Nathan Corwith Wyeth (April 20, 1870 – August 30, 1963) was an American

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 ...

. He is best known for designing the

West Wing The West Wing of the White House is the location of the office space of the president of the United States. The West Wing contains the Oval Office, the Cabinet Room (White House), Cabinet Room, the White House Situation Room, Situation Room, a ...

of the

White House The White House is the official residence and workplace of the president of the United States. Located at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue Northwest (Washington, D.C.), NW in Washington, D.C., it has served as the residence of every U.S. president ...

, creating the first

Oval Office The Oval Office is the formal working space of the president of the United States. Part of the Executive Office of the President of the United States, it is in the West Wing of the White House, in Washington, D.C. The oval room has three lar ...

. He designed a large number of structures in

Washington, D.C. Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly known as Washington or D.C., is the capital city and federal district of the United States. The city is on the Potomac River, across from Virginia, and shares land borders with ...

, including the Francis Scott Key Bridge over the

Potomac River The Potomac River () is in the Mid-Atlantic (United States), Mid-Atlantic region of the United States and flows from the Potomac Highlands in West Virginia to Chesapeake Bay in Maryland. It is long,U.S. Geological Survey. National Hydrography D ...

, the USS Maine Mast Memorial, the

D.C. Armory The D.C. Armory is an Armory (military), armory and a 10,000-seat multi-purpose arena in Washington, D.C. Managed by the Washington Convention and Sports Authority, the Armory was constructedTidal Basin Inlet Bridge, many structures that comprise Judiciary Square, and numerous private homes—many of which now serve as embassies. He also co-designed the

Cannon House Office Building The Cannon House Office Building, often called the "Old House Office Building", completed in 1908, is the oldest office building of the United States Congress in Washington, D.C. A significant example of the Beaux-Arts style of architecture, it ...

, the

Russell Senate Office Building The Russell Senate Office Building is the oldest of the United States Senate office buildings. Designed in the Beaux-Arts architectural style, it was built from 1903 to 1908 and opened in 1909. It was named for former Senator Richard Russel ...

, the Longworth House Office Building, and an addition to the Russell Senate Office Building.

Early life and education

Nathan Corwith Wyeth was born on April 20, 1870, 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 ...

Illinois Illinois ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Midwestern United States, Midwestern United States. It borders on Lake Michigan to its northeast, the Mississippi River to its west, and the Wabash River, Wabash and Ohio River, Ohio rivers to its ...

, to Charles Jones and Julia Elizabeth ( MacReynolds) Wyeth. Wyeth was of English stock on his father's side. His ancestor, Nicholas Wyeth, emigrated to the United States from Saxtead in about 1640, and settled in

Cambridge, Massachusetts Cambridge ( ) is a city in Middlesex County, Massachusetts, United States. It is a suburb in the Greater Boston metropolitan area, located directly across the Charles River from Boston. The city's population as of the 2020 United States census, ...

. In 1832, Wyeth's grandfather, Dr. Jacob Wyeth, accompanied his brother

Nathaniel Jarvis Wyeth Nathaniel Jarvis Wyeth (January 29, 1802 – August 31, 1856) was an American inventor and businessman in Boston, Massachusetts who contributed greatly to its ice industry. Due to his inventions, Boston could harvest and ship ice internati ...

, part of the way to the then-wilderness of

Oregon Oregon ( , ) is a U.S. state, state in the Pacific Northwest region of the United States. It is a part of the Western U.S., with the Columbia River delineating much of Oregon's northern boundary with Washington (state), Washington, while t ...

. On his return trip, he decided to move the family to Galena, Illinois. Through his father, Nathan Wyeth was a fourth cousin to the painter Newell Convers "N.C." Wyeth, and the painter

Andrew Wyeth Andrew Newell Wyeth ( ; July 12, 1917 – January 16, 2009) was an American visual artist and one of the best-known American artists of the middle 20th century. Though he considered himself to be an "abstractionist," Wyeth was primarily a realis ...

was his fourth cousin once removed. Nathan's father, Charles, was the wealthy co-owner of Wyeth and Vandervoort, a company that sold

malt Malt is any cereal grain that has been made to germinate by soaking in water and then stopped from germinating further by drying with hot air, a process known as "malting". Malted grain is used to make beer, whisky, malted milk, malt vinegar, ...

for use by brewers of alcoholic beverages. He was also a member of the

Chicago Board of Trade The Chicago Board of Trade (CBOT), is an American futures exchange, futures and options exchange that was founded in 1848. On July 12, 2007, the CBOT merged with the Chicago Mercantile Exchange (CME) to form CME Group. CBOT and three other excha ...

