Alexander Parris
Encyclopedia
Alexander Parris was a prominent American
architect
-engineer
. Beginning as a housewright, he evolved into an architect whose work transitioned from Federal style architecture to the later Greek Revival. Parris taught Ammi B. Young
, and was among the group of architects influential in founding what would become the American Institute of Architects
. He is also responsible for the designs of many lighthouses along the coastal Northeastern United States
.
. When aged 16, he apprenticed to a housewright in Pembroke
, but talent led him towards architecture
. Married to Silvina Bonney Stetson in 1800, he moved to Portland, Maine
, then experiencing a building boom. The city had been bombarded during the Revolution
by the Royal Navy
, reducing three-quarters to ashes in 1775. But following the war, its trade recovered, almost challenging Boston as the busiest port in New England
. Parris received numerous residential and commercial commissions, working in the fashionable style of architect Charles Bulfinch
. Like most housewrights of the era, he often used elements derived directly from English
architectural books, or those published in the United States by Asher Benjamin
. Unfortunately, some of his designs were lost in the Great Fire of 1866
, but early photographs and Parris' surviving drawings bespeak works of neoclassical
artistry and taste.
The boom would end, however, with Jefferson's
Embargo of 1807
, which lasted 14 months and devastated Portland's mercantile base. Merchants went bankrupt. The Portland Bank, its building designed by Parris, failed. By 1809, construction in the city had come to a halt. Parris left for Richmond, Virginia
, where he designed the Wickham House
and the Executive Mansion. But architect Benjamin Latrobe
examined Parris' preliminary plans for the Wickham House, which resembled his previous Federal style works in Portland, and gave it a blistering review. Latrobe's advice left a profound imprint on the future work of Parris, beginning with the building's revised design. Consequently, the Wickham House is considered a watershed design by Parris, marking the shift from his earlier Adamesque period towards his later, more severe, monumental and architectonic
period. In the War of 1812
, he served in Plattsburg, New York as a Captain of the Artificers (engineers), gaining knowledge of military requirements for engineering.
to work on the U.S. Capitol Building, Parris helped complete the Bulfinch Building at Massachusetts General Hospital
. With Bulfinch's departure, Parris soon became the city's leading architect, and a proponent of what would be called "Boston Granite
Style," with austere, monolithic stonework. Around 1818-1823 he kept an office on Court Street
. He belonged to the Massachusetts Charitable Mechanic Association
.
In 1824, however, he began a twenty year association working for the Boston Navy Yard
in Charlestown
. He would end his career as chief engineer at the Portsmouth Naval Shipyard
in Kittery, Maine
. With the federal government as patron, Parris produced plans for numerous utilitarian structures, from storehouses to ropewalks, and was superintendent of construction at one of the nation's first drydocks, located at the Charlestown base. Today, he is fondly remembered for his stalwart stone lighthouses, commissioned by the U.S. Treasury Department. They are often of a tapered form termed "windswept."
Parris balanced the delicacy of his "superb draftsmanship," as it was called, with the coarseness of his building material of choice: granite. His most famous building, Quincy Market
, is made of it. Parris died in Pembroke, where he is interred in the Briggs Burying Ground.
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United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
architect
Architect
An architect is a person trained in the planning, design and oversight of the construction of buildings. To practice architecture means to offer or render services in connection with the design and construction of a building, or group of buildings and the space within the site surrounding the...
-engineer
Engineer
An engineer is a professional practitioner of engineering, concerned with applying scientific knowledge, mathematics and ingenuity to develop solutions for technical problems. Engineers design materials, structures, machines and systems while considering the limitations imposed by practicality,...
. Beginning as a housewright, he evolved into an architect whose work transitioned from Federal style architecture to the later Greek Revival. Parris taught Ammi B. Young
Ammi B. Young
Ammi Burnham Young was an important 19th century American architect whose commissions transitioned from the Greek Revival to the Neo-Renaissance styles. His Second Vermont State House brought him fame and success, which eventually led him to become the first Supervising Architect of the U.S....
, and was among the group of architects influential in founding what would become the American Institute of Architects
American Institute of Architects
The American Institute of Architects is a professional organization for architects in the United States. Headquartered in Washington, D.C., the AIA offers education, government advocacy, community redevelopment, and public outreach to support the architecture profession and improve its public image...
. He is also responsible for the designs of many lighthouses along the coastal Northeastern United States
Northeastern United States
The Northeastern United States is a region of the United States as defined by the United States Census Bureau.-Composition:The region comprises nine states: the New England states of Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Rhode Island and Vermont; and the Mid-Atlantic states of New...
