Gustave E. Steinback
Encyclopedia
Gustave E. Steinback, AIA
, (1878–1959) was an American architect practicing in New York City
in the early and mid twentieth century. He was particularly known as a designer of Roman Catholic schools and churches, particularly Our Lady of All Saints in Fort Greene, Brooklyn
. His offices were located at 157 West 74th Street in the 1920s, and 271 Hunting Ridge Road, Stamford, Connecticut
in the 1940s.
He claimed at the end of his career to have started his practice in 1903 but this may have been a mistake, as he had earlier claimed 1904 as his first year.
In 1904, he then entered into a partnership with fellow Columbia graduate Robert J. Reiley
. The firm, known as Reiley and Steinback continued in practice from 1904 through 1913 and was responsible for many buildings for Roman Catholic clients throughout the Eastern United States.
He was licensed to practice architecture in New Jersey in 1905, and in New York in 1916, suggesting he only had to get his New York license after his partnership was dissolved with the more successful Reiley. He was an associate of the American Institute of Architects
from until 1931. He was also a member of the Associated Stamford Architects.
One of Steinback's most admired buildings is the Chapel of St. James, part of the Archbishop Quigley Preparatory Seminary
in downtown Chicago. Architect Zachary T. Davis of Chicago who would later design the baseball statium for the Chicago Cubs known as Wrigley Field
was named associate architect. The commission to build the Seminary came from the recently installed Cardinal George Mundelein, who had worked with Steinback on the development of the Queen of All Saints Church in Brooklyn and who admired his work sufficiently to actually request the plans from Steinback before his installation as archbishop. Loosely based on the 13th century Saint-Chapelle in Paris, the building has been highly acclaimed and compared favorably to the 1914 Fourth Presbyterian Church
of Ralph Adams Cram
, which is close by.
The partnership of Reiley and Steinback was dissolved in the years leading up to America's entry into World War I. Unlike many other of his contemporaries, including his former partner Robert J. Reiley
, Steinback continued to work in private practice during World War I
, not completing any service until World War II
when he work engineering on Stewart's Field (Newburg, New York) and at Rye Lake Airport.
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...
, (1878–1959) was an American architect practicing in 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...
in the early and mid twentieth century. He was particularly known as a designer of Roman Catholic schools and churches, particularly Our Lady of All Saints in Fort Greene, Brooklyn
Fort Greene, Brooklyn
Fort Greene is a neighborhood in the New York City borough of Brooklyn. Part of Brooklyn Community Board 2, Fort Greene is listed on the New York State Registry and on the National Register of Historic Places, and is a New York City-designated Historic District...
. His offices were located at 157 West 74th Street in the 1920s, and 271 Hunting Ridge Road, Stamford, Connecticut
Stamford, Connecticut
Stamford is a city in Fairfield County, Connecticut, United States. According to the 2010 census, the population of the city is 122,643, making it the fourth largest city in the state and the eighth largest city in New England...
in the 1940s.
Early life and career
Steinback was sent to Germany for his elementary education. He later studied at the Polytechnic Institute of Brooklyn, New York City, and later received a B.S. from from Columbia University of Architecture in New York City, class of 1900. After graduation, he traveled throughout Europe, spent three years in Germany, and one year in France working for Atelier Bernard.He claimed at the end of his career to have started his practice in 1903 but this may have been a mistake, as he had earlier claimed 1904 as his first year.
In 1904, he then entered into a partnership with fellow Columbia graduate Robert J. Reiley
Robert J. Reiley
Robert J. Reiley, AIA, was an American architect practicing in New York City in the early and mid twentieth century. He was particularly known as a designer of Roman Catholic churches, schools, and hospitals in the Northeast USA....
. The firm, known as Reiley and Steinback continued in practice from 1904 through 1913 and was responsible for many buildings for Roman Catholic clients throughout the Eastern United States.
Architectural practice
After the partnership was dissolved, both men went on to lengthy careers designing Roman Catholic churches.He was licensed to practice architecture in New Jersey in 1905, and in New York in 1916, suggesting he only had to get his New York license after his partnership was dissolved with the more successful Reiley. He was an associate 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...
from until 1931. He was also a member of the Associated Stamford Architects.
