C.P.H. Gilbert
Encyclopedia
Charles Pierrepont Henry Gilbert (August 29, 1861 in New York City—October 25, 1952), most often referred to as C. P. H. Gilbert, was an American architect of the late-19th and early-20th centuries best known for designing townhouse
s and mansion
s.
, to whom Queen Elizabeth I of England
granted a patent for the colonization of North America. Sir Humphrey's ambitious plans ended when he was lost at sea with most of his company on his return voyage from the exploration of Newfoundland. Other members of the family, however, soon planted the name in North America.
C. P. H. Gilbert's father was Loring Gilbert, a direct descendant of John Gilbert, the second son of Giles Gilbert of Bridgwater
, Somerset
shire, England, who came to America early in the 17th century and settled at Dorchester
, near Boston
, and died at Taunton, Massachusetts
, in 1654. Loring Gilbert was a leading commission merchant who had a successful career. He married Caroline C. Etchebery, and they had one son, Charles Pierrepont Henry Gilbert. Loring Gilbert died in 1893.
C. P. H. Gilbert received a careful education, studying both in America and in Europe, such as the École des Beaux-Arts
in Paris. After being prepared for college he took special courses in civil engineering
and architecture
, and later studied painting, sculpture and the fine arts in general. After college, he began practical work as an assistant in the office of a prominent firm of architects, where he received the training necessary to prepare him for engaging in his own business. As a young man he designed buildings in the mining towns of Colorado
and Arizona
before returning to New York around 1885.
mansion at Eighth Avenue and Carroll Street in Park Slope, Brooklyn
for Thomas Adams Jr., a chewing gum magnate. From 1893 on, Gilbert had a very large business, which grew steadily. In addition, he was a director or a stockholder in a number of large manufacturing companies outside of New York.
He saw action during the Spanish-American War
of 1898, where he was a veteran. After the war he returned to New York.
By 1900 Gilbert had a reputation as a specialist in designing opulent townhouses and mansions. Among Gilbert's Fifth Avenue palazzi is the 1905 Neo-Renaissance
mansion of Morton Freeman Plant
, son of railroad tycoon Henry B. Plant
. Through the 1920s he designed more than 100 New York City mansions in various styles, several of them along Fifth Avenue
have now been re-purposed for institutional use. In education, client list and architectural style, Gilbert largely followed in the footsteps of Richard Morris Hunt
, whose petit château on Fifth Avenue for William Kissam Vanderbilt
set a model for French Late Gothic limestone châteaux to house the elite of the Gilded Age
. Amongst Gilbert's clients were wealthy and influential industrialists and bankers such as Harry F. Sinclair
, Joseph Raphael De Lamar
, Felix M. Warburg
, Otto H. Kahn, Adolph Lewisohn
, Augustus G. Paine, Jr.
and families such as the Baches, Reids, Wertheims, Sloanes and other. Gilbert also designed a number of mansions and buildings on Long Island and in upstate New York in the 1920s.
Gilbert retreated from public life, and by the late 1920s stopped designing any new houses. He retired to Pelham Manor, New York
in Westchester County
, where he died on October 25, 1952 at his home on 216 Townsend Avenue, at the age of 92.
, the Architectural League, the Society of Colonial Wars, the Society of the Sons of the Revolution, the New England Society, and the Fine Arts, Metropolitan
, Union League, Lawyers', Riding, Racquet, Ardsley, Colonial, Country, and Nassau Country clubs of New York. He also was a Fellow of the American Institute of Architects
, and a veteran of Squadron A
, the cavalry organization of the New York National Guard.
at Ochre Point.
Townhouse
A townhouse is the term historically used in the United Kingdom, Ireland and in many other countries to describe a residence of a peer or member of the aristocracy in the capital or major city. Most such figures owned one or more country houses in which they lived for much of the year...
s and mansion
Mansion
A mansion is a very large dwelling house. U.S. real estate brokers define a mansion as a dwelling of over . A traditional European mansion was defined as a house which contained a ballroom and tens of bedrooms...
s.