. Nathan was just a year old when his parents carried him to safety out of the city when the

Great Chicago Fire The Great Chicago Fire was a conflagration that burned in the American city of Chicago, Illinois during October 8–10, 1871. The fire killed approximately 300 people, destroyed roughly of the city including over 17,000 structures, and left mor ...

struck in October 1871. Tidal basin inlet gate

Charles Wyeth died in 1873 when Nathan was three years old. His will left $100,000 ($ in dollars) in trust for his wife and sons Nathan and Leonard. In 1881, Julia Wyeth married General Orlando B. Willcox, a

lawyer A lawyer is a person who is qualified to offer advice about the law, draft legal documents, or represent individuals in legal matters. The exact nature of a lawyer's work varies depending on the legal jurisdiction and the legal system, as w ...

who rose to the rank of Brevet Major General of Volunteers during 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 ...

and served as a

colonel Colonel ( ; abbreviated as Col., Col, or COL) is a senior military Officer (armed forces), officer rank used in many countries. It is also used in some police forces and paramilitary organizations. In the 17th, 18th, and 19th centuries, a colon ...

in the 29th Infantry Regiment after the war. Willcox later transferred to the 12th Infantry Regiment, and moved to

San Francisco San Francisco, officially the City and County of San Francisco, is a commercial, Financial District, San Francisco, financial, and Culture of San Francisco, cultural center of Northern California. With a population of 827,526 residents as of ...

California California () is a U.S. state, state in the Western United States that lies on the West Coast of the United States, Pacific Coast. It borders Oregon to the north, Nevada and Arizona to the east, and shares Mexico–United States border, an ...

, to take up his command. He was appointed Commander of the Department of Arizona in 1878, and in 1886 was made head of the

Department of the Missouri The Department of the Missouri was a command echelon of the United States Army in the 19th century and a sub division of the Military Division of the Missouri that functioned through the Indian Wars. History Background Following the successful ...

. He retired on April 16, 1887, at the rank of brigadier general in the regular army, after which he became governor of the Soldiers' Home in Washington, D.C., on February 27, 1889. But Nathan did not travel with his stepfather. Instead, he attended a series of boarding schools: Racine College (an Episcopal preparatory school in

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 ...

), the Harrington School (a preparatory school in

New Bedford, Massachusetts New Bedford is a city in Bristol County, Massachusetts, United States. It is located on the Acushnet River in what is known as the South Coast region. At the 2020 census, New Bedford had a population of 101,079, making it the state's ninth-l ...

), and Adams Collegiate Institute (a preparatory school in

Sackets Harbor, New York Sackets Harbor (earlier spelled Sackett (surname), Sacketts Harbor) is a village in Jefferson County, New York, United States, on Lake Ontario. The population was 1,450 at the 2010 census. The village was named after land developer and owner Augus ...

). In 1888, N. Corwith and Company—the firm which held the Wyeth funds in trust—went bankrupt. The firm had commingled the Wyeth trust funds with those of its other businesses, and the bankruptcy wiped out the trust as well. The Wyeths sued, and the

Supreme Court of Illinois The Supreme Court of Illinois is the state supreme court, the highest court of the judiciary of Illinois. The court's authority is granted in Article VI of the current Illinois Constitution, which provides for seven justices elected from the ...

held in their favor in 1888. Although it is unclear if the Wyeths recovered much money, enough was received to pay for Nathan and Leonard's secondary and

higher education Tertiary education (higher education, or post-secondary education) is the educational level following the completion of secondary education. The World Bank defines tertiary education as including universities, colleges, and vocational schools ...

. Nathan was 18 years old in 1888. Despite the financial setbacks of his trust fund, he began his post-secondary education by studying watercolor painting in Belgium and Switzerland. Wyeth returned to the United States in the summer of 1889 and studied at the

Metropolitan Museum of Art The Metropolitan Museum of Art, colloquially referred to as the Met, is an Encyclopedic museum, encyclopedic art museum in New York City. By floor area, it is the List of largest museums, third-largest museum in the world and the List of larg ...

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 ...