.
Early life and work
Parris was born in Halifax, MassachusettsHalifax, Massachusetts
Halifax is a town in Plymouth County, Massachusetts, United States. The population was 7,500 at the 2000 census.- History :Halifax was first settled by Europeans, most notably the Bosworth family from Bosworth Fields in England, in 1669, growing with lumbering and agriculture...
. When aged 16, he apprenticed to a housewright in Pembroke
Pembroke, Massachusetts
Pembroke is a town in Plymouth County, Massachusetts, United States. The population was 16,927 at the 2000 census.The southwestern section of Pembroke is also known as Bryantville...
, but talent led him towards architecture
Architecture
Architecture is both the process and product of planning, designing and construction. Architectural works, in the material form of buildings, are often perceived as cultural and political symbols and as works of art...
. Married to Silvina Bonney Stetson in 1800, he moved to Portland, Maine
Portland, Maine
Portland is the largest city in Maine and is the county seat of Cumberland County. The 2010 city population was 66,194, growing 3 percent since the census of 2000...
, then experiencing a building boom. The city had been bombarded during the Revolution
American Revolution
The American Revolution was the political upheaval during the last half of the 18th century in which thirteen colonies in North America joined together to break free from the British Empire, combining to become the United States of America...
by the Royal Navy
Royal Navy
The Royal Navy is the naval warfare service branch of the British Armed Forces. Founded in the 16th century, it is the oldest service branch and is known as the Senior Service...
, reducing three-quarters to ashes in 1775. But following the war, its trade recovered, almost challenging Boston as the busiest port in New England
New England
New England is a region in the northeastern corner of the United States consisting of the six states of Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, and Connecticut...
. Parris received numerous residential and commercial commissions, working in the fashionable style of architect Charles Bulfinch
Charles Bulfinch
Charles Bulfinch was an early American architect, and has been regarded by many as the first native-born American to practice architecture as a profession....
. Like most housewrights of the era, he often used elements derived directly from English
English people
The English are a nation and ethnic group native to England, who speak English. The English identity is of early mediaeval origin, when they were known in Old English as the Anglecynn. England is now a country of the United Kingdom, and the majority of English people in England are British Citizens...
architectural books, or those published in the United States by Asher Benjamin
Asher Benjamin
Asher Benjamin was an American architect and author whose work transitioned between Federal style architecture and the later Greek Revival. His seven handbooks on design deeply influenced the look of cities and towns throughout New England until the Civil War...
. Unfortunately, some of his designs were lost in the Great Fire of 1866
1866 Great Fire of Portland, Maine
The Great Fire of Portland, Maine occurred on July 4, 1866 — the first Independence Day after the end of the American Civil War. Five years before the Great Chicago Fire, this was the greatest fire yet seen in an American city. It started in a boat house on Commercial Street, likely caused by...
, but early photographs and Parris' surviving drawings bespeak works of neoclassical
Neoclassical architecture
Neoclassical architecture was an architectural style produced by the neoclassical movement that began in the mid-18th century, manifested both in its details as a reaction against the Rococo style of naturalistic ornament, and in its architectural formulas as an outgrowth of some classicizing...
artistry and taste.
Thomas Jefferson
Thomas Jefferson was the principal author of the United States Declaration of Independence and the Statute of Virginia for Religious Freedom , the third President of the United States and founder of the University of Virginia...
Embargo of 1807
Embargo Act of 1807
The Embargo Act of 1807 and the subsequent Nonintercourse Acts were American laws restricting American ships from engaging in foreign trade between the years of 1807 and 1812. The Acts were diplomatic responses by presidents Thomas Jefferson and James Madison designed to protect American interests...
, which lasted 14 months and devastated Portland's mercantile base. Merchants went bankrupt. The Portland Bank, its building designed by Parris, failed. By 1809, construction in the city had come to a halt. Parris left for Richmond, Virginia
Richmond, Virginia
Richmond is the capital of the Commonwealth of Virginia, in the United States. It is an independent city and not part of any county. Richmond is the center of the Richmond Metropolitan Statistical Area and the Greater Richmond area...