Background and early life
Gilbert's family comes of English and New English ancestry. One of the members was Sir Humphrey GilbertHumphrey Gilbert
Sir Humphrey Gilbert of Devon in England was a half-brother of Sir Walter Raleigh. Adventurer, explorer, member of parliament, and soldier, he served during the reign of Queen Elizabeth and was a pioneer of English colonization in North America and the Plantations of Ireland.-Early life:Gilbert...
, to whom Queen Elizabeth I of England
Elizabeth I of England
Elizabeth I was queen regnant of England and Ireland from 17 November 1558 until her death. Sometimes called The Virgin Queen, Gloriana, or Good Queen Bess, Elizabeth was the fifth and last monarch of the Tudor dynasty...
granted a patent for the colonization of North America. Sir Humphrey's ambitious plans ended when he was lost at sea with most of his company on his return voyage from the exploration of Newfoundland. Other members of the family, however, soon planted the name in North America.
C. P. H. Gilbert's father was Loring Gilbert, a direct descendant of John Gilbert, the second son of Giles Gilbert of Bridgwater
Bridgwater
Bridgwater is a market town and civil parish in Somerset, England. It is the administrative centre of the Sedgemoor district, and a major industrial centre. Bridgwater is located on the major communication routes through South West England...
, Somerset
Somerset
The ceremonial and non-metropolitan county of Somerset in South West England borders Bristol and Gloucestershire to the north, Wiltshire to the east, Dorset to the south-east, and Devon to the south-west. It is partly bounded to the north and west by the Bristol Channel and the estuary of the...
shire, England, who came to America early in the 17th century and settled at Dorchester
Dorchester, Massachusetts
Dorchester is a dissolved municipality and current neighborhood of Boston, Massachusetts, United States. It is named after the town of Dorchester in the English county of Dorset, from which Puritans emigrated and is today endearingly nicknamed "Dot" by its residents. Dorchester, including a large...
, near Boston
Boston
Boston is the capital of and largest city in Massachusetts, and is one of the oldest cities in the United States. The largest city in New England, Boston is regarded as the unofficial "Capital of New England" for its economic and cultural impact on the entire New England region. The city proper had...
, and died at Taunton, Massachusetts
Taunton, Massachusetts
Taunton is a city in Bristol County, Massachusetts, United States. It is the seat of Bristol County and the hub of the Greater Taunton Area. The city is located south of Boston, east of Providence, north of Fall River and west of Plymouth. The City of Taunton is situated on the Taunton River...
, in 1654. Loring Gilbert was a leading commission merchant who had a successful career. He married Caroline C. Etchebery, and they had one son, Charles Pierrepont Henry Gilbert. Loring Gilbert died in 1893.
C. P. H. Gilbert received a careful education, studying both in America and in Europe, such as the École des Beaux-Arts
École des Beaux-Arts
École des Beaux-Arts refers to a number of influential art schools in France. The most famous is the École nationale supérieure des Beaux-Arts, now located on the left bank in Paris, across the Seine from the Louvre, in the 6th arrondissement. The school has a history spanning more than 350 years,...
in Paris. After being prepared for college he took special courses in civil engineering
Civil engineering
Civil engineering is a professional engineering discipline that deals with the design, construction, and maintenance of the physical and naturally built environment, including works like roads, bridges, canals, dams, and buildings...
and 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...
, and later studied painting, sculpture and the fine arts in general. After college, he began practical work as an assistant in the office of a prominent firm of architects, where he received the training necessary to prepare him for engaging in his own business. As a young man he designed buildings in the mining towns of Colorado
Colorado
Colorado is a U.S. state that encompasses much of the Rocky Mountains as well as the northeastern portion of the Colorado Plateau and the western edge of the Great Plains...
and Arizona
Arizona
Arizona ; is a state located in the southwestern region of the United States. It is also part of the western United States and the mountain west. The capital and largest city is Phoenix...
before returning to New York around 1885.
