Barry Byrne
Encyclopedia
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...
s known as the Prairie School
Prairie School
Prairie School was a late 19th and early 20th century architectural style, most common to the Midwestern United States.The works of the Prairie School architects are usually marked by horizontal lines, flat or hipped roofs with broad overhanging eaves, windows grouped in horizontal bands,...
. After the demise of the Prairie School about 1914-16, Byrne continued as a successful architect by developing his own personal style.
Biography
Francis Barry Byrne was born and raised in ChicagoChicago
Chicago is the largest city in the US state of Illinois. With nearly 2.7 million residents, it is the most populous city in the Midwestern United States and the third most populous in the US, after New York City and Los Angeles...
. After seeing a Chicago Architectural Club exhibit in 1902, he sought employment with Frank Lloyd Wright
Frank Lloyd Wright
Frank Lloyd Wright was an American architect, interior designer, writer and educator, who designed more than 1,000 structures and completed 500 works. Wright believed in designing structures which were in harmony with humanity and its environment, a philosophy he called organic architecture...
and secured an apprentice position although he was untrained in architecture. As Wright’s son, John, relates:
“William Drummond
William Drummond
William Drummond or Bill Drummond is the name of:*William Drummond of Hawthornden , Scottish poet, influenced by Spenser; best known for illustrated essay, Cypresse Grove...
, Francis Barry Byrne, Walter Burley Griffin
Walter Burley Griffin
Walter Burley Griffin was an American architect and landscape architect, who is best known for his role in designing Canberra, Australia's capital city...
, Albert McArthur (Albert Chase McArthur
Albert Chase McArthur
Albert Chase McArthur was a Prairie School architect, and the designer of the Arizona Biltmore Hotel in Phoenix, Arizona.-Early years:...
), Marion Mahony, Isabel Roberts
Isabel Roberts
Isabel Roberts was a Prairie School figure, member of the architectural design team in the Oak Park Studio of Frank Lloyd Wright and partner with Ida Annah Ryan in the Orlando, Florida architecture firm, “Ryan and Roberts”. It is fair to say that Roberts is an under-appreciated member of Wright’s...
and George Willis
George Rodney Willis
George Rodney Willis, was an American architect associated with the Prairie School and the Oak Park, Illinois studio of Frank Lloyd Wright who thereafter had a successful career in California and in Texas....
were the draftsmen. Five men, two women. They wore flowing ties, and smocks suitable to the realm. The men wore their hair like Papa, all except Albert, he didn’t have enough hair. They worshiped Papa! Papa liked them! I know that each one of them was then making valuable contributions to the pioneering of the modern American architecture for which my father gets the full glory, headaches and recognition today!
After working for Wright in his Oak Park, Illinois
Oak Park, Illinois
Oak Park, Illinois is a suburb bordering the west side of the city of Chicago in Cook County, Illinois, United States. It is the twenty-fifth largest municipality in Illinois. Oak Park has easy access to downtown Chicago due to public transportation such as the Chicago 'L' Blue and Green lines,...
studio between 1902 and 1907, Byrne worked briefly at other Chicago firms. He moved to Seattle in winter 1908-9 to join Andrew Willatzen
Andrew Willatsen
Andrew Willatsen was an architect chiefly remembered for bringing the influence of Frank Lloyd Wright and the Prairie School to the Pacific Northwest.-Early life and emigration:...
who had been a fellow employee at Wright's office. They formed the firm Willatzen & Byrne and, over the next several years, produced a series of residential designs in the Prairie School
Prairie School
Prairie School was a late 19th and early 20th century architectural style, most common to the Midwestern United States.The works of the Prairie School architects are usually marked by horizontal lines, flat or hipped roofs with broad overhanging eaves, windows grouped in horizontal bands,...
style.
After the Willatzen & Byrne partnership dissolved in 1913, Willatzen remained in Seattle but Byrne moved to southern California where he lived briefly with Wright's sons Lloyd Wright
Lloyd Wright
Frank Lloyd Wright, Jr. , commonly known as Lloyd Wright, was an American landscape architect and architect, most active in Los Angeles and Southern California...
and John Lloyd Wright
John Lloyd Wright
John Lloyd Wright was an American architect and toy inventor. He invented Lincoln Logs in 1916. He was the son of Frank Lloyd Wright and brother of Lloyd Wright.-External links:*...
