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Frank Wills (architect)
Encyclopedia
Frank Wills was a British
-born architect
who is associated with the design of early Gothic Revival
churches in North America
.
, Devon England
in 1822, where he started working under John Hayward
, he was a member of the Exeter Architectural Society, and his first known work is a canopied tomb in Gothic style beside the high altar in St. Thomas’ Church in Exeter. In 1842 Wills exhibited at the Royal Academy of Arts in London
. He emigrated to New Brunswick
in 1845 to work on Christ Church Cathedral in Fredericton. He modeled it on St. Mary's Church in Snettisham
, Norfolk
. He moved to New York City
and began an architectural firm in late 1847 and married Emily Coster in 1848. He became associated with the New York Ecclesiology Society and soon was the official architect for that group. In 1850 he published Ancient Ecclesiastical Architecture and Its Principles, Applied to the Wants of the Church at the Present Day. Emily died in that same year. In 1851 he took a partner into his firm, Henry Dudley
who had also worked under Hayward in Exeter. He remarried to Almy Warne Casey in November 1853, she was the daughter of the Philadelphia
iron merchant James Casey. They had one son, Charles James Wills. Frank Wills died suddenly in Montreal in 1857, where he was working on Christ Church Cathedral
.
Also, based on similarities, two other churches are believed to be from his firm:
British people
The British are citizens of the United Kingdom, of the Isle of Man, any of the Channel Islands, or of any of the British overseas territories, and their descendants...
-born 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...
who is associated with the design of early Gothic Revival
Gothic Revival architecture
The Gothic Revival is an architectural movement that began in the 1740s in England...
churches in North America
North America
North America is a continent wholly within the Northern Hemisphere and almost wholly within the Western Hemisphere. It is also considered a northern subcontinent of the Americas...
.
Biography
Frank Wills was born in ExeterExeter
Exeter is a historic city in Devon, England. It lies within the ceremonial county of Devon, of which it is the county town as well as the home of Devon County Council. Currently the administrative area has the status of a non-metropolitan district, and is therefore under the administration of the...
, Devon England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
in 1822, where he started working under John Hayward
John Hayward (architect)
John Hayward was a Gothic Revival architect based in Exeter, Devon, who gained the reputation as “the senior architect in the west of England”.-Biography:...
, he was a member of the Exeter Architectural Society, and his first known work is a canopied tomb in Gothic style beside the high altar in St. Thomas’ Church in Exeter. In 1842 Wills exhibited at the Royal Academy of Arts in London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
. He emigrated to New Brunswick
New Brunswick
New Brunswick is one of Canada's three Maritime provinces and is the only province in the federation that is constitutionally bilingual . The provincial capital is Fredericton and Saint John is the most populous city. Greater Moncton is the largest Census Metropolitan Area...
in 1845 to work on Christ Church Cathedral in Fredericton. He modeled it on St. Mary's Church in Snettisham
Snettisham
Snettisham is a village and civil parish in the English county of Norfolk. It is located near the west coast of Norfolk, some south of the seaside resort of Hunstanton, north of the town of King's Lynn and north-west of the city of Norwich....
, Norfolk
Norfolk
Norfolk is a low-lying county in the East of England. It has borders with Lincolnshire to the west, Cambridgeshire to the west and southwest and Suffolk to the south. Its northern and eastern boundaries are the North Sea coast and to the north-west the county is bordered by The Wash. The county...
. He moved to New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
and began an architectural firm in late 1847 and married Emily Coster in 1848. He became associated with the New York Ecclesiology Society and soon was the official architect for that group. In 1850 he published Ancient Ecclesiastical Architecture and Its Principles, Applied to the Wants of the Church at the Present Day. Emily died in that same year. In 1851 he took a partner into his firm, Henry Dudley
Henry Dudley
Henry C. Dudley , known also as Henry Dudley, was an English-born North American architect, known for his Gothic Revival churches...
who had also worked under Hayward in Exeter. He remarried to Almy Warne Casey in November 1853, she was the daughter of the Philadelphia
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Philadelphia is the largest city in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania and the county seat of Philadelphia County, with which it is coterminous. The city is located in the Northeastern United States along the Delaware and Schuylkill rivers. It is the fifth-most-populous city in the United States,...
iron merchant James Casey. They had one son, Charles James Wills. Frank Wills died suddenly in Montreal in 1857, where he was working on Christ Church Cathedral
Christ Church Cathedral (Montreal)
Christ Church Cathedral is an Anglican Gothic Revival cathedral in Montreal, Quebec, Canada, the seat of the Anglican Diocese of Montreal. It is located at 635 Saint Catherine Street West, between Union Avenue and University Street. It is situated on top of the Promenades Cathédrale underground...