Career
In 1886, at the age of twenty-five, Gilbert began practicing as an architect in New York City, and received commission to design buildings of all kinds. One of Gilbert's first important buildings was the 1888 Richardsonian RomanesqueRichardsonian Romanesque
Richardsonian Romanesque is a style of Romanesque Revival architecture named after architect Henry Hobson Richardson, whose masterpiece is Trinity Church, Boston , designated a National Historic Landmark...
mansion at Eighth Avenue and Carroll Street in Park Slope, Brooklyn
Park Slope, Brooklyn
Park Slope is a neighborhood in western Brooklyn, New York City's most populous borough. Park Slope is roughly bounded by Prospect Park West to the east, Fourth Avenue to the west, Flatbush Avenue to the north, and 15th Street to the south, though other definitions are sometimes offered. Generally...
for Thomas Adams Jr., a chewing gum magnate. From 1893 on, Gilbert had a very large business, which grew steadily. In addition, he was a director or a stockholder in a number of large manufacturing companies outside of New York.
He saw action during the Spanish-American War
Spanish-American War
The Spanish–American War was a conflict in 1898 between Spain and the United States, effectively the result of American intervention in the ongoing Cuban War of Independence...
of 1898, where he was a veteran. After the war he returned to New York.
By 1900 Gilbert had a reputation as a specialist in designing opulent townhouses and mansions. Among Gilbert's Fifth Avenue palazzi is the 1905 Neo-Renaissance
Neo-Renaissance
Renaissance Revival is an all-encompassing designation that covers many 19th century architectural revival styles which were neither Grecian nor Gothic but which instead drew inspiration from a wide range of classicizing Italian modes...
mansion of Morton Freeman Plant
Morton F. Plant House
The Morton F. Plant House is a mansion located at 653 Fifth Avenue in New York City. Since 1917, Cartier SA has occupied the building.- History :...
, son of railroad tycoon Henry B. Plant
Henry B. Plant
Henry Bradley Plant , was involved with many transportation projects, mostly railroads, in the U.S. state of Florida. Eventually he owned the Plant System of railroads which became part of the Atlantic Coast Line Railroad...
. Through the 1920s he designed more than 100 New York City mansions in various styles, several of them along Fifth Avenue
Fifth Avenue (Manhattan)
Fifth Avenue is a major thoroughfare in the center of the borough of Manhattan in New York City, New York, United States. The section of Fifth Avenue that crosses Midtown Manhattan, especially that between 49th Street and 60th Street, is lined with prestigious shops and is consistently ranked among...
have now been re-purposed for institutional use. In education, client list and architectural style, Gilbert largely followed in the footsteps of Richard Morris Hunt
Richard Morris Hunt
Richard Morris Hunt was an American architect of the nineteenth century and a preeminent figure in the history of American architecture...
, whose petit château on Fifth Avenue for William Kissam Vanderbilt
William Kissam Vanderbilt
William Kissam Vanderbilt was a member of the prominent American Vanderbilt family. He managed railroads and was a horse breeder.-Biography:...
set a model for French Late Gothic limestone châteaux to house the elite of the Gilded Age
Gilded Age
In United States history, the Gilded Age refers to the era of rapid economic and population growth in the United States during the post–Civil War and post-Reconstruction eras of the late 19th century. The term "Gilded Age" was coined by Mark Twain and Charles Dudley Warner in their book The Gilded...
. Amongst Gilbert's clients were wealthy and influential industrialists and bankers such as Harry F. Sinclair
Harry F. Sinclair
Harry Ford Sinclair was an American oil industrialist.-Early life:Harry Sinclair was born in Benwood, West Virginia, now a suburb of the city of Wheeling. Sinclair grew up in Independence, Kansas. The son of a pharmacist, after finishing high school, he entered the pharmacy department of the...
