Charles Sumner Frost (May 31, 1856 – December 11, 1931) was an American architect. He is best known as the architect of

Navy Pier Navy Pier is a pier on the shoreline of Lake Michigan, located in the Streeterville neighborhood of the Near North Side, Chicago, Near North Side community area in Chicago, Illinois, United States. Navy Pier encompasses over of shops, restaura ...

and for designing over 100 buildings for the

Chicago and North Western The Chicago and North Western was a Class I railroad in the Midwestern United States. It was also known as the "North Western". The railroad operated more than of track at the turn of the 20th century, and over of track in seven states befor ...

Railway.

Biography

Born in

Lewiston, Maine Lewiston (; ) is the List of municipalities in Maine, second most populous city in the U.S. state of Maine, with the city's population at 37,121 as of the 2020 United States census. The city lies halfway between Augusta, Maine, Augusta, the sta ...

, Frost was first a draftsman in Boston, and graduated from the

Massachusetts Institute of Technology The Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) is a Private university, private research university in Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States. Established in 1861, MIT has played a significant role in the development of many areas of moder ...

in 1876. While working in Boston he worked for the firm of

Peabody and Stearns Peabody & Stearns was a premier architectural firm in the Eastern United States in the late 19th century and early 20th century. Based in Boston, Massachusetts, the firm consisted of Robert Swain Peabody (1845–1917) and John Goddard Stearns ...

from 1876 to 1881. He moved to Chicago in 1882, when he began a partnership with

Henry Ives Cobb Henry Ives Cobb (August 19, 1859 – March 27, 1931) was an architect from the United States. Based in Chicago in the last decades of the 19th century, he was known for his designs in the Richardsonian Romanesque and Gothic revival, Victori ...

. Together, they established the firm Cobb and Frost, which was active from 1882 to 1898. After the partnership ended, he worked alone. Frost married Mary Hughitt, a daughter of Marvin Hughitt, the President of the Chicago and North Western Railroad, in 1897. On January 1, 1898, he partnered with his brother-in-law, Alfred Hoyt Granger, to form the firm of Frost and Granger. Frost and Granger were known for their designs of train stations and terminals, including the now-demolished Chicago and North Western Terminal. Frost designed 127 buildings for the

Railroad alone. After Frost and Granger dissolved in 1910, Frost continued to work independently, designing such structures as the Navy Pier Auditorium. Frost was a Fellow of 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 ...

. He retired on December 31, 1928, and died on December 11, 1931, in

Chicago Chicago is the List of municipalities in Illinois, most populous city in the U.S. state of Illinois and in the Midwestern United States. With a population of 2,746,388, as of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, it is the List of Unite ...

. The city of

Frost Frost is a thin layer of ice on a solid surface, which forms from water vapor that deposits onto a freezing surface. Frost forms when the air contains more water vapor than it can normally hold at a specific temperature. The process is simila ...

, Rome Township, Faribault County, Minnesota, was named for Charles S. Frost.

Notable buildings

* Union Depot, 201 South Main Street,

Leavenworth, Kansas Leavenworth () is the county seat and largest city of Leavenworth County, Kansas, Leavenworth County, Kansas, United States. Part of the Kansas City metropolitan area, Leavenworth is located on the west bank of the Missouri River, on the site o ...

, 1888 (with Cobb) *Chicago and North Western Railway Lake Front Depot, Wisconsin Avenue,

Milwaukee, Wisconsin Milwaukee is the List of cities in Wisconsin, most populous city in the U.S. state of Wisconsin. Located on the western shore of Lake Michigan, it is the List of United States cities by population, 31st-most populous city in the United States ...

, 1889, demolished 1968 * Morgan Park Library (George C. Walker Branch Library) in Chicago, 1889-90 * Adams Memorial Library in

Wheaton, Illinois Wheaton is a city in and the county seat of DuPage County, Illinois, United States. It is located in Milton and Winfield Townships, approximately west of Chicago. As of the 2020 census, Wheaton's population was 53,970, making it the 27th-mos ...

, 1891 *The Second Union Station,

Omaha, Nebraska Omaha ( ) is the List of cities in Nebraska, most populous city in the U.S. state of Nebraska. It is located in the Midwestern United States along the Missouri River, about north of the mouth of the Platte River. The nation's List of United S ...

, 1891 * Western Bank Note Building in Chicago in 1891 * Fond du Lac Chicago and Northwestern Railroad Depot,

Fond du Lac, Wisconsin Fond du Lac () is a city in Fond du Lac County, Wisconsin, United States, and its county seat. It is located at the southern end of Lake Winnebago and had a population of 44,678 at the 2020 census. The city forms the core of the Fond du Lac met ...

