah, Georgia Savannah ( ) is the oldest city in the U.S. state of Georgia (U.S. state), Georgia and the county seat of Chatham County, Georgia, Chatham County. Established in 1733 on the Savannah River, the city of Savannah became the Kingdom of Great Brita ...

Early life

Born in Ireland, Cluskey emigrated to the United States in 1827, landing in New York City, where he trained with the architectural firm Town and Davis. He moved to Savannah in 1829, where he undertook his first solo-commission, the Hermitage Plantation house, in 1830, now demolished.

Career

The

Old Medical College The Old Medical College Building is a historic academic building at 598 Transportation in Augusta, Georgia#Telfair Street, Telfair Street in Augusta, Georgia, US. It was built in 1835 for the Medical College of Georgia, then and now one of the lea ...

, built in 1837, was Cluskey's first major commission and the first example of the

style that would be his trademark. The Old Medical College is considered "one of his masterpieces". It is based on the

Villa Capra "La Rotonda" Villa La Rotonda is a Renaissance villa just outside Vicenza in Northern Italy designed by Italian Renaissance architect Andrea Palladio, and begun in 1567, though not completed until the 1590s. The villa's official name is Villa Almerico Capra V ...

. In 1839, he completed the Governor's Mansion, also based on the Villa Capra, and the main building for

Oglethorpe University Oglethorpe University is a Private college, private Liberal arts colleges in the United States, liberal arts college in Brookhaven, Georgia, United States. It was chartered in 1835 and named in honor of General James Edward Oglethorpe, founder ...

in 1840. The National Register nomination document for the mansion asserts that: "His works gained recognition because they were a direct departure from the more conservative designs of rectangular shapes that had been generally used in domestic architecture," and that the building is "without question, his most perfect example of the Greek Revival house. In the 1840 and 50s, Cluskey moved to private commissions in Savannah, three houses still existing in what is now the

Savannah Historic District Savannah Historic District may refer to: *Savannah Historic District (Savannah, Georgia), a National Historic Landmark district in Georgia * Central of Georgia Railroad: Savannah Shops and Terminal Facilities, Savannah, Georgia, a historic district ...

. Notable examples existing in Savannah today are the Harper Fowlkes House and Sorrel-Weed Houses. In 1845 he was elected Savannah city surveyor. He moved to Washington, D.C., in 1847. He later provided input on planned additions to the Executive Mansion, but his suggestions were not implemented. In 1869 Cluskey moved back to Savannah. In the aftermath of the

, he was commissioned to rebuild the St. Simons Island Light.

Selected works

* Hermitage Plantation house (1830), Savannah, Georgia (demolished) *

Medical College of Georgia The Medical College of Georgia (often referred to as MCG) is the medical school of Augusta University, the state's only public medical school, and one of the top 10 largest medical schools in the United States. Established in 1828 as the Medical ...

(1834–1837), Augusta, Georgia *

(1837–1840), near Milledgeville, Georgia * Governor's Mansion (1837–1839), Milledgeville, Georgia * Cluskey Embankment Stores (1840–1844), Savannah, Georgia * Harper Fowlkes House (1844), Savannah, Georgia *

St. Vincent's Academy St. Vincent's Academy (SVA) is a private, Catholic, all-girls high school located next to the Cathedral of St. John the Baptist in downtown Savannah, Georgia, United States. Founded in 1845 when Father Jeremiah Francis O’Neill brought six S ...

(1845), Savannah, Georgia *

Sorrel–Weed House The Sorrel–Weed House, or the Francis Sorrel House, is a historic landmark and Savannah Museum located at 6 West Harris Street in Savannah, Georgia. It represents one of the finest examples of Greek Revival architecture, Greek Revival and Regen ...

(1853), Savannah, Georgia * Philbrick–Eastman House (1853), Savannah, Georgia * Mills House (1855), Griffin, Georgia * U.S. Customs House and Court House (1861), Galveston, Texas * St. Simons Island Light and keeper's residence (1869), St. Simons Island, Georgia

Death

He died, from

malaria Malaria is a Mosquito-borne disease, mosquito-borne infectious disease that affects vertebrates and ''Anopheles'' mosquitoes. Human malaria causes Signs and symptoms, symptoms that typically include fever, Fatigue (medical), fatigue, vomitin ...

, in January 1871, before completing the St. Simons Island Light.

Gallery

File:Hermitage Platation House Savannah 01.jpg, Hermitage Plantation house (1830), Savannah File:Old Medical College (Augusta, Georgia).jpg, Medical College of Georgia (later Georgia Health Sciences University) (1834-37), Augusta File:Lupton trees.jpg, Oglethorpe University (1837-40), Baldwin County near Milledgeville File:Georgia's Old Governor's Mansion.jpg, Governor's Mansion (1837-39), Milledgeville File:Champion-McAlpin-Fowlkes house, 230 Barnard Street, Savannah, Chatham County, Georgia.jpg, Champion-McAlpin-Fowlkes House (1844), Savannah File:St. Vincent's Academy, 207 East Liberty Street, Savannah, Chatham County, GA.jpg, St. Vincent's Academy (1845), Savannah File:Philbrick-Eastman House, by Charles B. Cluskey, 17 West McDonough Street (taken with moving camera).jpg, Philbrick-Eastman House (1853), Savannah File:Mills House, 406 N. Hill St. Griffin.JPG, Mills House (1855), Griffin File:1861 Galveston Customs and Courthouse.jpg, U.S. Customs House and Court House (1861), Galveston File:Lighthouse and museum, St. Simons, GA, USA.JPG, St. Simons Island Light and keeper's residence (1869), St. Simons Island File:Sorrel–Weed House, Savannah, GA, US (2).jpg, Sorrel–Weed House (1853), Savannah

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Cluskey, Charles B. 1800s births 1871 deaths 19th-century American architects People from Savannah, Georgia Irish emigrants to the United States Architects from Georgia (U.S. state)