Charles Boss Clarke (1836–1899), commonly known as Charles B. Clarke, was an American architect working in

St. Louis St. Louis ( , sometimes referred to as St. Louis City, Saint Louis or STL) is an independent city in the U.S. state of Missouri. It lies near the confluence of the Mississippi and the Missouri rivers. In 2020, the city proper had a populatio ...

Career

Charles was born in 1836 in

Norwich, Connecticut Norwich ( ) is a city in New London County, Connecticut, United States. The Yantic River, Yantic, Shetucket River, Shetucket, and Quinebaug Rivers flow into the city and form its harbor, from which the Thames River (Connecticut), Thames River f ...

. He came to

around 1859 and began practicing architecture. The majority of his commissions were in out-state

Missouri Missouri (''see #Etymology and pronunciation, pronunciation'') is a U.S. state, state in the Midwestern United States, Midwestern region of the United States. Ranking List of U.S. states and territories by area, 21st in land area, it border ...

, where his penchant for designing exotic victorian buildings made him well-known. Characteristics of his work included elaborate rooflines and powerful massing. Within his lifetime, his work received negative evaluation as well, drawing criticism for his abilities as a superintendent and designer on buildings which required enormous repairs within three years of construction. In 2004, his last remaining known work was demolished.

John Pierce Mansion

The John Pierce mansion in St. Louis was one of Clarke's most well-known commissions. The structure was characteristic of Clarke's works and featured dramatic massing with a complex roofline.

Fagin Building

Clarke's Fagin Building, constructed in St. Louis, was commissioned by Aaron W. Fagin, the vice president of the Merchant's Exchange of St. Louis. Fagin wished, upon returning from a worldwide trip, to furnish St. Louis with a unique and original building. The Fagin building, when completed, was described by one newspaper with lavish praise in 1890. In 1893, the building was described by one critic in the ''

Architectural Record ''Architectural Record'' is a US-based monthly magazine dedicated to architecture and interior design. Its editor in chief is Josephine Minutillo. ''The Record'', as it is sometimes colloquially referred to, is widely-recognized as an important ...

'' as the "most discreditable piece of architecture in the United States". In the same review, it was described to embody "all the vices and crudities that we call 'western', though in fact the geography has nothing to do with them." More recent scholarship has placed the building within the struggle to define the appropriate architecture for the tall office building as an emerging building type.

Personal life

Clarke married Nancy Josephine, fourth daughter of Aaron W. Fagin, on June 26, 1873. He died on January 6, 1899.

Known works

Clarke has at least 33 known works credited to his authorship by a published list. Notable entries include: * State Normal School,

Cape Girardeau Cape Girardeau ( , ; colloquially referred to as "Cape") is a city in Cape Girardeau and Scott Counties in the U.S. state of Missouri. At the 2020 census, the population was 39,540, making it the 17th-largest in the state. The city is one o ...

, Missouri * Central High School, Chillicothe, 1875 (razed 1923) * Third Baptist Church, St. Louis, 1867 * St. Luke's Hospital, St. Louis, 1870 * Randolph County Courthouse remodeling,

Huntsville, Missouri Huntsville is a city in and the county seat of Randolph County, Missouri, United States. The population was 1,376 at the 2020 census. History Randolph County was organized February 2, 1829, and Huntsville was established as the county seat in ...

, 1877 (burned 1882) * Fagin Building, St. Louis, 1888 (Demolished) * John Pierce Mansion, St. Louis, 1868 (Destroyed) * Clusky-Elms House,

Jennings Jennings is a surname of early medieval English origin (also the Anglicised version of the Irish surnames Mac Sheóinín or MacJonin). Notable people with the surname include: *Jennings (Swedish noble family) A–G *Adam Jennings (born 1982), A ...

, 1871 (Demolished 2004)

References