. In 1914, he returned to Chicago at first to manage, then, take over the practice of Walter Burley Griffin
Walter Burley Griffin
Walter Burley Griffin was an American architect and landscape architect, who is best known for his role in designing Canberra, Australia's capital city...
who had moved to Australia to develop plans for its new capital city, Canberra
Canberra
Canberra is the capital city of Australia. With a population of over 345,000, it is Australia's largest inland city and the eighth-largest city overall. The city is located at the northern end of the Australian Capital Territory , south-west of Sydney, and north-east of Melbourne...
.
By 1917, Byrne was practicing under his own name. He briefly served in World War I, then returned to Chicago. Byrne's style developed independently of Wright and the Prairie School as he moved toward greater simplification of form. Annette Cremin became Byrne's wife in 1926, and they had three children: Ann, Cathleen and Barry. As an artist, Annette influenced his work, drawing renderings of his architectural designs, and on occasion, contributing interior color patterns and decoration for his buildings and churches. During the depression when there was no demand for his services, she supported the family.
During the 1920s, some of Byrne's work contained elements of Expressionism
Expressionist architecture
Expressionist architecture was an architectural movement that developed in Europe during the first decades of the 20th century in parallel with the expressionist visual and performing arts....
. He became successful as a designer of ecclesiastical and educational buildings for the Roman Catholic Church, for whom he later created three of his most important works: Church of Christ the King in Turners Cross, Cork
Turners Cross, Cork
Turner's Cross is a ward on the south side of Cork City, and home to the Roman Catholic parish of the same name.Largely residential, one of the key features of the area is the iconic church created by architect Barry Byrne and sculptor John Storrs, the Church of Christ The King. It was...
, Ireland
Ireland
Ireland is an island to the northwest of continental Europe. It is the third-largest island in Europe and the twentieth-largest island on Earth...
(1931), Church of St. Francis Xavier in Kansas City, Missouri
Kansas City, Missouri
Kansas City, Missouri is the largest city in the U.S. state of Missouri and is the anchor city of the Kansas City Metropolitan Area, the second largest metropolitan area in Missouri. It encompasses in parts of Jackson, Clay, Cass, and Platte counties...
(1949), and St. Benedict's Abbey in Atchison, Kansas
Atchison, Kansas
Atchison is a city situated along the Missouri River in the eastern part of Atchison County, located in northeast Kansas, in the Central United States. As of the 2010 census, the city population was 11,021. It is the county seat and most populous city of Atchison County...
(1951-1957).
In the 1930s, Byrne moved to New York, but after 1945 returned to Chicago. Byrne partially retired about 1953, but continued to accept commissions until his death. He died in December 1967 after being struck by an automobile driven by William Harridge, the former president of Major League Baseball's American League
American League
The American League of Professional Baseball Clubs, or simply the American League , is one of two leagues that make up Major League Baseball in the United States and Canada. It developed from the Western League, a minor league based in the Great Lakes states, which eventually aspired to major...
. He is buried in Calvary Cemetery, Evanston, Illinois
Evanston, Illinois
Evanston is a suburban municipality in Cook County, Illinois 12 miles north of downtown Chicago, bordering Chicago to the south, Skokie to the west, and Wilmette to the north, with an estimated population of 74,360 as of 2003. It is one of the North Shore communities that adjoin Lake Michigan...
.
Archival materials are held by the Ryerson & Burnham Libraries in the Art Institute of Chicago
Art Institute of Chicago
The School of the Art Institute of Chicago is one of America's largest accredited independent schools of art and design, located in the Loop in Chicago, Illinois. It is associated with the museum of the same name, and "The Art Institute of Chicago" or "Chicago Art Institute" often refers to either...
.
Selected works
- Nelson, Tagholm and Jensen Building, Seattle, Washington (1909) with Andrew Willatzen
- Charles H. Clarke House, Seattle, Washington (1909) with Andrew Willatzen
- Frederick Handschy House Seattle, Washington (1910) with Andrew Willatzen
- Our Lady of Good Help Catholic Church, Hoquiam, WashingtonHoquiam, WashingtonHoquiam is a city in Grays Harbor County, Washington state, United States. The town borders the city of Aberdeen at Myrtle Street with Hoquiam to the west. The two cities share a common economic history in lumbering and exporting but Hoquiam has maintained its independent identity...