. He was awarded a first prize for his work, and graduated first in his class. In summer 1890, he enrolled as an art student at the

École nationale supérieure des Beaux-Arts École or Ecole may refer to: * an elementary school in the French educational stages normally followed by secondary education establishments (collège and lycée) * École (river), a tributary of the Seine The Seine ( , ) is a river in nor ...

Paris Paris () is the Capital city, capital and List of communes in France with over 20,000 inhabitants, largest city of France. With an estimated population of 2,048,472 residents in January 2025 in an area of more than , Paris is the List of ci ...

, France. He studied under Duray Pascal, switched his major to architecture, and received his Architect Diplômé par le Gouvernement from the school in 1899. Wyeth's first notable architectural design can be traced to 1891, while he was still studying in France. This effort was a fourth-floor addition to the Lemon Building at 1729 New York Avenue NW in Washington, D.C. It was an important commission, for the building was the headquarters 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 ...

. (The structure was razed in 1971.)

Early work

After graduating from the École nationale supérieure des Beaux-Arts, Wyeth took a job with

Carrère and Hastings Carrère and Hastings, the firm of John Merven Carrère ( ; November 9, 1858 – March 1, 1911) and Thomas Hastings (architect), Thomas Hastings (March 11, 1860 – October 22, 1929), was an American list of architecture firms, architecture firm ...

, a New York City-based company that was one of the most prominent architectural firms in the United States. He left the firm in 1900 and moved to Washington, D.C., where he took a position at the

Office of the Supervising Architect The Office of the Supervising Architect was an agency of the United States Treasury Department that designed federal government buildings from 1852 to 1939. About The office handled some of the most important architectural commissions of ...

in the

United States Department of the Treasury The Department of the Treasury (USDT) is the Treasury, national treasury and finance department of the federal government of the United States. It is one of 15 current United States federal executive departments, U.S. government departments. ...

(the government agency which, at the time, designed all federal office buildings). After two and a half years there, he transferred to the office of the Architect of the Capitol, working under Elliott Woods. Although he worked there just eight months, there is evidence that he helped design both the

and the

Private practice

Wyeth left government employment to form his own private architectural practice in 1904. During the next 14 years, he designed a large number of residences, office and retail buildings, and local government offices. In 1907, he briefly formed the firm of Wyeth & Cresson with noted local architect William Penn Cresson (husband of sculptor Margaret French Cresson). But the association lasted only a year. One of Wyeth's most prominent early commission was the Tidal Basin Inlet Bridge connecting

East Potomac Park East Potomac Park is a park located on a man-made island in the Potomac River in Washington, D.C., United States. The island is between the Washington Channel and the Potomac River, and on it the park lies southeast of the Jefferson Memorial and t ...

and

West Potomac Park West Potomac Park is a U.S. national park in Washington, D.C., adjacent to the National Mall. It includes the parkland that extends south of the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool, from the Lincoln Memorial to the grounds of the Washington Monume ...

. Both parks were formerly part of the waters of the Potomac River. Beginning in 1881, material dredged from the river was placed in the tidal flats west and south of the city, creating the western half of the

National Mall The National Mall is a Landscape architecture, landscaped park near the Downtown, Washington, D.C., downtown area of Washington, D.C., the capital city of the United States. It contains and borders a number of museums of the Smithsonian Institu ...

, the Washington Channel, and the Tidal Basin. The Tidal Basin was designed so that fresh water would flow in via its southern strait, and then flush outward into the Washington Channel. In 1907, the

United States Army Corps of Engineers The United States Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) is the military engineering branch of the United States Army. A direct reporting unit (DRU), it has three primary mission areas: Engineer Regiment, military construction, and civil wo ...

decided that gates were needed at the southern inlet to prevent the basin's water from backflowing into the Potomac (thus ensuring a flush into the channel). The Corps decided that a bridge should be built along with the gates, so that the roadway around the Tidal Basin would make a complete circuit. Wyeth was the only architect considered for the bridge job. His employment was approved in early February 1908, and by early April he'd completed the bridge plans. Although his design for a two-tier bridge was only partially implemented (the top tier was removed for budget reasons), work on the bridge was largely complete by June 1909. Among the many notable private residences Wyeth built during this first phase of his private practice were the Nathan C. and Isabelle Wells House at 1609 Connecticut Avenue NW in 1904; the new front facade and rear addition to the Dr. J. H. Bryan House at 818 17th Street NW in 1904; the Dr. Bernard L. Hardin House at 1313 Connecticut Avenue NW in 1905; the Anna Jenness Miller House at

2205 Massachusetts Avenue 2205 Massachusetts Avenue is a historic mansion on Embassy Row in Washington, D.C. The house has served as the headquarters of the National Society Daughters of the American Colonists since 1960. History The townhome is located on Embassy Row ...