, Joseph Raphael De Lamar
Joseph Raphael De Lamar
Joseph Raphael De Lamar was born in Amsterdam, Holland, September 2, 1843. His father, a banker in Amsterdam, died when he was six years of age, and the lad in love of adventure went aboard a Dutch vessel that plied to the West Indies...
, Felix M. Warburg
Felix M. Warburg
Felix Moritz Warburg was a member of the Warburg banking family of Hamburg, Germany.- Biography :He was a grandson of Moses Marcus Warburg, one of the founders of the bank, M. M. Warburg . Felix Warburg was a partner in Kuhn, Loeb & Co.. He is known as a leading advocate of a Federal Reserve...
, Otto H. Kahn, Adolph Lewisohn
Adolph Lewisohn
Adolph Lewisohn was a German-Jewish immigrant born in Hamburg who became a New York City investment banker, mining magnate, and philanthropist. He is the namesake of the former School of Mines building on the Morningside Heights campus of Columbia University, as well as the former Lewisohn Stadium...
, Augustus G. Paine, Jr.
Augustus G. Paine, Jr.
Augustus Gibson Paine, Jr. was an American paper manufacturer and bank official.- Biography :Born in New York City, he was the son of Augustus G. Paine, Sr. and Charlotte M. Bedell Paine . He was educated privately in the United States and Europe...
and families such as the Baches, Reids, Wertheims, Sloanes and other. Gilbert also designed a number of mansions and buildings on Long Island and in upstate New York in the 1920s.
Gilbert retreated from public life, and by the late 1920s stopped designing any new houses. He retired to Pelham Manor, New York
Pelham Manor, New York
Pelham Manor is a village located in Westchester County, New York, USA. As of the 2010 census, the village had a total population of 5,486. It is located in the town of Pelham.- Demographics :...
in Westchester County
Westchester County, New York
Westchester County is a county located in the U.S. state of New York. Westchester covers an area of and has a population of 949,113 according to the 2010 Census, residing in 45 municipalities...
, where he died on October 25, 1952 at his home on 216 Townsend Avenue, at the age of 92.
Memberships
Gilbert was a member of numerous professional and social organizations, amongst them the Chamber of Commerce of the State of New YorkChamber of Commerce of the State of New York
The New York Chamber of Commerce, founded in 1768 by twenty New York City merchants, was the first commercial organization of its kind in the country. Attracting the participation of a number of New York's most influential business leaders, such as John Jacob Astor, Peter Cooper, and J...
, the Architectural League, the Society of Colonial Wars, the Society of the Sons of the Revolution, the New England Society, and the Fine Arts, Metropolitan
Metropolitan Club
The Metropolitan Club is a private social club in New York City. It was formed in 1891 by J.P. Morgan, who served as its first president. Other original members included William K. Vanderbilt and James Roosevelt. Its 1912 clubhouse, designed by Stanford White, stands at 1-11 East 60th Street, on...
, Union League, Lawyers', Riding, Racquet, Ardsley, Colonial, Country, and Nassau Country clubs of New York. He also was a Fellow of 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...
, and a veteran of Squadron A
Squadron A
- The New York Hussars :Squadron A originated out of a group of wealthy, young gentlemen with great interest in equestrian sport who formed themselves into a group called the 'New York Hussars". They adopted fancy blue uniforms and headgear for ceremonial purposes that mimicked Eurasian fashions...
, the cavalry organization of the New York National Guard.
Family
Gilbert was married to Florence Cecil Moss, daughter of the Theodore Moss of New York City, and had two children: Dudley Pierrepont Gilbert and Vera Pierrepont Gilbert. He lived at 33 Riverside Drive and had a villa in Newport, Rhode IslandNewport, Rhode Island
Newport is a city on Aquidneck Island in Newport County, Rhode Island, United States, about south of Providence. Known as a New England summer resort and for the famous Newport Mansions, it is the home of Salve Regina University and Naval Station Newport which houses the United States Naval War...
at Ochre Point.
