Isaiah Rogers
Encyclopedia
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...
, Boston, Massachusetts, 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 Cincinnati, Ohio
Cincinnati, Ohio
Cincinnati is a city in the U.S. state of Ohio. Cincinnati is the county seat of Hamilton County. Settled in 1788, the city is located to north of the Ohio River at the Ohio-Kentucky border, near Indiana. The population within city limits is 296,943 according to the 2010 census, making it Ohio's...
.
Background
Rogers was born in Marshfield, MassachusettsMarshfield, Massachusetts
Marshfield is a town in Plymouth County, Massachusetts, United States, on Massachusetts's South Shore. The population was 25,132 at the 2010 census.See also: Green Harbor, Marshfield , Rexhame, Marshfield Hills, and Ocean Bluff and Brant Rock....
to Isaac Rogers, a farmer and shipwright, and Hannah Ford. In 1823 he married Emily Wesley Tobey of Portland, Maine
Portland, Maine
Portland is the largest city in Maine and is the county seat of Cumberland County. The 2010 city population was 66,194, growing 3 percent since the census of 2000...
. The couple had eight children, four of whom survived infancy. Two of his sons followed him into the profession of architecture.
Rogers was a student of Solomon Willard
Solomon Willard
Solomon Willard , was a carver and builder in Massachusetts who is remembered primarily for designing and overseeing the Bunker Hill Monument, the first monumental obelisk erected in the United States.-Background:...
. He became one of the country's foremost hotel architects and was renowned for Boston's Tremont House (the first hotel with indoor plumbing), the Astor House
Astor House
The Astor House was a fine hotel in New York City, that opened in 1836 and soon became the most famous hotel in America.-History:The Astor House was originally built by John Jacob Astor, who assembled the building lots around his former house until he had purchased the full block in the heart of...
in New York City and the Exchange Hotel
Exchange Hotel (Richmond, Virginia)
The Exchange Hotel was completed in 1841 in Richmond, VA. It is a Gothic revival four-story designed by Isaiah Rogers. It was very popular before the civil war....
in Richmond, Virginia
Richmond, Virginia
Richmond is the capital of the Commonwealth of Virginia, in the United States. It is an independent city and not part of any county. Richmond is the center of the Richmond Metropolitan Statistical Area and the Greater Richmond area...
. He designed the Burnett House in Cincinnati, then the largest and most elegant hotel in the Midwest. He also designed New York's Astor Opera House
Astor Opera House
__notoc__The Astor Opera House, also known as the Astor Place Opera House and later the Astor Place Theatre, was an opera house in Manhattan, New York City, located on Lafayette Street between Astor Place and East 8th Street...
.
The Cathedral of the Assumption, Louisville, Kentucky
Kentucky
The Commonwealth of Kentucky is a state located in the East Central United States of America. As classified by the United States Census Bureau, Kentucky is a Southern state, more specifically in the East South Central region. Kentucky is one of four U.S. states constituted as a commonwealth...
was designed in the Neo-Gothic style by William Keeley and Rogers. Upon its completion in 1852, the 287-foot spire was North America's tallest.
His design for the fourth Hamilton County, Ohio
Hamilton County, Ohio
As of 2000, there were 845,303 people, 346,790 households, and 212,582 families residing in the county. The population density was 2,075 people per square mile . There were 373,393 housing units at an average density of 917 per square mile...
Hamilton County Courthouse
Hamilton County Courthouse (Ohio)
The Hamilton County Courthouse is located in downtown Cincinnati, Ohio and contains the Hamilton County Common Pleas Court, the Municipal Court, Small Claims Court, and the Clerk of Courts offices.- External links :* - Hamilton County Clerk of Courts...
was for a massive three-story building, measuring 190 feet square. The building bore a close resemblance to Rogers' Merchants Exchange building, Wall Street in New York City. He also designed the Boston Merchants Exchange
Merchants Exchange (Boston, Massachusetts)
The Merchants Exchange building in Boston, Massachusetts was built in 1841 from a design by architect Isaiah Rogers. Centrally located on State Street, it functioned as a hub for business activities in the city.- History :...
.