(1910) with Andrew Willatzen - George Matzen House, Seattle, Washington (1910), with Andrew Willatzen
- Oscar E. Maurer House, Seattle, Washington (1910) with Andrew Willatzen
- Andrew S. Kerry House, Seattle, Washington (1910-11) with Andrew Willatzen
- George E. Felmlay House, Seattle, Washington (1911) with Andrew Willatzen
- John T. McVay House, Seattle, Washington (1911) with Andrew Willatzen
- Carleton Huiscamp House, Seattle, Washington (1912) with Andrew Willatzen
- George Bellman House, Seattle, Washington (1912) with Andrew Willatzen
- L. George Hagar House, Seattle, Washington (1913) with Andrew Willatzen
- Sam Schneider House, Mason City, IowaMason City, IowaMason City is the county seat of Cerro Gordo County, Iowa, United States. The population was 28,079 in the 2010 census, a decline from 29,172 in the 2000 census. The Mason City Micropolitan Statistical Area includes all of Cerro Gordo and Worth counties....
(1914), attributed (original commission to Walter Burley GriffinWalter Burley GriffinWalter Burley Griffin was an American architect and landscape architect, who is best known for his role in designing Canberra, Australia's capital city...
) - J.B. Franke House, Fort Wayne, IndianaFort Wayne, IndianaFort Wayne is a city in the US state of Indiana and the county seat of Allen County. The population was 253,691 at the 2010 Census making it the 74th largest city in the United States and the second largest in Indiana...
(1914) - Hugh Gilmore House, Mason City, Iowa (1915)
- Dr. James Frederic Clarke House, Fairfield, IowaFairfield, IowaFairfield is a city and the county seat of Jefferson County, Iowa, United States. The population was 9,464 in the 2010 census, a decline from 9,509 in the 2000 census. - History :...
(1915) - John Travis Kenna Apartments, Chicago, Illinois (1916)
- C.M. Rich House, Keokuk, IowaKeokuk, IowaKeokuk is a city in the southeastern part of the U.S. state of Iowa and one of the county seats of Lee County. The other county seat is Fort Madison. The population was 11,427 at the 2000 census. The city is named after the Sauk Chief Keokuk, who is thought to be buried in Rand Park...
(1916) - Saint Francis Xavier School, Wilmette, IllinoisWilmette, IllinoisWilmette is a village in New Trier Township, Cook County, Illinois, United States. It is located north of Chicago's downtown district and has a population of 27,651. Wilmette is considered a bedroom community in the North Shore district...
(1916) - John Valentine HouseJohn Valentine HouseThe John Valentine House, now also known as Sigma Tau Gamma Fraternity House, is a Prairie School style building in Muncie, Indiana. It was designed by Barry Byrne and was built in 1918.It is near or on the campus of Ball State University in Muncie....
(now Sigma Tau Gamma fraternity house, Ball State UniversityBall State UniversityBall State University is a state-run research university located in Muncie, Indiana. It is also known as Ball State or simply BSU.Located on the northwest side of the city, Ball State's campus spans and includes 106 buildings...
), Muncie, IndianaMuncie, IndianaMuncie is a city in Center Township, Delaware County in east central Indiana, best known as the home of Ball State University and the birthplace of the Ball Corporation. It is the principal city of the Muncie, Indiana, Metropolitan Statistical Area, which has a population of 118,769...
(1917) - William F. Temple House remodeling, Kenilworth, IllinoisKenilworth, IllinoisKenilworth is a village in Cook County, Illinois, north of downtown Chicago. It is the newest of the nine suburban North Shore communities bordering Lake Michigan, and is the only one developed as a planned community...