Works
Some of Gilbert's works include:- 1881 – Jules S. Bache residence, 10 East 67th Street, remodeled in 1889.
- 1888-1904 – at least eight of the Montgomery Place mansions (#11, 14, 16-19, 21, 25, 36-50, 54-60), between 8th Avenue and Prospect ParkProspect Park (Brooklyn)Prospect Park is a 585-acre public park in the New York City borough of Brooklyn located between Park Slope, Prospect-Lefferts Gardens, Kensington, Windsor Terrace and Flatbush Avenue, Grand Army Plaza and the Brooklyn Botanic Garden...
, BrooklynBrooklynBrooklyn is the most populous of New York City's five boroughs, with nearly 2.6 million residents, and the second-largest in area. Since 1896, Brooklyn has had the same boundaries as Kings County, which is now the most populous county in New York State and the second-most densely populated... - c.1889 – 313 and 315 Garfield Place, Brooklyn. Contrasting speculative houses.
- c.1890 – Joseph Hanan residence, Carroll Street and 8th Avenue, Park Slope, BrooklynPark Slope, BrooklynPark Slope is a neighborhood in western Brooklyn, New York City's most populous borough. Park Slope is roughly bounded by Prospect Park West to the east, Fourth Avenue to the west, Flatbush Avenue to the north, and 15th Street to the south, though other definitions are sometimes offered. Generally...
; demolished in the 1930s - mid-1890s – three adjoining mansions at the foot of Riverside DriveRiverside Drive (Manhattan)Riverside Drive is a scenic north-south thoroughfare in the Manhattan borough of New York City. The boulevard runs on the west side of Manhattan, generally parallel to the Hudson River from 72nd Street to near the George Washington Bridge at 181st Street...
: 311 West 72nd Street, 1 Riverside Drive and 3 Riverside Drive for Philip Kleeberg - 1898 – Harry F. Sinclair HouseHarry F. Sinclair HouseThe Harry F. Sinclair House is a mansion at 2 East 79th Street at Fifth Avenue, Manhattan, New York City that houses the Ukrainian Institute of America, which promotes art and literature by hosting exhibitions open to public, among other means.- History :...
, 79th Street and Fifth Avenue, now housing the Ukrainian Institute - 1898 – Cushman Building, Broadway and Maiden Lane, 1898
- 1900 – Meudon, the massive 80 room Louis XVI-style revival Gold Coast estate of William Dameron GuthrieWilliam Dameron GuthrieWilliam Dameron Guthrie was an American lawyer and educator. He was educated in Paris, in England, and at the Columbia Law School . In his practice before the United States Supreme Court he argued the income tax, California irrigation, Illinois inheritance tax, oleomargarine, and Kansas City...
in Lattingtown - c.1900 – Franklin Winfield Woolworth mansion, 80th Street and Fifth Avenue; demolished
- c.1900 – Edmund C. Converse residence, 3 East 78th Street, in a "suave neo-Gothic", according to Christopher Gray. Converse was the first president of the Bankers Trust Company; his Greenwich, Connecticut estate is now known as Conyers Farm.
- 1905 – Joseph Raphael De Lamar HouseJoseph Raphael De Lamar HouseThe Joseph Raphael De Lamar House is a mansion located on 233 Madison Avenue and the corner of 37th Street in New York City.- History :It was designed by C. P. H. Gilbert and built in 1902-05. It is a Beaux-Arts Second Empire mansion, the largest in Murray Hill, New York and one of the grandest in...
, Madison Avenue and 37th Street, now the Polish Consulate GeneralPolish Consulate General, New YorkThe Consulate General of Poland in New York is a consular mission of the Republic of Poland in the United States of America. It is a regional office of the Polish Embassy in Washington. The consulate is located at 233 Madison Avenue, New York City, NY.... - 1905 – Morton F. Plant HouseMorton F. Plant HouseThe Morton F. Plant House is a mansion located at 653 Fifth Avenue in New York City. Since 1917, Cartier SA has occupied the building.- History :...