, where he designed the Wickham House
Wickham House
The Wickham House, also known as the Wickham-Valentine House or the Valentine Museum, in Richmond, Virginia was completed in 1812 and is considered one of the finest examples of architecture from the Federal period. It was built by John Wickham and designed by Massachusetts architect Alexander...
and the Executive Mansion. But architect Benjamin Latrobe
Benjamin Latrobe
Benjamin Henry Boneval Latrobe was a British-born American neoclassical architect best known for his design of the United States Capitol, along with his work on the Baltimore Basilica, the first Roman Catholic Cathedral in the United States...
examined Parris' preliminary plans for the Wickham House, which resembled his previous Federal style works in Portland, and gave it a blistering review. Latrobe's advice left a profound imprint on the future work of Parris, beginning with the building's revised design. Consequently, the Wickham House is considered a watershed design by Parris, marking the shift from his earlier Adamesque period towards his later, more severe, monumental and architectonic
Architectonic
Architectonic may mean:*pertaining to architecture, or suggesting the qualities of architecture*in Aristotelianism, as well as Kantianism, systematization of all knowledge...
period. In the War of 1812
War of 1812
The War of 1812 was a military conflict fought between the forces of the United States of America and those of the British Empire. The Americans declared war in 1812 for several reasons, including trade restrictions because of Britain's ongoing war with France, impressment of American merchant...
, he served in Plattsburg, New York as a Captain of the Artificers (engineers), gaining knowledge of military requirements for engineering.
Boston and federal patronage
In 1815, he moved to Boston, where he found a position in the office of Charles Bulfinch. Like his famous employer, Parris produced refined residences, churches and commercial buildings. When in 1817 Bulfinch was called to WashingtonWashington, D.C.
Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly referred to as Washington, "the District", or simply D.C., is the capital of the United States. On July 16, 1790, the United States Congress approved the creation of a permanent national capital as permitted by the U.S. Constitution....
to work on the U.S. Capitol Building, Parris helped complete the Bulfinch Building at Massachusetts General Hospital
Massachusetts General Hospital
Massachusetts General Hospital is a teaching hospital and biomedical research facility in the West End neighborhood of Boston, Massachusetts...
. With Bulfinch's departure, Parris soon became the city's leading architect, and a proponent of what would be called "Boston Granite
Granite
Granite is a common and widely occurring type of intrusive, felsic, igneous rock. Granite usually has a medium- to coarse-grained texture. Occasionally some individual crystals are larger than the groundmass, in which case the texture is known as porphyritic. A granitic rock with a porphyritic...
Style," with austere, monolithic stonework. Around 1818-1823 he kept an office on Court Street
Court Street (Boston, Massachusetts)
Court Street is located in the Financial District of Boston, Massachusetts. Prior to 1788, it was called Prison Lane and then Queen Street . In the 19th century it extended beyond its current length, to Bowdoin Square. In the 1960s most of Court Street was demolished to make way for the...
. He belonged to the Massachusetts Charitable Mechanic Association
Massachusetts Charitable Mechanic Association
The Massachusetts Charitable Mechanic Association of Boston, Massachusetts, was "formed for the sole purposes of promoting the mechanic arts and extending the practice of benevolence." Founding members included Paul Revere, Benjamin Russell, and others...
.
Boston Navy Yard
The Boston Navy Yard, originally called the Charlestown Navy Yard and later Boston Naval Shipyard, was one of the oldest shipbuilding facilities in the United States Navy. Established in 1801, it was officially closed as an active naval installation on July 1, 1974, and the property was...
in Charlestown
Charlestown, Massachusetts
Charlestown is a neighborhood of Boston, Massachusetts, United States, and is located on a peninsula north of downtown Boston. Charlestown was originally a separate town and the first capital of the Massachusetts Bay Colony; it became a city in 1847 and was annexed by Boston on January 5, 1874...
. He would end his career as chief engineer at the Portsmouth Naval Shipyard
Portsmouth Naval Shipyard
The Portsmouth Naval Shipyard , often called the Portsmouth Navy Yard, is a United States Navy shipyard located in Kittery on the southern boundary of Maine near the city of Portsmouth, New Hampshire. It is used for remodeling and repairing the Navy's ships...
in Kittery, Maine
Kittery, Maine
Kittery is a town in York County, Maine, United States. The population was 9,543 at the 2000 census. Home to the Portsmouth Naval Shipyard on Seavey's Island, Kittery includes Badger's Island, the seaside district of Kittery Point, and part of the Isles of Shoals...
. With the federal government as patron, Parris produced plans for numerous utilitarian structures, from storehouses to ropewalks, and was superintendent of construction at one of the nation's first drydocks, located at the Charlestown base. Today, he is fondly remembered for his stalwart stone lighthouses, commissioned by the U.S. Treasury Department. They are often of a tapered form termed "windswept."
Parris balanced the delicacy of his "superb draftsmanship," as it was called, with the coarseness of his building material of choice: granite. His most famous building, Quincy Market
Quincy Market
Quincy Market is a historic building near Faneuil Hall in downtown Boston, Massachusetts. It was constructed 1824–1826 and named in honor of Mayor Josiah Quincy, who organized its construction without any tax or debt.-History:...