NW in 1905; the John R. McLean House at 1509 H Street NW in 1905; the F.A. Keep House (built 1906) and the C. Russell Peyton House (built 1908), both at 2249 R Street NW (formerly the Embassy of Sweden, now the Embassy of Kenya); with William P. Cresson, the Louis Arthur Coolidge House (now the Embassy of Zambia) at 2419 Massachusetts Avenue NW in 1907; the Mrs. Norman Williams House at 1227 16th Street NW in 1907; the Mrs. John McGowan House at 1424 16th Street NW in 1907; the

Helen Churchill Candee Helen Churchill Candee (October 5, 1858 – August 23, 1949) was an American author, journalist, interior decorator, feminist, and geographer. She is best remembered as a survivor of the sinking of RMS Titanic, RMS ''Titanic'' in 1912, and for ...

House at 1149 16th Street NW in 1909; the Sara S. Wyeth House (now the Chilean ambassador's resident in Washington, D.C.) at 2305 Massachusetts Avenue NW in 1909;; the Gibson Fhanestock House (now the Embassy and Chancery of Haiti) at 2311 Massachusetts Avenue NW in 1910; with Francis P. Sullivan, the Mrs. George Pullman House (now the Russian ambassador's residence) at 1125 16th Street NW in 1910; the Granville Fortescue House (now the Embassy of Malawi) at 2408 Massachusetts Avenue NW in 1911; the Franklin MacVeagh House (formerly the Embassy of Mexico and now the Mexican Cultural Institute) at 2829 16th Street NW in 1911; the Misses Nellie and Isabelle Sedgeley House at 2406 Massachusetts Avenue NW in 1911; the Dr. William H. Wilmer House at 2101 R Street NW in 1912; and the Charles C. Glover House at 4200 Massachusetts Avenue NW in 1913. One of Wyeth's largest commissions in this period came in 1913, when he designed a new building for the Columbia Hospital for Women at 2425 L Street NW.; ;

Government commissions

An avid

socialite A socialite is a person, typically a woman from a wealthy or aristocratic background, who is prominent in high society. A socialite generally spends a significant amount of time attending various fashionable social gatherings, instead of having ...

, Wyeth's short time working for the federal government had won him a wide range of important friends. These led to a number of important commissions between 1904 and 1918. In 1909, he entered and won a competition to redesign the West Wing of the White House, turning a temporary structure into a permanent office complex. The Lemon Building addition had helped him win the commission, Wyeth's design for the West Wing, construction on which ended in October 1909, was a one-story structure which included the first and original Oval Office—which mimicked the Blue Room and Yellow Oval Room in the

Executive Residence The Executive Residence is the central building of the White House complex located between the East Wing and West Wing. It is the most recognizable part of the complex, being the actual "house" part of the White House. This central building, f ...

. (The Oval Office was moved in 1934 from the center of the south wall of the West Wing to the southeast corner of the building.) The following year, Wyeth oversaw the remodeling of the British Embassy in the District of Columbia. He was appointed "local architect" of the embassy in 1909, and held the position until 1919. Wyeth was hired to design the USS ''Maine'' Mast Memorial at

Arlington National Cemetery Arlington National Cemetery is the largest cemetery in the United States National Cemetery System, one of two maintained by the United States Army. More than 400,000 people are buried in its 639 acres (259 ha) in Arlington County, Virginia. ...

in May 1913. Congress had approved a memorial in 1910, but little progress had been made. The

United States Commission of Fine Arts The U.S. Commission of Fine Arts (CFA) is an independent agency of the federal government of the United States, and was established in 1910. The CFA has review (but not approval) authority over the "design and aesthetics" of all construction wit ...

(CFA), which had legal authority to advise regarding the siting and design of monuments and memorials, had reviewed preliminary designs submitted by the Army Corps of Engineers and had declined to approve any of them. Privately, the CFA voiced its opinion that the designs submitted were very poor. The commission advised the War Department to select a designer rather than hold a competition, and recommended Wyeth. The Secretary of War agreed, and Wyeth was hired in May 1913 to submit a design.