, 52nd Street and Fifth Avenue, with architect Robert W. GibsonRobert W. GibsonRobert W. Gibson, AIA, was an English-born American ecclesiastical architect active in late-nineteenth- and early-twentieth-century New York City and New York State. He designed several large Manhattan churches and a number of prominent residences and institutional buildings.Gibson studied...
, now CartierCartier SACartier S.A., commonly known as Cartier , is a French luxury jeweler and watch manufacturer. The corporation carries the name of the Cartier family of jewellers whose control ended in 1964 and who were known for numerous pieces including the "Bestiary" , the diamond necklace created for Bhupinder... - 1906-1908 – Felix M. Warburg HouseFelix M. Warburg HouseThe Felix M. Warburg House is a mansion located on 1109 Fifth Avenue and 92nd Street in the Upper East Side in New York City. Today the Jewish Museum is located there.- History :...
, 92nd Street and Fifth Avenue, now the Jewish MuseumJewish Museum (New York)The Jewish Museum of New York, an art museum and repository of cultural artifacts, is the leading Jewish museum in the United States. With over 26,000 objects, it contains the largest collection of art and Jewish culture outside of museums in Israel. The museum is housed at 1109 Fifth Avenue, in... - 1913-1914 – Charlcôte House in Flat Rock CampFlat Rock CampFlat Rock Camp is an Adirondack Great Camp in Willsboro, New York. It is located on Willsboro Point, on Lake Champlain.- History :In 1885, Augustus G. Paine, Jr...
, constructed for Charlotte M. Bedell Paine; demolished 1980's - 1914-1916 – Weckesser Hall, Wilkes UniversityWilkes UniversityWilkes University is a private, non-denominational American university located in Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania. It has over 2,200 undergraduates and over 2,200 graduate students...
, Wilkes-Barre, PennsylvaniaWilkes-Barre, PennsylvaniaWilkes-Barre is a city in the U.S. state of Pennsylvania, the county seat of Luzerne County. It is at the center of the Wyoming Valley area and is one of the principal cities in the Scranton/Wilkes-Barre metropolitan area, which had a population of 563,631 as of the 2010 Census... - 1916-1918 – Otto H. Kahn House, 91st Street and Fifth Avenue, with architect J. Armstrong Stenhouse, now the Convent of the Sacred HeartConvent of the Sacred Heart (New York)The Convent of the Sacred Heart is a Roman Catholic all-girl school in the Manhattan borough of New York City. Teaching grades from pre-kindergarten through twelve, it is located on Manhattan's Upper East Side at East 91st Street and Fifth Avenue....
- 1917 – Adolph LewisohnAdolph LewisohnAdolph Lewisohn was a German-Jewish immigrant born in Hamburg who became a New York City investment banker, mining magnate, and philanthropist. He is the namesake of the former School of Mines building on the Morningside Heights campus of Columbia University, as well as the former Lewisohn Stadium...
residence, 9 West 57th Street, demolished - 1917 – 1067 Fifth Avenue, near 87th Street, apartment design in the French Gothic style
- 1917-1918 – Augustus G. Paine, Jr. residence, 31 East 69th Street, now Austrian Consulate General
- 1919-1921 – Arthur and Alice Sachs residence, 42 East 69th Street, now Jewish National FundJewish National FundThe Jewish National Fund was founded in 1901 to buy and develop land in Ottoman Palestine for Jewish settlement. The JNF is a quasi-governmental, non-profit organisation...
- 1921 – Essex County National Bank, Willsboro (founded in 1923 by Augustus G. Paine, Jr., today part of Champlain National Bank)
- 1929-1930 – Paine Memorial Library, Willsboro