(1917), with Alfonso IannelliAlfonso IannelliAlfonso Iannelli was an Italian-American sculptor, artist, and industrial designer.Based in Chicago for most of his life, Iannelli was born in Andretta, Italy on February 17, 1888. He came to America in 1898... - Immaculata High School and Convent Buildings, Chicago (1922), historic landmark
- St. Francis Xavier High School, Wilmette, Illinois (1922)
- Church of St. Thomas the Apostle, Chicago, Illinois (1922)
- All Saints Cemetery, Des Plaines, IllinoisDes Plaines, IllinoisDes Plaines is a city in Cook County, Illinois, United States. It has adopted the official nickname of "City of Destiny." As of the 2000 census, the city had a total population of 58,720. It is a suburb of Chicago, and is next to O'Hare International Airport...
(1923) - Church of St. Patrick, Racine, WisconsinRacine, WisconsinRacine is a city in and the county seat of Racine County, Wisconsin, United States. According to 2008 U.S. Census Bureau estimates, the city had a population of 82,196...
(1924) - Church of Christ the King, Tulsa, OklahomaTulsa, OklahomaTulsa is the second-largest city in the state of Oklahoma and 46th-largest city in the United States. With a population of 391,906 as of the 2010 census, it is the principal municipality of the Tulsa Metropolitan Area, a region with 937,478 residents in the MSA and 988,454 in the CSA. Tulsa's...
(1926) - Church of Christ the King, Parish of Turners Cross, CorkTurners Cross, CorkTurner's Cross is a ward on the south side of Cork City, and home to the Roman Catholic parish of the same name.Largely residential, one of the key features of the area is the iconic church created by architect Barry Byrne and sculptor John Storrs, the Church of Christ The King. It was...
, IrelandIrelandIreland is an island to the northwest of continental Europe. It is the third-largest island in Europe and the twentieth-largest island on Earth...
(1931), sculpture by John StorrsJohn StorrsJohn Storrs , also known as John Henry Bradley Storrs, John Bradley Storrs and John H. Storrs, was an American modernist sculptor.... - Church of SS. Peter & Paul, Pierre, South DakotaPierre, South DakotaPierre is the capital of the U.S. state of South Dakota and the county seat of Hughes County. The population was 13,646 at the 2010 census, making it the second least populous state capital after Montpelier, Vermont...
(1941) - Church of St. Francis Xavier, Kansas City, MissouriKansas City, MissouriKansas City, Missouri is the largest city in the U.S. state of Missouri and is the anchor city of the Kansas City Metropolitan Area, the second largest metropolitan area in Missouri. It encompasses in parts of Jackson, Clay, Cass, and Platte counties...
(1949), sculptures by Alfonso IannelliAlfonso IannelliAlfonso Iannelli was an Italian-American sculptor, artist, and industrial designer.Based in Chicago for most of his life, Iannelli was born in Andretta, Italy on February 17, 1888. He came to America in 1898... - Church of St. Columba, St. Paul, Minnesota (1949)
- St. Benedict's Abbey Church, Atchison, KansasAtchison, KansasAtchison is a city situated along the Missouri River in the eastern part of Atchison County, located in northeast Kansas, in the Central United States. As of the 2010 census, the city population was 11,021. It is the county seat and most populous city of Atchison County...
(1951-1957) - Church of St. Patrick, London, OntarioLondon, OntarioLondon is a city in Southwestern Ontario, Canada, situated along the Quebec City – Windsor Corridor. The city has a population of 352,395, and the metropolitan area has a population of 457,720, according to the 2006 Canadian census; the metro population in 2009 was estimated at 489,274. The city...
(1952) - Holy Redeemer College (now Académie Sainte-Cécile), Windsor, OntarioWindsor, OntarioWindsor is the southernmost city in Canada and is located in Southwestern Ontario at the western end of the heavily populated Quebec City – Windsor Corridor. It is within Essex County, Ontario, although administratively separated from the county government. Separated by the Detroit River, Windsor...
(1957) - St. Procopius College (now Benedictine UniversityBenedictine UniversityBenedictine University is a private Catholic university located in Lisle, a suburb of Chicago, Illinois. The institution has retained close relations with the Benedictine Order. Originally named St. Procopius College and located in the Pilsen community of Chicago, the school was founded in 1887 by...
), Lisle, IllinoisLisle, IllinoisLisle is a village in DuPage County, Illinois, United States. The population was 22,930 at the 2011 census, and estimated to be 23,135 as of 2008. It is part of the Chicago metropolitan area and the Illinois Technology and Research Corridor...
(1962)