, 1891 * Chicago and North Western Railway station, 200 North 6th Street, De Kalb, Illinois, 1891 (with Granger) * Chicago and North Western Railway station, 724 Green Bay Road,

Glencoe, Illinois Glencoe () is a lakefront village in northeastern Cook County, Illinois, United States. As of the 2020 census, the population was 8,849. Glencoe is part of Chicago's North Shore and one of the wealthiest communities in Illinois. According to t ...

, 1891 * Chicago and North Western Railway depot, Broad Street, Lake Geneva, 1891 * Chicago and North Western Railway depot, Milwaukee Avenue, South Milwaukee, Wisconsin, 1893 *

Maine State Building The Maine State Building is a historic building on Preservation Way, part of the Poland Springs resort complex in South Poland, Maine. It was built in 1893 at the World's Columbian Exposition, Columbian Exposition in Chicago. Designed by Chicago ...

, 1893 for the

World's Columbian Exposition The World's Columbian Exposition, also known as the Chicago World's Fair, was a world's fair held in Chicago from May 5 to October 31, 1893, to celebrate the 400th anniversary of Christopher Columbus's arrival in the New World in 1492. The ...

*Old Law Building,

Madison, Wisconsin Madison is the List of capitals in the United States, capital city of the U.S. state of Wisconsin. It is the List of municipalities in Wisconsin by population, second-most populous city in the state, with a population of 269,840 at the 2020 Uni ...

1893 * Chicago and North Western Railway depot,

Belle Plaine, Iowa Belle Plaine is a city in Benton County, Iowa, United States. The population was 2,330 at the 2020 census. It is part of the Cedar Rapids Metropolitan Statistical Area. History Belle Plaine was founded in 1862 when it was certain the railr ...

1894 *

Richard T. Ely House The Richard T. Ely House is a Georgian Revival-style house built in 1896 in Madison, Wisconsin - designed by Charles Sumner Frost for Richard T. Ely, a prominent economics professor. In 1974 it was added to the National Register of Historic Pla ...

in Madison, 1896 * Chicago and North Western Railway depot, North West and West 5th Streets,

Carroll, Iowa Carroll is a city in, and the county seat of, Carroll County, Iowa, United States, along the Middle Raccoon River. The population was 10,321 in the 2020 census. History Carroll was laid out in 1867. It took its name from Carroll County, wh ...

, 1896 * Oconomowoc Milwaukee Road depot, 115 Collins Street,

Oconomowoc, Wisconsin Oconomowoc ( ) is a city in Waukesha County, Wisconsin, United States. The name was derived from Coo-no-mo-wauk, the Potawatomi language, Potawatomi term for 'waterfall'. The population was 18,203 at the 2020 United States census, 2020 census. T ...

, 1896 * Milwaukee Road Passenger Depot in Green Bay, 1898 (

Frost & Granger Frost & Granger was an American architectural partnership from 1898 to 1910 of brothers-in-law Charles Sumner Frost (1856–1931) and Alfred Hoyt Granger (1867–1939). Frost and Granger were known for their designs of train stations and terminal ...

) * Milwaukee Road Depot, 201 3rd Street South,

Minneapolis, Minnesota Minneapolis is a city in Hennepin County, Minnesota, United States, and its county seat. With a population of 429,954 as of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, it is the state's List of cities in Minnesota, most populous city. Locat ...

, 1899 * Chicago and North Western Railway station, Western Avenue,

Lake Forest, Illinois Lake Forest is a city located in Lake County, Illinois, United States. Per the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, the population was 19,367. The city is along the shore of Lake Michigan, and is a part of the Chicago metropolitan area and t ...

, 1899 (

) * Chicago and North Western Railway depot, 200 Dousman Street,

Green Bay, Wisconsin Green Bay is a city in Brown County, Wisconsin, United States, and its county seat. It is located at the head of Green Bay (Lake Michigan), Green Bay (known locally as "the bay of Green Bay"), a sub-basin of Lake Michigan at the mouth of the F ...

, 1899 (

) * Union Depot, 417 Chapple Avenue, Ashland, Wisconsin, 1900 * Chicago and North Western Railway depot, 526 Main Street, Ames, Iowa, 1900 * Chicago, Milwaukee and St. Paul Railway Company Passenger Depot, 127 South Spring Street,

Beaver Dam, Wisconsin Beaver Dam is a city in Dodge County, Wisconsin, United States, along Beaver Dam Lake (Wisconsin), Beaver Dam Lake and the Beaver Dam River. The population was 16,708 at the 2020 census, making it the largest city primarily located in Dodge Co ...

, 1900 (

) * Rock Island Lines Passenger Station, 5th Avenue at 31st Street,

Rock Island, Illinois Rock Island is a city in Rock Island County, Illinois, United States, and its county seat. The population was 37,108 at the 2020 United States census, 2020 census. Located at the confluence of the Rock River (Mississippi River tributary), Rock a ...