World War I and post-war work

War work: 1917 to 1919

On October 17, 1917, Wyeth was hired by the

to co-design the newly approved Francis Scott Key Bridge. Wyeth worked with Major Max C. Tyler, an engineer with the Corps of Engineers, to design the bridge, which crossed the Potomac River between the Rosslyn neighborhood of Arlington County,

Virginia Virginia, officially the Commonwealth of Virginia, is a U.S. state, state in the Southeastern United States, Southeastern and Mid-Atlantic (United States), Mid-Atlantic regions of the United States between the East Coast of the United States ...

, and the Georgetown neighborhood of Washington, D.C. The bridge was completed in 1923. When the United States entered World War I in April 1918, Wyeth sought to join the military. He loved France, and was deeply upset at reports of the destruction and loss of life there. Too old at age 47 to be

conscripted Conscription, also known as the draft in the United States and Israel, is the practice in which the compulsory enlistment in a national service, mainly a military service, is enforced by law. Conscription dates back to antiquity and it contin ...

, he sought an architectural job with the Army as a way of helping the French people. Wyeth was released from his bridge contract with the Army Corps of Engineers in 1918 so he could be commissioned as a

major Major most commonly refers to: * Major (rank), a military rank * Academic major, an academic discipline to which an undergraduate student formally commits * People named Major, including given names, surnames, nicknames * Major and minor in musi ...

in the

United States Army The United States Army (USA) is the primary Land warfare, land service branch of the United States Department of Defense. It is designated as the Army of the United States in the United States Constitution.Article II, section 2, clause 1 of th ...

. For the duration of the war, he worked for the Hospital Division of the

Office of the Surgeon General The surgeon general of the United States is the operational head of the United States Public Health Service Commissioned Corps (PHSCC) and thus the leading spokesperson on matters of public health in the federal government of the United States. ...

, designing temporary hospitals for construction in France. The war ended in November 1919. But Wyeth fell seriously ill after the war and moved to Switzerland to recover his health. He spent his time overseas painting watercolors, some of which were good enough to be exhibited at the

Corcoran Gallery of Art The Corcoran Gallery of Art is a former art museum in Washington, D.C., that is now the location of the Corcoran School of the Arts and Design, a part of the George Washington University. Founded in 1869 by philanthropist William Wilson Corco ...

. His works were also hung in the

Missouri State Capitol The Missouri State Capitol is the home of the Missouri General Assembly and the Executive (government), executive branch of government of the U.S. state of Missouri. Located in Jefferson City, Missouri, Jefferson City at 201 West Capitol Avenue, ...

. He did not return permanently to Washington until 1925.

Post-war work

After his return to the District of Columbia, Wyeth reopened his private practice. The post-war era was a difficult one for Wyeth. In 1924 or 1930 (sources vary), he formed an architectural firm with Francis P. Sullivan. Wyeth was appointed in 1925 to a group of architects which advised the

District of Columbia Public Schools The District of Columbia Public Schools (DCPS) is the local public school system for Washington, D.C. It is distinct from the District of Columbia Public Charter Schools (DCPCS), which governs public charter schools in the city. Compositi ...

on the design of school buildings, and which provided design services to the school district. But his commissions from the city never materialized. In 1925, Wyeth joined many of the city's top architects in forming Allied Architects of Washington, D.C., Inc. Teams within this federation of architectural firms worked on some of the most important commissions in the city, and Wyeth joined Frank Upman, Gilbert LaCoste Rodier, and Louis Justement in co-designing the Longworth House Office Building. Commissions for major residences were much rarer now. Wyeth finished six significant works: The Judge Edwin B. Parker House at 2001 24th Street NW in 1926 (later the Embassy of Afghanistan); the Justice

Harlan Fiske Stone Harlan is a given name and a surname which may refer to: Surname * Abram D. Harlan (1833–1908), American politician from Pennsylvania * Bob Harlan (born 1936 Robert E. Harlan), American football executive * Bruce Harlan (1926–1959), America ...