, is made of it. Parris died in Pembroke, where he is interred in the Briggs Burying Ground.
Designs
- 1801 - Joseph Holt IngrahamJoseph Holt IngrahamJoseph Holt Ingraham was an American author.- Biography :Ingraham was born in 1809 in Portland, Maine. He spent several years at sea, then worked as a teacher of languages in Mississippi. In the 1840's he published work in Arthur's Magazine...
House, Portland, Maine - 1803-1804 - Maine Fire & Marine Insurance Company Building, Portland, Maine
- 1804 - James Deering House, Portland, Maine
- 1805 - Commodore Edward Preble House, Portland, Maine
- 1805 - Hunnewell-Shepley House, Portland, Maine
- 1806-1807 - Portland Bank, Portland, Maine
- 1807 - St. John's Church, Portsmouth, New HampshirePortsmouth, New HampshirePortsmouth is a city in Rockingham County, New Hampshire in the United States. It is the largest city but only the fourth-largest community in the county, with a population of 21,233 at the 2010 census...
- 1809-1810 - Moses Payson House, Bath, New HampshireBath, New HampshireBath is a town in Grafton County, New Hampshire, United States. The population was 1,077 at the 2010 census. Now a tourist destination and bedroom community for Littleton, the town is noted for its historic architecture, including the Brick Store and three covered bridges...
- 1812 - Wickham HouseWickham HouseThe Wickham House, also known as the Wickham-Valentine House or the Valentine Museum, in Richmond, Virginia was completed in 1812 and is considered one of the finest examples of architecture from the Federal period. It was built by John Wickham and designed by Massachusetts architect Alexander...
, Richmond, Virginia - 1813 - Executive Mansion, Richmond, Virginia
- 1816 - Watertown ArsenalWatertown ArsenalThe Watertown Arsenal was a major American arsenal located on the northern shore of the Charles River in Watertown, Massachusetts. Its site is now registered on the ASCE's List of Historic Civil Engineering Landmarks and on the U.S.'s National Register of Historic Places, and it is home to the...
, Watertown, MassachusettsWatertown, MassachusettsThe Town of Watertown is a city in Middlesex County, Massachusetts, United States. The population was 31,915 at the 2010 census.- History :Archeological evidence suggests that Watertown was inhabited for thousands of years before the arrival of settlers from England... - 1818 - 39 and 40 Beacon Street, Boston, Massachusetts
- 1819 - Cathedral Church of St. PaulCathedral Church of St. Paul, BostonThe Cathedral Church of St. Paul, Boston is the historic cathedral church of the Episcopal Diocese of Massachusetts. Located at 138 Tremont Street near Downtown Crossing, directly across from Boston Common and Park Street Station, the cathedral is adjacent to the diocesan offices. The current dean...
, Boston, Massachusetts - 1819 - David Sears House (now the Somerset ClubSomerset ClubThe Somerset Club is a private social club in Boston, Massachusetts, founded perhaps as early as 1826.The original club was informal, without a clubhouse. By the 1830s this had evolved into a group called the Temple. In 1851 the group purchased the home of Benjamin W. Crowninshield, located at...
), Boston, Massachusetts - 1822 - St. Paul's Episcopal Church, Windsor, VermontWindsor, VermontWindsor is a town in Windsor County, Vermont, United States. The population was 3,756 at the 2000 census.-History:One of the New Hampshire grants, Windsor was chartered as a town on July 6, 1761 by Colonial Governor Benning Wentworth. It was first settled in August 1764 by Captain Steele Smith and...
- 1824 - Pilgrim HallPilgrim Hall MuseumThe Pilgrim Hall Museum in Plymouth, Massachusetts is the oldest public museum in the United States in continuous operation, having opened in 1824.-History:...
, Plymouth, Massachusetts - 1824-1826 - Quincy MarketQuincy MarketQuincy Market is a historic building near Faneuil Hall in downtown Boston, Massachusetts. It was constructed 1824–1826 and named in honor of Mayor Josiah Quincy, who organized its construction without any tax or debt.-History:...
, Boston, Massachusetts - 1828 - United First Parish Church, Quincy, MassachusettsQuincy, MassachusettsQuincy is a city in Norfolk County, Massachusetts, United States. Its nicknames are "City of Presidents", "City of Legends", and "Birthplace of the American Dream". As a major part of Metropolitan Boston, Quincy is a member of Boston's Inner Core Committee for the Metropolitan Area Planning Council...
