Charles D. Gambrill

FAIA Fellow of the American Institute of Architects (FAIA) is a postnominal title or membership, designating an individual who has been named a fellow of the American Institute of Architects (AIA). Fellowship is bestowed by the institute on AIA-membe ...

(1834–1880) was an American architect in practice in

New York City New York, often called New York City (NYC), is the most populous city in the United States, located at the southern tip of New York State on one of the world's largest natural harbors. The city comprises five boroughs, each coextensive w ...

from 1860 until his death in 1880.

Life and career

Charles Dexter Gambrill was born January 19, 1834, in

Roxbury, Massachusetts Roxbury () is a Neighborhoods in Boston, neighborhood in Boston, Massachusetts, United States. Roxbury is a Municipal annexation in the United States, dissolved municipality and one of 23 official neighborhoods of Boston used by the city for ne ...

, now part of

Boston Boston is the capital and most populous city in the Commonwealth (U.S. state), Commonwealth of Massachusetts in the United States. The city serves as the cultural and Financial centre, financial center of New England, a region of the Northeas ...

."The Late Charles Dexter Gambrill" in
American Architect and Building News
' 8, no. 247 (September 18, 1880): 1. He was educated at

Harvard College Harvard College is the undergraduate education, undergraduate college of Harvard University, a Private university, private Ivy League research university in Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States. Part of the Harvard Faculty of Arts and Scienc ...

, graduating in 1854. After a term at the

Lawrence Scientific School The Harvard John A. Paulson School of Engineering and Applied Sciences (SEAS) is the engineering education, engineering school within Harvard University's Harvard Faculty of Arts and Sciences, Faculty of Arts and Sciences, offering degrees in eng ...

, in 1855 he joined the studio of George Snell, an English-born architect known as a mentor to young architects. In Snell's studio Gambrill worked alongside several others, including his former classmate

Henry Van Brunt Henry Van Brunt FAIA (September 5, 1832 – April 8, 1903) was an American architect and architectural writer. Life and work Van Brunt was born in Boston in 1832 to Gershom Jacques Van Brunt and Elizabeth Price Bradlee. Van Brunt attended ...

. In 1857 Gambrill and Van Brunt left Boston for

, where they joined the atelier of

Richard Morris Hunt Richard Morris Hunt (October 31, 1827 – July 31, 1895) was an American architect of the nineteenth century and an eminent figure in the history of architecture of the United States. He helped shape New York City with his designs for the 1902 ...

, the first American architect to attend the

Beaux-Arts de Paris The (), formally the (), is a French ''grande école'' whose primary mission is to provide high-level fine arts education and training. The art school, which is part of the Paris Sciences et Lettres University, is located on two sites: Saint-G ...

. In 1858 Gambrill was admitted to the

American Institute of Architects The American Institute of Architects (AIA) is a professional organization for architects in the United States. It is headquartered in Washington, D.C. AIA offers education, government advocacy, community redevelopment, and public outreach progr ...

. In 1860 he and another of Hunt's students,

George B. Post George Browne Post (December15, 1837November28, 1913) was an American architect trained in the Beaux-Arts tradition. Active from 1869 almost until his death, he was recognized as a master of several contemporary American architectural genres, an ...

, left to open their own office. Gambrill and Post worked together until 1867, with the exception of the eight months Post spent serving in the

American Civil War The American Civil War (April 12, 1861May 26, 1865; also known by Names of the American Civil War, other names) was a civil war in the United States between the Union (American Civil War), Union ("the North") and the Confederate States of A ...

. In October of the same year Gambrill formed a new partnership with

Henry Hobson Richardson Henry Hobson Richardson, FAIA (September 29, 1838 – April 27, 1886) was an American architect, best known for his work in a style that became known as Richardsonian Romanesque. Along with Louis Sullivan and Frank Lloyd Wright, Richardson is one ...

, also a Harvard graduate and the second American architect to study in Paris. Gambrill's role in the partnership has been described as "business manager," though several of the partnership's works are credited to him. Their partnership lasted until 1878, though for the last four years Gambrill was alone in the New York office, Richardson having moved to

Brookline, Massachusetts Brookline () is an affluent town in Norfolk County, Massachusetts, United States, and part of the Greater Boston, Boston metropolitan area. An exclave of Norfolk County, Brookline borders six of Boston's neighborhoods: Brighton, Boston, Brighton ...

in 1874.Jeffrey Karl Ochsner, ''H. H. Richardson: Complete Architectural Works'' (Cambridge: MIT Press, 1982) In 1878 Gambrill formed the last of his three partnerships, this time with

H. Edwards Ficken H. Edwards Ficken (1852-1929) was an English American architect in practice in New York City. Early life and career Henry Edwards Ficken was born May 25, 1852, in London. He was educated privately at home and at the Greenock Academy in Scotland. ...

, an English-born architect, which lasted until his death.

Personal life and death

Gambrill was married, but had no children. As a member and

Fellow A fellow is a title and form of address for distinguished, learned, or skilled individuals in academia, medicine, research, and industry. The exact meaning of the term differs in each field. In learned society, learned or professional society, p ...

of the

, he served four terms as secretary. He also held several leadership roles within the

Century Association The Century Association is a private social, arts, and dining club in New York City, founded in 1847. Its clubhouse is located at 7 West 43rd Street near Fifth Avenue in Midtown Manhattan. It is primarily a club for men and women with distinctio ...

. Gambrill committed suicide with a revolver on September 13, 1880, in his New York City office. Though not in debt, Gambrill had suffered personal financial losses and had been in poor physical and mental health for some time, having threatened suicide in the past."An Architect's Suicide" in ''New York Times'', September 14, 1880, 8.

Architectural works

* New Church addition, 114 E 35th St,

(1866) *

remodeling, 111 E 15th St,

(1867 and 1869, NYCL 1993) * Edward Stimson house, 10 Old River Pl,

Dedham, Massachusetts Dedham ( ) is a New England town, town in, and the county seat of, Norfolk County, Massachusetts, United States. Located on Boston's southwestern border, the population was 25,364 at the 2020 United States census, 2020 census. First settled by E ...

(1868, demolished) *

Jonathan Sturges Jonathan Sturges (August 23, 1740 – October 4, 1819) was an American lawyer, jurist and politician from Fairfield, Connecticut. He represented Connecticut as a delegate to the Continental Congress and in the United States House of Repres ...

house, 38 Park Ave,

(1869, demolished 1954) * James H. Tinkham house, 60 Front St,

Owego, New York Owego is a Administrative divisions of New York#Town, town in Tioga County, New York, Tioga County, New York (state), New York, United States. The population was 18,728 at the 2020 census. The name is derived from the Iroquoian languages, Iro ...

(1874) * Iron Pier,

Coney Island, Brooklyn Coney Island is a neighborhood and entertainment area in the southwestern section of the Boroughs of New York City, New York City borough of Brooklyn. The neighborhood is bounded by Brighton Beach to its east, Lower New York Bay to the south ...

(1878–79, demolished)Charles MacDonald, "The Ocean Pier at Coney Island" in ''Transactions of the American Society of Civil Engineers'' (September, 1879)

Notes

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Gambrill, Charles D. Architects from Boston Architects from New York City Harvard College alumni Fellows of the American Institute of Architects 19th-century American architects 1834 births 1880 deaths 1880s suicides Suicides by firearm in New York City