House at 2340 Wyoming Street NW in 1926; the Clarence A. Aspinwall House at 2340 Kalorama Street NW in 1928; the Duncan Phillips House at 2101 Foxhall Road NW in 1929; the Mrs. Wilber E. Wilder House (now the Embassy of Venezuela at 1099 30th Street NW in 1929 and the Frederick Atherton House (now the Embassy of Ivory Coast) at 2424 Massachusetts Avenue NW in 1930. All were co-designed with Francis P. Sullivan. Again with Sullivan, Wyeth co-designed the First Street Wing addition to the Russell Senate Office Building in 1933. One of Wyeth's few major commissions during this period was a group of homes on Whitehaven Street NW, near the British Embassy in Washington, D.C. (then under construction). A group of notable Washingtonians—including

Senator A senate is a deliberative assembly, often the upper house or Legislative chamber, chamber of a bicameral legislature. The name comes from the Ancient Rome, ancient Roman Senate (Latin: ''Senatus''), so-called as an assembly of the senior ...

Frederick H. Gillett, Colonel Reginald S. Huidekoper, and Commander Paul Bastedo—asked Wyeth to design large houses, all in the

Georgian style Georgian architecture is the name given in most English-speaking countries to the set of architectural styles current between 1714 and 1830. It is named after the first four British monarchs of the House of Hanover, George I, George II, Ge ...

, to occupy this block. (Architect Frederick H. Brooke also built a Georgian home here, but designed it himself.) The block already contained the McCormick House, a 1908 mansion designed by

John Russell Pope John Russell Pope (April 24, 1874 – August 27, 1937) was an American architecture, architect whose firm is widely known for designing major public buildings, including the National Archives and Records Administration building (completed in 193 ...

for diplomat Robert Sanderson McCormick. With the start of the

Great Depression in the United States In the United States, the Great Depression began with the Wall Street Crash of October 1929 and then spread worldwide. The nadir came in 1931–1933, and recovery came in 1940. The stock market crash marked the beginning of a decade of high u ...

in the fall of 1929, Wyeth received far fewer architectural commissions. The firm of Wyeth & Sullivan declared bankruptcy that year. Wyeth tried to rebuild his practice, but the depression left him without clients. In deep financial difficulty, he took a temporary position as the Municipal Architect of the District of Columbia in 1933. His appointment was made permanent on January 12, 1934. He remained in the position until his retirement at age 77 in 1946. As Municipal Architect, Wyeth designed and won approval of a master plan for Judiciary Square in 1934. He subsequently designed four buildings which helped to complete this master plan. The first of these, the D.C. Police Court Building, was located on the west side of 5th Street NW, and ran from E Street NW about three-quarters of the way to D Street NW. This structure began construction in September 1936 and was finished in April 1937. (This structure was razed in the mid-1960s.) The second structure was the D.C. Municipal Building (also known as the East Administration Building) at 300 Indiana Avenue NW. Construction started on December 10, 1938, and it was finished in May 1941. To complement the D.C. Police Court Building, Wyeth designed a third structure—the D.C. Municipal Court Building, which occupied the east side of 4th Street NW between E and D Streets NW. It was completed in late 1941. (This structure was razed as well, and the site is now occupied by One Judiciary Square.) The northwest corner of the square itself had long been occupied by a small, Neoclassical structure housing the District of Columbia Court of Appeals. To balance this structure aesthetically, Wyeth designed a new fourth structure, the D.C. Juvenile Court Building at 410 E Street NW. It was completed in 1940. A fifth structure, the Recorder of Deeds Building, was built at 515 D Street NW immediately to the south of the D.C. Police Court Building. It opened in September 1941. Wyeth also personally designed the D.C. Armory (also known as the National Guard Armory) at 2001 East Capitol Street SE, which was completed in July 1941. He also personally designed the Georgetown Neighborhood Library (finished in 1935) and the Petworth Neighborhood Library (finished in 1939) of the District of Columbia Public Library. Although a number of city schools were constructed while Wyeth was Municipal Architect, only two—Kelly Miller Junior High School (completed in 1949, razed in 2001) and Coolidge Senior High School—can be directly attributed to him.

Private life

Wyeth married Dorothy Ellis Lawson (November 1, 1891 – September 1975) of

Cincinnati, Ohio Cincinnati ( ; colloquially nicknamed Cincy) is a city in Hamilton County, Ohio, United States, and its county seat. Settled in 1788, the city is located on the northern side of the confluence of the Licking River (Kentucky), Licking and Ohio Ri ...

, on September 20, 1911. Lawson was the cousin of Laura Lawson Blair, wife of Gist Blair. The Blairs were still the owners of

Blair House Blair House, also known as The President's Guest House, is an official residence in Washington, D.C., the capital of the United States. The President's Guest House has been called "the world's most exclusive hotel" because it is primarily used ...