One of Steinback's most admired buildings is the Chapel of St. James, part of the Archbishop Quigley Preparatory Seminary
Archbishop Quigley Preparatory Seminary
Archbishop Quigley Preparatory Seminary was an American seminary preparatory school administered by the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Chicago for young men considering the priesthood...
in downtown Chicago. Architect Zachary T. Davis of Chicago who would later design the baseball statium for the Chicago Cubs known as Wrigley Field
Wrigley Field
Wrigley Field is a baseball stadium in Chicago, Illinois, United States that has served as the home ballpark of the Chicago Cubs since 1916. It was built in 1914 as Weeghman Park for the Chicago Federal League baseball team, the Chicago Whales...
was named associate architect. The commission to build the Seminary came from the recently installed Cardinal George Mundelein, who had worked with Steinback on the development of the Queen of All Saints Church in Brooklyn and who admired his work sufficiently to actually request the plans from Steinback before his installation as archbishop. Loosely based on the 13th century Saint-Chapelle in Paris, the building has been highly acclaimed and compared favorably to the 1914 Fourth Presbyterian Church
Fourth Presbyterian Church of Chicago
The Fourth Presbyterian Church of Chicago is a congregation of the Presbyterian Church located on the Magnificent Mile in Chicago, directly across the street from the John Hancock Center.-History:...
of Ralph Adams Cram
Ralph Adams Cram
Ralph Adams Cram FAIA, , was a prolific and influential American architect of collegiate and ecclesiastical buildings, often in the Gothic style. Cram & Ferguson and Cram, Goodhue & Ferguson are partnerships in which he worked.-Early life:Cram was born on December 16, 1863 at Hampton Falls, New...
, which is close by.
Personal life
Steinback was active in civic affairs and was for many years a member of the Stamford City Planning Board. He was a member of Stamford Museum and Nature Group, the American Museum of Naturral History and the Metropolitan Museum of Art. He died at Stamford Hospital on September 21, 1959 from injuries sustained when he was struck by an automobile.The partnership of Reiley and Steinback was dissolved in the years leading up to America's entry into World War I. Unlike many other of his contemporaries, including his former partner Robert J. Reiley
Robert J. Reiley
Robert J. Reiley, AIA, was an American architect practicing in New York City in the early and mid twentieth century. He was particularly known as a designer of Roman Catholic churches, schools, and hospitals in the Northeast USA....
, Steinback continued to work in private practice during World War I
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
, not completing any service until World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
when he work engineering on Stewart's Field (Newburg, New York) and at Rye Lake Airport.
Work as Reiley and Steinback (1904-1913)
- 1908: The Basilica of St. Stanislaus, Bishop & Martyr, Chicopee, MA
- 1912 Church of the Queen of All Saints, also known as Church of Our Lady of All Saints (Brooklyn, New York) at Lafayette and Vanderbilt Avenues in Fort Greene, BrooklynFort Greene, BrooklynFort Greene is a neighborhood in the New York City borough of Brooklyn. Part of Brooklyn Community Board 2, Fort Greene is listed on the New York State Registry and on the National Register of Historic Places, and is a New York City-designated Historic District...
, cost $475,000. - St. Stanislaus ChurchSt. Stanislaus Parish, AdamsSt. Stanislaus Kostka Parish - designated for Polish immigrants in Adams, Massachusetts, United States.January 1, 2009 was closed by decision of the Bishop Timothy A. McDonnell of the Diocese of Springfield in Massachusetts....
, Adams, MA - St. Stanislaus' Church, Meriden, CT
- St. Aloysius' Church, Great Neck, Long Island, New York
Works as Gustave E. Steinback (1913-1959)
- 1914-1917: Blessed Sacrament Church, School and RectoryChurch of the Blessed Sacrament (Manhattan)The Church of the Blessed Sacrament is a Roman Catholic parish church in the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of New York, located at West 71st Street, just east of Broadway, Manhattan, New York City. The parish was established in 1887....
, Manhattan, New York City, Church (1917), cost $600,000. - 1915: St. Patrick's Church (Bayshore, New York) on Long Island, cost $85,000.