Rogers was the supervising architect, the last of five, who worked upon the Ohio Statehouse
Ohio Statehouse
The Ohio Statehouse, located in Columbus, Ohio, is the house of government for the state of Ohio. The Greek Revival building houses the Ohio General Assembly and the ceremonial offices of the Governor, Lieutenant Governor, Treasurer, and Auditor....
. He completed the building in 1861.
From 1863 to 1865, due to his friendship with fellow Cincinnatian Salmon P. Chase
Salmon P. Chase
Salmon Portland Chase was an American politician and jurist who served as U.S. Senator from Ohio and the 23rd Governor of Ohio; as U.S. Treasury Secretary under President Abraham Lincoln; and as the sixth Chief Justice of the United States Supreme Court.Chase was one of the most prominent members...
, Secretary of the Treasury, he was Office of the Supervising Architect
Office of the Supervising Architect
The Office of the Supervising Architect was an agency of the United States Treasury Department that designed federal government buildings from 1852 to 1939....
's Supervising Architect of the United States. In this role he designed and patented four burglar-proof vaults
Bank vault
A bank vault is a secure space where money, valuables, records, and documents can be stored. It is intended to protect their contents from theft, unauthorized use, fire, natural disasters, and other threats, just like a safe...
built in the northwest corner of the U.S. Treasury Building in 1864. Their lining consisted of two layers of cast iron
Cast iron
Cast iron is derived from pig iron, and while it usually refers to gray iron, it also identifies a large group of ferrous alloys which solidify with a eutectic. The color of a fractured surface can be used to identify an alloy. White cast iron is named after its white surface when fractured, due...
balls interposed between the traditional alternating plates of wrought iron
Wrought iron
thumb|The [[Eiffel tower]] is constructed from [[puddle iron]], a form of wrought ironWrought iron is an iron alloy with a very low carbon...
and hardened steel
Steel
Steel is an alloy that consists mostly of iron and has a carbon content between 0.2% and 2.1% by weight, depending on the grade. Carbon is the most common alloying material for iron, but various other alloying elements are used, such as manganese, chromium, vanadium, and tungsten...
. The balls, held loosely in specially formed cavities, were designed to rotate freely upon contact with a drill, or any other tool, thereby preventing a burglar from penetrating. The design was first used for two vaults built in the New York Sub-Treasury, now Federal Hall, in 1862. Similar vaults were built in custom houses in Detroit, Cincinnati, and Chicago
Chicago
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...
.
Selected architectural works
- old Tremont Theatre, BostonTremont Theatre, BostonThe Tremont Theatre on 88 Tremont Street was a playhouse in Boston. A group of wealthy Boston residents financed the building's construction. Architect Isaiah Rogers designed the original Theatre structure in 1827 in the Greek Revival style...
(1827), later rebuilt as Tremont TempleTremont TempleThe Tremont Temple on 88 Tremont Street is a Baptist church in Boston, affiliated with the American Baptist Churches, USA. The existing structure opened in May 1896 and was designed by architect Clarence Blackall.-History:...
(1896) - 1829 Tremont House, BostonBostonBoston 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...
- 1830 Old State House, Boston, redesign (with William WashburnWilliam Washburn (architect)William Washburn was an architect and city councilor in Boston, Massachusetts, in the mid-19th century. He designed Boston's National Theatre , Revere House hotel , Tremont Temple , and Parker House hotel...
) in the Classical Revival style to serve as a City Hall until 1841 - 1832-33 Commercial Wharf, BostonBostonBoston 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...
- 1833 Bangor House, Bangor, MaineBangor, MaineBangor is a city in and the county seat of Penobscot County, Maine, United States, and the major commercial and cultural center for eastern and northern Maine...
- 1833 Captain Robert Bennet Forbes HouseCaptain Robert Bennet Forbes HouseThe Captain Robert Bennet Forbes House, also known as the R. B. Forbes House, is a house museum located at 215 Adams Street, Milton, Massachusetts. It is now a National Historic Landmark, and is open several afternoons per week. An admission fee is charged.The house was built in 1833 for their...