.
Projects
Some works by him or his firm:- Christ Church CathedralChrist Church Cathedral (Fredericton)Christ Church Cathedral is the cathedral church located in Fredericton, New Brunswick, the see city. Construction on the cathedral began in 1845. It was officially opened in 1853. The "Gothic Revival" style cathedral is modelled after St. Mary's Church, Snettisham, Norfolk.G. Ernest Fairweather ...
(1845–53) in Fredericton, New BrunswickNew BrunswickNew Brunswick is one of Canada's three Maritime provinces and is the only province in the federation that is constitutionally bilingual . The provincial capital is Fredericton and Saint John is the most populous city. Greater Moncton is the largest Census Metropolitan Area...
. - St. Anne's Chapel (1846–47) in Fredericton, New Brunswick.
- The Church of the Holy InnocentsChurch of the Holy Innocents (Albany, New York)Church of the Holy Innocents, also known as Church of the Nativity of our Virgin Lady, is a historic Episcopal church located at Albany, Albany County, New York. It was built about 1850 and consists of the church and an adjacent chapel in an early Gothic Revival style. They are both "T"-shaped...
(1848) in Albany, New YorkAlbany, New YorkAlbany is the capital city of the U.S. state of New York, the seat of Albany County, and the central city of New York's Capital District. Roughly north of New York City, Albany sits on the west bank of the Hudson River, about south of its confluence with the Mohawk River...
. - Grace Church (1849–52) in Albany, New YorkAlbany, New YorkAlbany is the capital city of the U.S. state of New York, the seat of Albany County, and the central city of New York's Capital District. Roughly north of New York City, Albany sits on the west bank of the Hudson River, about south of its confluence with the Mohawk River...
. - The House of Prayer (1849–53) in Newark, New JerseyNewark, New JerseyNewark is the largest city in the American state of New Jersey, and the seat of Essex County. As of the 2010 United States Census, Newark had a population of 277,140, maintaining its status as the largest municipality in New Jersey. It is the 68th largest city in the U.S...
. - Anglican Church (1850) in Burton, New BrunswickBurton, New BrunswickBurton is a Canadian rural community in Sunbury County, New Brunswick.Located on the Saint John River immediately downstream of Oromocto on New Brunswick Route 102, Burton is the shire town of the county and is the location of the Sunbury County court house.It is also located at one end of the...
. - St. Peter's Church (1850–51) in Milford, ConnecticutMilford, ConnecticutMilford is a coastal city in southwestern New Haven County, Connecticut, United States, located between Bridgeport and New Haven. The population was 52,759 at the 2010 census...
. - Chapel of the CrossChapel of the Cross (Mannsdale, Mississippi)The Chapel of the Cross is a historic Episcopal church in the Mannsdale area of Madison, Mississippi. The brick structure was built circa 1850–52. It is noted for its Gothic Revival architecture, which draws heavily from 14th-century English country churches...
(1850–52) in Madison, MississippiMadison, MississippiMadison is a city in Madison County, Mississippi, USA. The population was 14,691 at the 2000 census. The population is currently 16,930. It is part of the Jackson Metropolitan Statistical Area. It is currently the highest income city in the state...
. - St. Mary's ChurchSt. Mary's Church (Emmorton, Maryland)St. Mary's Church is a historic Episcopal church located at Emmorton, Harford County, Maryland. It is a small Gothic Revival parish church. It was built about 1851 and carefully designed in the "Early English" manner with gray rubble stone walls, cut Port Deposit granite trim, and a very steep...
(1851) in Abingdon, MarylandAbingdon, MarylandAbingdon is an unincorporated community in Harford County, Maryland, United States. It lies 25 miles northeast of Baltimore, near the Bush River.- History :Abingdon was named after Abingdon, England....
. - Holy Trinity Episcopal Church (1852–53) in Nashville, TennesseeNashville, TennesseeNashville is the capital of the U.S. state of Tennessee and the county seat of Davidson County. It is located on the Cumberland River in Davidson County, in the north-central part of the state. The city is a center for the health care, publishing, banking and transportation industries, and is home...
. - Trinity Episcopal ChurchTrinity Episcopal Church (Mobile, Alabama)Trinity Episcopal Church is a historic church in Mobile, Alabama, United States. It was the first large Gothic Revival church built in Alabama. The design was by architects Frank Wills and Henry Dudley.-History:...
(1853–57) in Mobile, AlabamaMobile, AlabamaMobile is the third most populous city in the Southern US state of Alabama and is the county seat of Mobile County. It is located on the Mobile River and the central Gulf Coast of the United States. The population within the city limits was 195,111 during the 2010 census. It is the largest...