- 1834 - St. Joseph's Church, Boston, Massachusetts
- 1834 - Ropewalk, Boston Navy Yard, Charlestown, Massachusetts
- 1836 - Chelsea Naval HospitalChelsea Naval HospitalChelsea Naval Hospital was a hospital in Chelsea, Massachusetts. With the closure of the nearby Boston Navy Yard, the hospital closed in 1974.-History:...
, Chelsea, MassachusettsChelsea, MassachusettsChelsea is a city in Suffolk County, Massachusetts, United States directly across the Mystic River from the city of Boston. It is the smallest city in Massachusetts in land area, and the 26th most densely populated incorporated place in the country.-History:... - 1837 - Chelsea Naval MagazineChelsea Naval MagazineChelsea Naval Magazine, a set of three buildings at the foot of Admiral's Hill in Chelsea, Massachusetts, was built in the early 19th century to handle ordnance for the United States Navy. These buildings are on the grounds of what was once the U.S. Naval Hospital for Boston and is now a National...
, Chelsea, Massachusetts - 1839 - Saddleback Ledge LightSaddleback Ledge LightSaddleback Ledge Light is a lighthouse on Saddleback Ledge, an islet lying between Isle au Haut and Vinalhaven, Maine, in the middle of the southeastern entrance to Penobscot Bay....
house, between the islands of VinalhavenVinalhaven, MaineVinalhaven is a town located in the Fox Islands in Knox County, Maine, United States. The population was 1,235 at the 2000 census. It is home to a thriving lobster fishery and hosts a summer colony...
and Isle au Haut, MaineIsle au Haut, MaineIsle au Haut is a town in Knox County, Maine, United States, on an island of the same name in Penobscot Bay. The population was 79 at the 2000 census. Home to portions of Acadia National Park, Isle au Haut is accessible by mailboat from Stonington.-History:Native Americans left behind shell mounds... - 1847 - Mount Desert Rock LighthouseMount Desert LightMount Desert Light is a lighthouse on Mount Desert Rock, a small island about south of Mount Desert Island, and is part of the US state of Maine...
, south of Mount Desert Island, MaineMount Desert, MaineMount Desert is a town on Mount Desert Island in Hancock County, Maine, United States. The population was 2,109 at the 2000 census. Incorporated in 1789, the town currently encompasses the villages of Otter Creek, Seal Harbor, Northeast Harbor, Somesville, Hall Quarry, and Pretty... - 1848 - Libby Island LightLibby Island LightLibby Island Light is a lighthouse on Libby Island, on the south side of Machias Bay, in Machiasport, Maine.It was first established in 1817 as a wood tower. The present granite structure was built in 1823 and improved in 1848. Alexander Parris was involved in the 1848 work. It is unpainted in the...
house, Machiasport, MaineMachiasport, MaineMachiasport is a town in Washington County, Maine, United States. The population was 1,160 at the 2000 census. Machiasport is a historic seaport and tourist destination.-History:...
, at the entrance to Machias Bay - 1848 - Matinicus Rock Lighthouse, 6 miles south of Matinicus Island, Maine
- 1848 - Whitehead Island Lighthouse, Whitehead Island, Maine—southern entrance to Penobscot BayPenobscot BayPenobscot Bay originates from the mouth of Maine's Penobscot River. There are many islands in this bay, and on them, some of the country's most well-known summer colonies. The bay served as portal for the one time "lumber capital of the world," namely; the city of Bangor...
- 1849 - Execution Rocks LighthouseExecution Rocks LighthouseExecution Rocks Light is a lighthouse in the middle of Long Island Sound on the border between New Rochelle and Sands Point, New York. It stands 55 feet tall, with a white light flashing every 10 seconds. The granite tower is painted white with a brown band around the middle...
, Long Island SoundLong Island SoundLong Island Sound is an estuary of the Atlantic Ocean, located in the United States between Connecticut to the north and Long Island, New York to the south. The mouth of the Connecticut River at Old Saybrook, Connecticut, empties into the sound. On its western end the sound is bounded by the Bronx...
, New York - 1850 - Monhegan Island LightMonhegan Island LightMonhegan Island Light is a lighthouse on Monhegan Island, Maine.It was first established in 1824. The present structure was built in 1850. It was Alexander Parris's last significant design. It is the second highest light in Maine — only Seguin Light, on a significantly higher island, is higher...
house, Monhegan Island, MaineMonhegan, MaineMonhegan is a plantation on an island of the same name in Lincoln County, Maine, United States, about off the coast. The population was 75 at the 2000 census. As a plantation, Monhegan's governmental status falls between township and town...