, Milton, MassachusettsMilton, MassachusettsMilton is a town in Norfolk County, Massachusetts, United States and part of the Greater Boston area. The population was 27,003 at the 2010 census. Milton is the birthplace of former U.S. President George H. W. Bush and architect Buckminster Fuller. Milton also has the highest percentage of... - 1836 John Jacob Astor House, a hotel on the site of Astor's home in 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...
that lasted 80 years until city officials announced in 1913 that "the southern half of the hotel was to be torn down to accommodate construction of the Brooklyn Rapid Transit Company subway (now the N and R lines). Two years later, 217 Broadway was built" was first called the Astor House Building and then as the Astor Building. - 1836 Merchants Exchange building, Wall Street
- 1840 Egyptian revival gate for Old Granary Burying Ground in BostonBostonBoston 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...
- 1841 Merchants Exchange (Boston, Massachusetts)Merchants Exchange (Boston, Massachusetts)The Merchants Exchange building in Boston, Massachusetts was built in 1841 from a design by architect Isaiah Rogers. Centrally located on State Street, it functioned as a hub for business activities in the city.- History :...
- 1842 New York Merchants Exchange, later the New York Customs House, 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...
- 1843 Egyptian Revival gate and fence for Touro CemeteryTouro CemeteryTouro Synagogue Cemetery , dedicated in 1677, is located in the colonial historic district of Newport, Rhode Island, not far from the Touro Synagogue. Other Jewish graves are found nearby as part of the Common Burying Ground and Island Cemetery on Farewell Street.-History:The cemetery was founded...
in Newport, Rhode IslandNewport, Rhode IslandNewport 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... - 1846 Howard AthenaeumHoward AthenaeumThe Howard Athenæum in Boston, Massachusetts, was one of the most famous theaters in Boston history. Founded in 1845, it remained an institution of culture and learning for most of its years, finally closing in 1953.- History :...
, BostonBostonBoston 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... - 1850s Thomas Gaff HouseHillforestThe Hillforest Mansion, also known as Thomas Gaff House, is located at 213 Fifth Street, in Aurora, Indiana. It is built on a bluff above the Ohio River....
, Aurora, IndianaAurora, IndianaAurora is a city in Lawrenceburg and Center townships of Dearborn County, Indiana, United States, along the Ohio River. The population was 3,965 at the 2000 census.-Geography:Aurora is located at .... - 1852 Cathedral of the Assumption in LouisvilleCathedral of the Assumption in LouisvilleThe Cathedral of the Assumption is the cathedral mother church of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Louisville in Louisville, Kentucky. His Excellency, the Most Reverend Joseph Kurtz, D.D., the fourth and current Archbishop of Louisville, is in residence at the Cathedral. The Very Reverend Jeffery...
, KentuckyKentuckyThe Commonwealth of Kentucky is a state located in the East Central United States of America. As classified by the United States Census Bureau, Kentucky is a Southern state, more specifically in the East South Central region. Kentucky is one of four U.S. states constituted as a commonwealth...
was designed by William Keeley and Rogers - 1859 Oliver House, Toledo, OhioToledo, OhioToledo is the fourth most populous city in the U.S. state of Ohio and is the county seat of Lucas County. Toledo is in northwest Ohio, on the western end of Lake Erie, and borders the State of Michigan...
- 1858-1861 Ohio StatehouseOhio StatehouseThe Ohio Statehouse, located in Columbus, Ohio, is the house of government for the state of Ohio. The Greek Revival building houses the Ohio General Assembly and the ceremonial offices of the Governor, Lieutenant Governor, Treasurer, and Auditor....
, Columbus, OhioColumbus, OhioColumbus is the capital of and the largest city in the U.S. state of Ohio. The broader metropolitan area encompasses several counties and is the third largest in Ohio behind those of Cleveland and Cincinnati. Columbus is the third largest city in the American Midwest, and the fifteenth largest city... - Maxwell House HotelMaxwell House HotelThe Maxwell House Hotel was a major hotel in downtown Nashville at which seven US Presidents and other prominent guests stayed. It was built by Colonel John Overton Jr. and named for his wife, Harriet Maxwell Overton. The architect was Isaiah Rogers....
, Nashville, TennesseeTennesseeTennessee is a U.S. state located in the Southeastern United States. It has a population of 6,346,105, making it the nation's 17th-largest state by population, and covers , making it the 36th-largest by total land area...
(destroyed by fire Christmas 1961)
External links
- Merchants' Exchange, New York Architecture Images