, 1901 (

) * Chicago and North Western Railway depot,

Racine, Wisconsin Racine ( ) is a city in Racine County, Wisconsin, United States, and its county seat. It is located on the shore of Lake Michigan at the mouth of the Root River (Wisconsin), Root River, south of Milwaukee and north of Chicago. It is the List ...

, 1901 (

) *

LaSalle Street Station LaSalle Street Station is a commuter rail terminal at 414 South LaSalle Street in downtown Chicago. First used as a rail terminal in 1852, it was a major intercity rail terminal for the New York Central Railroad until 1968, and for the Chicago ...

, 1902 (

) *

Chicago and North Western Railway The Chicago and North Western was a Railroad classes#Class I, Class I railroad in the Midwestern United States. It was also known as the "North Western". The railroad operated more than of track at the turn of the 20th century, and over of t ...

station, Oak Street Northwest,

Sleepy Eye, Minnesota Sleepy Eye is a small city in rural Brown County, Minnesota, Brown County, Minnesota, United States. The city is named after a famed local Dakota (tribe), Dakota chief from the 1800s. The population was 3,599 at the 2010 United States Census, ...

, 1902 (

) * West Madison Depot, Chicago, Milwaukee, and St. Paul Railway, 640 West Washington Avenue,

, 1903 (

) * Chicago and Northwest Railroad Passenger Station,

Watertown, Wisconsin Watertown is a city in Jefferson and Dodge counties in the U.S. state of Wisconsin. The population was 22,926 at the 2020 census, of which 14,674 were in Jefferson County and 8,252 were in Dodge County. Division Street, several blocks north of ...

, 1903 * Lake Bluff station,

Lake Bluff, Illinois Lake Bluff (formerly Rockland) is a village in Lake County, Illinois, United States. Per the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, the population was 5,616. History The first settler family to claim land within the area now part of Lake Bluf ...

, 1904 (

) * Chicago and North Western Depot, Railroad Street,

Reedsburg, Wisconsin Reedsburg is a city in Sauk County, Wisconsin, United States. Its population in 2020 was 9,984. The city is located northwest of Madison, Wisconsin, Madison within the Madison metropolitan area, Baraboo micropolitan area. The city is surrounde ...

, 1905 (

) * Chicago and North Western Railway station, Main Street, Breda, Iowa, 1907 (

) * Norwood Park station, Norwood Park, Illinois, 1907 (

) * Chicago and North Western Railway depot,

Antigo, Wisconsin Antigo ( ) is a city in and the county seat of Langlade County, Wisconsin, United States. The population was 8,100 at the 2020 United States census, 2020 census. Antigo is the center of a farming and lumbering district, and its manufactured prod ...

, 1907 (

) * St. Luke's Hospital Complex in Chicago, 1908 (with Granger), 1439 S. Michigan/1440 S. Indiana * Chicago and North Western Railway Power House, Chicago, 1909 (

) * Chicago and North Western Terminal, 1911 (with Granger) * Electric Railway Chambers, Winnipeg, Manitoba, 1912 * Minneapolis Great Northern Depot, 1913 *Chicago and North Western Railway station, Glen Ellyn, Illinois, 1914 *

Navy Pier Auditorium The Navy Pier Auditorium, designed by the architect Charles Sumner Frost and constructed in 1916, is located at the east end of Navy Pier in Chicago and is also known as the Hall. The Navy Pier Auditorium consists of the Festival Hall and the Aon ...

in Chicago, 1916 *

Railroad and Bank Building The Railroad and Bank Building at 176 E. 5th Street in St. Paul, Minnesota, renamed Great Northern Building in 2019, was the largest office building in the Upper Midwest from its completion in 1914 until 1973. For most of its existence, it ...

, 176 East 5th Street, St. Paul, Minnesota, 1916 *Chicago and North Western Railway Ore Dock Office, Ashland, Wisconsin, 1916 *Chicago and North Western Railway passenger station, Springfield, Minnesota, 1916 * Union Depot,

St. Paul, Minnesota Saint Paul (often abbreviated St. Paul) is the capital city of the U.S. state of Minnesota and the county seat of Ramsey County. As of the 2020 census, the city had a population of 311,527, making it Minnesota's second-most populous city a ...

, 1917 *Chicago and North Western Railway depot, Eagle River, Wisconsin, 1923

References

1856 births 1931 deaths Architects from Maine American railway architects Chicago and North Western Railway People from Lewiston, Maine Massachusetts Institute of Technology alumni Peabody and Stearns people {{DEFAULTSORT:Frost, Charles Sumner

Biography

Notable buildings

See also

References