, now a part of the White House Complex but then a private residence across the street from the White House. Dorothy was just 19 years old at the time, and Nathan Wyeth was 22 years her senior. The couple bonded over their mutual love of France. The couple had two children: Margo Julia (born in August 1912) and Stuart MacReynolds (born July 1914). Wyeth was described as nervous, and correct to the point of rudeness. He was an avid watercolorist,

figure skater Figure skating is a sport in which individuals, pairs, or groups perform on figure skates on ice. It was the first winter sport to be included in the Olympic Games, with its introduction occurring at the 1908 Olympics in London. The Olympic d ...

, and

hiker A hike is a long, vigorous walking, walk, usually on trails or footpaths in the countryside. Walking for pleasure developed in Europe during the eighteenth century. Long hikes as part of a religious pilgrimage have existed for a much longer tim ...

. Wyeth was a member of the American Federation of Art, the

American Legion The American Legion, commonly known as the Legion, is an Voluntary association, organization of United States, U.S. war veterans headquartered in Indianapolis, Indiana. It comprises U.S. state, state, Territories of the United States, U.S. terr ...

, the American Planning and Civic Association, the Military Order of the World War, the

Society of Beaux-Arts Architects A society () is a group of individuals involved in persistent social interaction or a large social group sharing the same spatial or social territory, typically subject to the same political authority and dominant cultural expectations. Soc ...

, the Society for the Preservation of New England Antiquities, and the Washington Society of Fine Arts. He was also a member of the

Alpine Club Alpine clubs are typically large social clubs that revolve around climbing, hiking, and other outdoor activities. Many alpine clubs also take on aspects typically reserved for local sport associations, providing education and training courses, se ...

, Chevy Chase Club,

Cosmos Club The Cosmos Club is a 501(c)(7) private social club in Washington, D.C., that was founded by John Wesley Powell in 1878 as a gentlemen's club for those interested in science. Among its stated goals is, "The advancement of its members in science, ...

, and the Metropolitan Club.

Death

Nathan C. Wyeth died at his home in Washington, D.C., of natural causes on August 30, 1963. He was survived by his wife, Dorothy, and his children Margo and Stuart. He was interred in the Wyeth family plot at

Mount Auburn Cemetery Mount Auburn Cemetery, located in Cambridge and Watertown, Massachusetts, is the first rural or garden cemetery in the United States. It is the burial site of many prominent Boston Brahmins, and is a National Historic Landmark. Dedicated in ...

near Cambridge, Massachusetts. Writing 15 years after his death, architectural historians Sue A. Kohler and Jeffrey R. Carson concluded "...Wyeth was one of the more gifted architects practicing in Washington during the early years of this century."

Awards and paintings

Wyeth was named a

Fellow of the American Institute of Architects 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-memb ...

in 1914. He was elected the second vice president of the D.C. chapter of the American Institute of Architects in 1928. Wyeth designed his own home at 2915 44th Street NW in 1935, and lived in the structure for the rest of his life. The home was given an award for meritorious design by the Greater Washington Board of Trade in March 1936. In addition to several exhibitions of his watercolors, Wyeth also illustrated George H. Palmer's 1930 translation of ''

The Odyssey The ''Odyssey'' (; ) is one of two major epics of ancient Greek literature attributed to Homer. It is one of the oldest surviving works of literature and remains popular with modern audiences. Like the ''Iliad'', the ''Odyssey'' is divi ...

''.

