Richard J. Shaw
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Richard Shaw (September 22, 1887 – August 23 1958) 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 ...
active in twentieth-century
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 ...
. He specialized in the design of institutional buildings and churches, many of which were designed in partnership with Timothy G. O'Connell, and is best remembered for the
Hatch Memorial Shell The Edward A. Hatch Memorial Shell, commonly referred to as the Hatch Shell, is an outdoor concert venue on the Charles River Esplanade in the Back Bay section of Boston, Massachusetts. Built in 1939–1940, it is one of the city's prominent ...
on the
Charles River Esplanade The Charles River Esplanade of Boston, Massachusetts, is a state-owned park situated in the Back Bay area of the city, on the south bank of the Charles River Basin. Description Storrow Drive, a limited-access parkway, forms the southern bound ...
.


Early life and education

Richard Joseph Shaw, known professionally as Richard Shaw, was born September 22, 1887, in
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 ...
to Thomas Shaw and Abbie Shaw, née O'Brien. He was educated in the Boston public schools."Shaw, Richard" in ''Who's Who in America'' 24 (Chicago: A. N. Marquis Company, 1946): 2132. Shaw was a member of the
Boston Architectural Club The Boston Architectural College (BAC) is a private college in Boston. It is New England's largest private college of spatial design. The college's main building is at 320 Newbury Street in Boston's Back Bay neighborhood. History Boston Arc ...
(BAC) and took advantage of the club's night classes in architecture and design. Through his activities with the BAC he was awarded a scholarship from the Architectural League of America, of which the BAC was a part, enabling him to study as a special student in architecture at
Harvard University Harvard University is a Private university, private Ivy League research university in Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States. Founded in 1636 and named for its first benefactor, the History of the Puritans in North America, Puritan clergyma ...
during the year 1910–11. Before and after his Harvard experience he was employed by architects
Maginnis & Walsh Maginnis & Walsh was a Boston-based architecture firm started by Charles Donagh Maginnis and Timothy Francis Walsh in 1905. It was known for its innovative design of churches in Boston in the first half of the 20th century. Partners Maginnis ...
and was their chief
drafter A drafter (also draughtsman / draughtswoman in British English, British and English in the Commonwealth of Nations, Commonwealth English, draftsman / draftswoman, drafting technician, or CAD technician in American English, American and Canadia ...
from 1912 to 1917.


