George Bigelow Rogers
Encyclopedia
George Bigelow Rogers was an American
architect
, best known for the wide variety of buildings that he designed in Mobile, Alabama
. Born in Illinois
in 1870, he studied painting in France
, then apprenticed from 1894 to 1898 as an architect in Hartford, Connecticut
. He stopped in Mobile in 1901, while en route to a vacation in Mexico
. He decided to stay in the Gulf Coast
city and went on to design many of what today are among its best known buildings. He was made a Fellow of the American Institute of Architects
in 1941, an honor bestowed on fewer than two percent of all registered architects in the United States. He died in Mobile in 1945. His architectural library is housed in the archives of the Historic Mobile Preservation Society.
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...
, best known for the wide variety of buildings that he designed in Mobile, Alabama
Mobile, Alabama
Mobile 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...
. Born in Illinois
Illinois
Illinois is the fifth-most populous state of the United States of America, and is often noted for being a microcosm of the entire country. With Chicago in the northeast, small industrial cities and great agricultural productivity in central and northern Illinois, and natural resources like coal,...
in 1870, he studied painting in France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
, then apprenticed from 1894 to 1898 as an architect in Hartford, Connecticut
Hartford, Connecticut
Hartford is the capital of the U.S. state of Connecticut. The seat of Hartford County until Connecticut disbanded county government in 1960, it is the second most populous city on New England's largest river, the Connecticut River. As of the 2010 Census, Hartford's population was 124,775, making...
. He stopped in Mobile in 1901, while en route to a vacation in Mexico
Mexico
The United Mexican States , commonly known as Mexico , is a federal constitutional republic in North America. It is bordered on the north by the United States; on the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; on the southeast by Guatemala, Belize, and the Caribbean Sea; and on the east by the Gulf of...
. He decided to stay in the Gulf Coast
Gulf Coast of the United States
The Gulf Coast of the United States, sometimes referred to as the Gulf South, South Coast, or 3rd Coast, comprises the coasts of American states that are on the Gulf of Mexico, which includes Texas, Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama, and Florida and are known as the Gulf States...
city and went on to design many of what today are among its best known buildings. He was made 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...
in 1941, an honor bestowed on fewer than two percent of all registered architects in the United States. He died in Mobile in 1945. His architectural library is housed in the archives of the Historic Mobile Preservation Society.
Projects
- George Fearn HouseGeorge Fearn HouseThe George Fearn House is a historic residence in Mobile, Alabama, United States. It was built in 1904 in the Spanish Colonial Revival style by local architect George Bigelow Rogers. It was the first Spanish Colonial Revival building to be built in Mobile. The house was placed on the National...
in Mobile, Alabama (1904), on the National Register of Historic PlacesNational Register of Historic PlacesThe National Register of Historic Places is the United States government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures, and objects deemed worthy of preservation... - Van Antwerp BuildingVan Antwerp BuildingThe Van Antwerp Building is a high-rise in the U.S. city of Mobile, Alabama. Completed in 1907, the building rises 11 stories and was the first skyscraper in the city. It is regarded as the first reinforced concrete skyscraper in Alabama and the Southeastern United States...
in Mobile, Alabama (1907), on the National Register of Historic Places - David R. Burgess Mansion at 1209 Government StreetGovernment Street (Mobile, Alabama)Government Street is the name given to U.S. Route 90 and portions of U.S. Route 98 within the city limits of Mobile, Alabama. It is known as Government Street east of Pinehill Drive and as Government Boulevard west of Pinehill Drive...
in Mobile, Alabama (1907) - Tacon-Bellingrath House at 60 South Ann Street in Mobile, Alabama (1908) (Destroyed)
- Dave Patton HouseDave Patton HouseThe Dave Patton House is a historic house in Mobile, Alabama, United States. The two-story structure was built for Dave Patton, a local African American entrepreneur...
in Mobile, Alabama (1915), on the National Register of Historic Places - Albert Bush House at 1203 Government Street in Mobile, Alabama (1915)
- Government Street Methodist Church at 901 Government Street in Mobile, Alabama (1904–1917)
- Scottish Rite TempleScottish Rite Temple (Mobile, Alabama)The Scottish Rite Temple, now known as The Temple Downtown, is a historic former masonic building in Mobile, Alabama, United States. It was built to serve as the meeting place for the Ancient and Accepted Scottish Rite of Freemasonry...
in Mobile, Alabama (1921), on the National Register of Historic Places - Murphy High School Complex in Mobile, Alabama (1926), on the National Register of Historic Places
- Bellingrath Gardens and HomeBellingrath Gardens and HomeBellingrath Gardens and Home is a botanical garden and mansion located on the Fowl River in Theodore, a suburb of Mobile, Alabama. The site was listed on the Alabama Register of Landmarks and Heritage on September 14, 1977 and on the National Register of Historic Places on October 19,...
in Mobile, Alabama (1927), on the National Register of Historic Places - Mobile Public LibraryMobile Public LibraryThe Mobile Public Library is public library system primarily serving Mobile County, Alabama. The system is a department of the city of Mobile and receives funding from Mobile County and the city of Saraland.-History:...
in Mobile, Alabama (1928), on the National Register of Historic Places - Davis Avenue Branch of the Mobile Public LibraryNational African American Archives and MuseumThe National African American Archives and Museum, formerly the Davis Avenue Branch of the Mobile Public Library, is an archive and history museum located in Mobile, Alabama...
in Mobile, Alabama (1931), on the National Register of Historic Places - Leo Brown House at 1668 Government Street in Mobile, Alabama (1937)