Notable works

Wyeth designed a wide range of notable works: *Chilean ambassador's residence in Washington, D.C. (2305 Massachusetts Avenue NW; Sara S. Wyeth House, built 1909) * Columbia Hospital for Women (2425 L Street NW; built 1913) *D.C. Armory (2001 East Capitol Street SE; built 1941) *D.C. Juvenile Court Building (410 E Street NW; built 1940) *D.C. Municipal Building/East Administration Building (now the Henry J. Daly Building; 300 Indiana Avenue NW; built 1941) *D.C. Municipal Court Building (4th Street NW between D and E Streets NW; built 1941) *D.C. Police Court Building (about 450 5th Street Northwest; built 1937, razed 1960s) *D.C. Recorder of Deeds Building (515 D Street NW; built 1941) * Embassy and Chancery of Haiti (Gibson Fhanestock House, 2311 Massachusetts Avenue NW; built 1910) *Embassy of Ivory Coast, with Francis P. Sullivan (Frederick Atherton House, 2424 Massachusetts Avenue NW; built 1930) * Embassy of Kenya, formerly Embassy of Sweden (F.A. Keep House, 2249 R Street NW; built 1906; C. Russell Peyton House, 2249 R Street NW; built 1908) * Embassy of Malawi (Granville Fortescue House, 2408 Massachusetts Avenue NW; built 1911) * Embassy of Venezuela, with Francis P. Sullivan (Mrs. Wilber E. Wilder House, 1099 30th Street NW; built 1929) * Embassy of Zambia, with William P. Cresson (Louis Arthur Coolidge House, 2419 Massachusetts Avenue NW; built 1907) * Georgetown Neighborhood Library of the District of Columbia Public Library (built 1935) *Mexican Cultural Institute (Franklin MacVeagh House, 2829 16th Street NW; built 1911) *Petworth Neighborhood Library of the District of Columbia Public Library (built 1939) * Russian ambassador's residence, with Francis P. Sullivan (Mrs. George Pullman House, 1125 16th Street NW; built 1910) Some sources say that Wyeth also co-designed the

District of Columbia War Memorial The District of Columbia War Memorial commemorates the more than 26,000 "residents and citizens" of the District of Columbia who performed military service in World War I, including the 499 who gave their lives in that service. Located on the Nat ...

with Frederick H. Brooke and Horace Peaslee. Wyeth's name is listed on the memorial as an associate architect. But the authoritative ''National Park Service Cultural Landscapes Inventory'' and an investigation into the memorial's creation by John G. Waite Associates (at the Park Service's request) show that the memorial was almost exclusively the work of Brooke, who designed it in 1919. Wyeth and Peaslee did not join the effort until March 1925. The exact nature of Wyeth's contributions are unknown, and appear minimal. As Waite et al. have noted: "No record has been found indicating that anyone but Brooke was ever considered for the job. Once the building was 'definitely to become a reality' with the passage of Resolution 28 in 1924, Brooke informed the memorial commission that Nathan C. Wyeth and Horace W. Peaslee had agreed to act as his associates in preparing the plans. It is not entirely clear what roles Wyeth and Peaslee played in designing the memorial; except for the inclusion of their names on some of the 1924 and 1925 drawings and the base inscription, they are rarely mentioned in connection with project, and what contractual arrangements were made with them are not known." At best, only minor changes were made to the memorial after Wyeth joined the effort. It is widely assumed that, as Municipal Architect, Wyeth designed Thomas Jefferson Junior High School. For example, Harry Gabbett of ''The Washington Post'' makes the claim. Both ''The New York Times'' and ''The Evening Star'' also assume Wyeth designed the structure, although they erroneously report it was a high school. But Wyeth attributed the work to Jessie I. Cuthriel, architectural designer, and M.F. Coe, chief of the architectural division. Several sources also report that Wyeth designed Woodrow Wilson High School. But Wyeth told a subcommittee of the

United States House Committee on Appropriations The United States House Committee on Appropriations is a committee of the United States House of Representatives that is responsible for passing appropriation bills along with its Senate counterpart. The bills passed by the Appropriations Co ...

in March 1934 that he was only a consulting architect on the structure. The architectural design work on Woodrow Wilson High School was done by two private-sector architects under contract to the Office of the Municipal Architect. Although ''The New York Times'' claimed in his obituary that Wyeth designed the Canadian Embassy (now Uzbekistan's) at 1746 Massachusetts Avenue NW, but in fact the building was designed by architect Jules Henri de Sibour in 1909 for Clarence Moore and his wife, Mabelle Swift Moore (heir to the

Swift Swift or SWIFT most commonly refers to: * SWIFT, an international organization facilitating transactions between banks ** SWIFT code * Swift (programming language) * Swift (bird), a family of birds It may also refer to: Organizations * SWIF ...

meatpacking fortune).;

References

;Notes ;Citations

Bibliography

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External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Wyeth, Nathan C. 1870 births 1963 deaths 20th-century American architects American watercolorists Architects from Washington, D.C. Architects from Chicago Burials at Mount Auburn Cemetery American people of Welsh descent American alumni of the École des Beaux-Arts 20th-century American painters American male painters 19th-century American architects 19th-century American male artists 20th-century American male artists United States Army personnel of World War I