. - Christ Church (1853) in Napoleonville, LouisianaNapoleonville, LouisianaNapoleonville is a village in and the parish seat of Assumption Parish, in the U.S. state of Louisiana. The population was 686 at the 2000 census. It is part of the Pierre Part Micropolitan Statistical Area.-History:...
. - Holy Trinity Church (1853) in Claremont, New HampshireClaremont, New HampshireThere were 5,685 households out of which 27.4% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 45.5% were married couples living together, 10.3% had a female householder with no husband present, and 39.7% were non-families. 32.2% of all households were made up of individuals and 14.7% had...
. - St. George's ChurchSt. George's Church (Flushing, New York)St. George's Church is an intercultural, multilingual Episcopal congregation in Flushing, New York with members from over twenty different nations of origin. A landmark church, it has served an ever changing congregation for over 300 years.-History:...
(1853–54) in Flushing, New York. - St. John's Church (1853–58) in Troy, New YorkTroy, New YorkTroy is a city in the US State of New York and the seat of Rensselaer County. Troy is located on the western edge of Rensselaer County and on the eastern bank of the Hudson River. Troy has close ties to the nearby cities of Albany and Schenectady, forming a region popularly called the Capital...
. - St. John's Episcopal ChurchSt. John's Episcopal Church (Montgomery, Alabama)St. John's Episcopal Church is a historic Gothic Revival church in Montgomery, Alabama, United States. It was designed by the New York architectural firm of Frank Wills and Henry Dudley. The church was placed on the National Register of Historic Places on 24 February 1975.-History:St...
(1854–55) in Montgomery, AlabamaMontgomery, AlabamaMontgomery is the capital of the U.S. state of Alabama, and is the county seat of Montgomery County. It is located on the Alabama River southeast of the center of the state, in the Gulf Coastal Plain. As of the 2010 census, Montgomery had a population of 205,764 making it the second-largest city...
. - Christ Church (1855–59) in Oberlin, OhioOberlin, OhioOberlin is a city in Lorain County, Ohio, United States, to the south and west of Cleveland. Oberlin is perhaps best known for being the home of Oberlin College, a liberal arts college and music conservatory with approximately 3,000 students...
- Episcopal Church of the NativityEpiscopal Church of the Nativity (Huntsville, Alabama)Episcopal Church of the Nativity is a church in Huntsville, Alabama. It was built in the Gothic Revival style in 1859. It is noted as one of the most pristine examples of Ecclesiological Gothic architecture in the South. It is also one of the least-altered structures by architect Frank Wills and...
(1857–59) in Huntsville, AlabamaHuntsville, AlabamaHuntsville is a city located primarily in Madison County in the central part of the far northern region of the U.S. state of Alabama. Huntsville is the county seat of Madison County. The city extends west into neighboring Limestone County. Huntsville's population was 180,105 as of the 2010 Census....
. - Christ Church CathedralChrist Church Cathedral (Montreal)Christ Church Cathedral is an Anglican Gothic Revival cathedral in Montreal, Quebec, Canada, the seat of the Anglican Diocese of Montreal. It is located at 635 Saint Catherine Street West, between Union Avenue and University Street. It is situated on top of the Promenades Cathédrale underground...
(1857–59) in MontrealMontrealMontreal is a city in Canada. It is the largest city in the province of Quebec, the second-largest city in Canada and the seventh largest in North America...
, QuebecQuebecQuebec or is a province in east-central Canada. It is the only Canadian province with a predominantly French-speaking population and the only one whose sole official language is French at the provincial level....
. - Saint George's (1956–58) in Portage-du-Fort, QuebecPortage-du-Fort, QuebecPortage-du-Fort is a village and municipality in the Pontiac Regional County Municipality in the southwest corner of the Outaouais region of Quebec, Canada...
, Canada
Also, based on similarities, two other churches are believed to be from his firm:
- Church of the Nativity (1856–59) in Union, South CarolinaUnion, South CarolinaUnion is the county seat of Union County, South Carolina, United States. The population was 8,393 at the 2010 census.It is the principal city of the Union Micropolitan Statistical Area , an which includes all of Union County and which is further included in the greater...
. - Trinity Church (1857–60) in Natchitoches, LouisianaNatchitoches, LouisianaNatchitoches is a city in and the parish seat of Natchitoches Parish, Louisiana, United States. Established in 1714 by Louis Juchereau de St. Denis as part of French Louisiana, the community was named after the Natchitoches Indian tribe. The City of Natchitoches was first incorporated on February...
.