Architectural practice

In January 1926 the ''
Boston Globe ''The Boston Globe,'' also known locally as ''the Globe'', is an American daily newspaper founded and based in Boston, Massachusetts. The newspaper has won a total of 27 Pulitzer Prizes. ''The Boston Globe'' is the oldest and largest daily new ...
'' noted that Shaw was "a close friend" of four-time Boston mayor
James Michael Curley James Michael Curley (November 20, 1874 – November 12, 1958) was an American Democratic politician from Boston, Massachusetts. He served four terms as mayor of Boston between 1914 and 1955. Curley ran for mayor in every election for which he ...
."Nichols holds up building at L St: mayor makes Park Commission rescind order for plans given Shaw by Curley," ''Boston Globe'', January 8, 1926. In January 1918 Curley, in the final days of his first administration, appointed Shaw, then still a drafter, chairman of the Schoolhouse Commission. In February Curley was out and so was Shaw. Shaw spent
World War I World War I or the First World War (28 July 1914 – 11 November 1918), also known as the Great War, was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War I, Allies (or Entente) and the Central Powers. Fighting to ...
serving as a
superintendent Superintendent may refer to: *Building superintendent, a manager, maintenance or repair person, custodian or janitor, especially in the United States; sometimes shortened to "super" *Prison warden or superintendent, a prison administrator *Soprin ...
at
Naval Station Newport Naval Station Newport (NAVSTA Newport) is a United States Navy base located in the city of Newport, Rhode Island, Newport and the town of Middletown, Rhode Island. Naval Station Newport is home to the Naval War College and the Naval Justice Scho ...
. In 1919 Shaw and architect Timothy G. O'Connell formed the firm of O'Connell & Shaw. O'Connell had been appointed architect of the West Roxbury Municipal Courthouse (1923) during the first Curley administration. The project had been delayed by the war and the architects completed it together. Through Curley's influence, O'Connell & Shaw received the largest number of major city design contracts during his second administration, including those for the Fire Alarm Office (1925) and the Brighton Municipal Courthouse (1927). During the last months of the administration they were also contracted to design the proposed L Street Bathhouse in South Boston and a hospital for chronic diseases on Parker Hill, both of which were canceled by the administration of
Malcolm Nichols Malcolm Edwin Nichols (May 8, 1876 – February 7, 1951) was a journalist and American politician. Nichols served as the Mayor of Boston in the late 1920s. He came from a Boston Brahmin family and is the most recent Republican to serve in that ...
soon after taking office. In May 1926 city councillors alleged that the firm and their contractors may have been commiting fraud in the completion of the Brighton courthouse, but this did not make it to legal proceedings. The Curley administration had also approved a contract with O'Connell & Shaw to design the new Brighton High School (1930); which was not canceled. Construction did not begin until 1929 and the school was completed during the third Curley administration. In 1930 Shaw and O'Connell dissolved their partnership and Shaw continued independently for the rest of his career. Shaw was a four-time recipient of the
Harleston Parker Medal The Harleston Parker Medal was established in 1921 by J. Harleston Parker to recognize “such architects as shall have, in the opinion of the Boston Society of Architects for any private citizen, association, corporation, or public authority, t ...
, given for outstanding architectural work in the greater Boston community. The awards were for the Immaculate Conception Convent (1927, demolished) in Malden in 1930, the
Hatch Memorial Shell The Edward A. Hatch Memorial Shell, commonly referred to as the Hatch Shell, is an outdoor concert venue on the Charles River Esplanade in the Back Bay section of Boston, Massachusetts. Built in 1939–1940, it is one of the city's prominent ...
(1940) in 1941, St. Clement's Catholic Church (1942) in Medford in 1946 and Corpus Christi Catholic Church (1955) in
Newton Newton most commonly refers to: * Isaac Newton (1642–1726/1727), English scientist * Newton (unit), SI unit of force named after Isaac Newton Newton may also refer to: People * Newton (surname), including a list of people with the surname * ...
in 1956."Richard Shaw, architect, designed Esplanade Shell," ''Boston Globe'', August 23, 1958. His other works include the former Oratory of St. Thomas More (1935) on Franklin Street downtown, the rectory of the Cathedral of the Holy Cross (1937) in Boston and St. Mary's Catholic Church (1947) in Lynn."St. Mary's Church enters upon new era Sunday," ''Lynn Item'', March 21, 1947. Shaw was a
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
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 ...
(AIA), a director of the
Boston Society of Architects The Boston Society for Architecture (formerly known as the Boston Society of Architects) (BSA) is a nonprofit membership organization committed to architecture, design and the built environment. History On June 20, 1867, approximately 50 archi ...
, a president and director of the Massachusetts State Association of Architects and a director of the Boston Architectural Center. He was also a member of the
Harvard Club The Harvard Club is a private social club for alumni and associates of Harvard University with chapters all over the world. Notable chapters include: * Harvard Club of Boston * Harvard Club of New York * Harvard Club of Washington DC The Harvard ...
and served the public as a member of the Massachusetts Art Commission and the Massachusetts Board of Registration of Architects


Personal life and death

Shaw was married in 1916 to Lillian McMorrow. They lived in
Brookline Brookline may refer to: Places in the United States * Brookline, Massachusetts, a town near Boston * Brookline, Missouri, a village * Brookline, New Hampshire, a town * Brookline (Pittsburgh), a neighborhood in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania * Brookl ...
and Cohasset, where he died August 23, 1958, at the age of 70.


References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Shaw, Richard J. 1887 births 1958 deaths Architects of Roman Catholic churches American ecclesiastical architects Architects from Boston 20th-century American architects Fellows of the American Institute of Architects