- 1918: Cathedral College (Brooklyn, New York)
- 1918: The Church of St. Anselm, 151st Street at Robbins Avenue, Mott Haven, BronxMott Haven, BronxMott Haven is a primarily residential neighborhood in the Southwestern section of The Bronx in New York City. Zip codes include 10451, 10454, and 10455. The neighborhood is part of Bronx Community Board 1...
, New York City - 1920: St. Ephram's School and Hall (Brooklyn, New York)
- 1921: St. Michael's Church (Brooklyn, New York), cost $260,000
- 1921 The (Former) Church of Our Lady of GuadalupeOur Lady of Guadalupe's Church (New York City)The Church of Our Lady of Guadalupe, also known as Nuestra Señora de la Guadalupe is a Roman Catholic parish church under the authority of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of New York, located at 229 West 14th Street between Seventh and Eighth Avenues in the Union Square / Chelsea, section of...
, 14th Street (New York City), Facade by Steinback
- 1922: St. Monica's School and Convent (Queens, New York), Jamaica, QueensJamaica, QueensJamaica is a neighborhood in the borough of Queens in New York City, New York, United States. It was settled under Dutch rule in 1656 in New Netherland as Rustdorp. Under British rule, the Village of Jamaica became the center of the "Town of Jamaica"...
, Long IslandLong IslandLong Island is an island located in the southeast part of the U.S. state of New York, just east of Manhattan. Stretching northeast into the Atlantic Ocean, Long Island contains four counties, two of which are boroughs of New York City , and two of which are mainly suburban... - 1922: St. Ignatius School and Hall (Hicksville, New York) on Long Island, New York
- 1922: St. Eamun's School and Hall (Brooklyn, New York)
- 1923: Church of the Presentation (Queens, New York), Long Island, New York
- 1924: St. Mels High School (Chicago, Illinois), cost $900,000.
- 1925: Quigley Memorial Seminary (Chicago, Illinois)Archbishop Quigley Preparatory SeminaryArchbishop Quigley Preparatory Seminary was an American seminary preparatory school administered by the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Chicago for young men considering the priesthood...
, cost $900,000 (with Zachary Taylor DavisZachary Taylor DavisZachary Taylor Davis was the architect of several major Chicago buildings, including St. Ambrose Old Comiskey Park , Wrigley Field , Mount Carmel High School , and St...
of Chicago).
- 1925: St. Pancras' Church (Brooklyn, New York)
- 1928: St. Joseph College for Women (Brooklyn, New York), cost $292,000.
- 1928: The Church of Our Lady Queen of Martyrs, 91 Arden Street, near Broadway, ManhattanManhattanManhattan is the oldest and the most densely populated of the five boroughs of New York City. Located primarily on the island of Manhattan at the mouth of the Hudson River, the boundaries of the borough are identical to those of New York County, an original county of the state of New York...
, New York CityNew York CityNew 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...
, cost $160,000. - 1931: St. Benedict's School (Bronx, New York), cost $352,000.
- 1932: St. Bernard's School and Rectory (White Plain, New York), cost $182,226.
- 1939: St. John the Evangelist's Church (Leonie, New Jersey)
- 1939: St. John the Evangelist's Parish School (Leonie, New Jersey)
- 1949: Church of Immaculate Heart of Mary (Scarsdale, New York), cost $250,000.
- 1949: Church of the Annunciation, Crestwood, New York
- 1949-51: Our Lady Queen of Martyrs Parish School, a four-storey brick school, planned cost $400,000 or final cost $416,899.70.
- 1950: St. Cecelia's Church (Stamford, Connnecticut)
- 1951: Mary Queen of Heaven School (Brooklyn, New York), cost $431,751.07.
- 1951: St. Paul the Apostle School (Yonkers, New York), cost $196,083.05.
- 1951: Saints Peter and Paul Church (Mount Vernon, New York)
- 1951: Saints Peter and Paul School (Mount Vernon, New York), cost $285,239.
- 1956: St. Catherine of Sienna's Church (Greenwich, CT) in Riverside (Greenwich) CT