James Renwick Jr.
James Renwick Jr. (born November 11, 1818, Bloomingdale, in Upper Manhattan, New York City – June 23, 1895,
New York City) was an American architect in the 19th century. The Encyclopedia of American Architecture calls him
"one of the most successful American architects of his time".
Life and work[edit]
Renwick was born into a wealthy and well-educated family. His mother, Margaret Brevoort, was from a
wealthy and socially prominent New York family. His father, James Renwick, was an engineer, architect, and
professor of natural philosophy at Columbia College, now Columbia University. His two brothers were also
engineers. Renwick is buried in Green-Wood Cemetery in Brooklyn, New York, with his wife and father.
Renwick was not formally trained as an architect. His ability and interest in building design were nurtured
through his cultivated background, which granted him early exposure to travel, and through a broad
cultural education that included architectural history. He learned the skills from his father. He studied
engineering at Columbia, entering at age twelve and graduating in 1836.[1] He received an M.A. three years later.
On graduating, he took a position as structural engineer with the Erie Railroad and subsequently served as
supervisor on the Croton Reservoir, acting as an assistant engineer on the Croton Aqueduct in New York City.[citation
needed]
Renwick received his first major commission, at the age of twenty-five, in 1843 when he won the competition to
design Grace Church, an Episcopal church in New York City, which was executed in the English Gothic style. In
1846, Renwick won the competition for the design of the Smithsonian Institution Building in Washington,
DC. Built between 1847 and 1855, the many-turreted building, generally referred to as "the Castle," was designed in
the Romanesque style, as requested by the Board of Regents of the Smithsonian, and was built of red sandstone
quarried at the Seneca Quarry in Seneca, Maryland.[2] It was a major influence in the Gothic revival in the United
States.[citation needed]
In 1849, Renwick designed the Free Academy Building (City College of New York), New York City, at
Lexington Avenue and 23rd Street. It was one of the first Gothic Revival college buildings on the East Coast.[3]
Quarried = extract stones or mine stones
M.A. = MASTER OF ARTS
Romantic architecture appeared in the late 18th century in a reaction against the rigid forms of neoclassical
architecture. Romantic architecture reached its peak in the mid-19th century, and continued to appear until the
end of the 19th century. It was designed to evoke an emotional reaction, either respect for tradition or nostalgia
for a bucolic past. It was frequently inspired by the architecture of the Middle Ages, especially Gothic
architecture, It was strongly influenced by romanticism in literature, particularly the historical novels of Victor
Hugo and Walter Scott. It sometimes moved into the domain of eclecticism, with features assembled from
different historic periods and regions of the world.
Eclecticism
Architectural style
Eclecticism is a conceptual approach that does not hold rigidly to a single paradigm or set of assumptions, but
instead draws upon multiple theories, styles, or ideas to gain complementary insights into a subject, or applies
different theories in particular cases.
Victor-Marie Hugo was a French Romantic writer and politician.
Sir Walter Scott was a Scottish historian, novelist, poet, and playwright.