James A. Wetmore
Encyclopedia
James A. Wetmore was an American lawyer and administrator, best known as the Acting Supervising Architect of the U.S. Office of the Supervising Architect
from 1915 through 1933. Wetmore is frequently and incorrectly described as the "architect" of the many federal buildings that bear his name.
Wetmore was born in Bath, New York
and began his career as a court reporter. By 1896 he was working for the United States Treasury Department and had received his law degree from George Washington University
. In 1911 he moved into a position as executive assistant to Supervising Architect James Knox Taylor
, which put him in charge of all non-technical operations of the office, and he himself took over as acting head of the office in 1915, expecting it to be temporary. Eighteen years later he retired to Florida.
Through the extensive building programs of the early 1930s New Deal
era, nearly 1,700 government draftsmen were employed in the Supervising Architect's office. Wetmore's name appears on some 2,000 cornerstones of federal buildings, including:
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....
from 1915 through 1933. Wetmore is frequently and incorrectly described as the "architect" of the many federal buildings that bear his name.
Wetmore was born in Bath, New York
Bath (village), New York
Bath is a village in Steuben County, New York, United States. The population was 5,641 at the 2000 census. Bath is the county seat of Steuben County. The community was named either for the English city or for Lady Bath, daughter of William Pulteney, one of the original landowners.The Village of...
and began his career as a court reporter. By 1896 he was working for the United States Treasury Department and had received his law degree from George Washington University
George Washington University
The George Washington University is a private, coeducational comprehensive university located in Washington, D.C. in the United States...
. In 1911 he moved into a position as executive assistant to Supervising Architect James Knox Taylor
James Knox Taylor
James Knox Taylor was Supervising Architect of the United States Department of the Treasury from 1897 to 1912. His name is listed ex officio as supervising architect of hundreds of federal buildings built throughout the United States during the period.-Early career:The son of H...
, which put him in charge of all non-technical operations of the office, and he himself took over as acting head of the office in 1915, expecting it to be temporary. Eighteen years later he retired to Florida.
Through the extensive building programs of the early 1930s New Deal
New Deal
The New Deal was a series of economic programs implemented in the United States between 1933 and 1936. They were passed by the U.S. Congress during the first term of President Franklin D. Roosevelt. The programs were Roosevelt's responses to the Great Depression, and focused on what historians call...
era, nearly 1,700 government draftsmen were employed in the Supervising Architect's office. Wetmore's name appears on some 2,000 cornerstones of federal buildings, including:
- U.S. Post Office and Courthouse (Baltimore, Maryland)U.S. Post Office and Courthouse (Baltimore, Maryland)The United States Post Office and Courthouse is a historic combined post office and Federal courthouse located in Baltimore, Maryland, United States. It occupies an entire city block and measures 238 feet, 2 inches east-west by 279 feet, 10 inches north-south...
, 1930 - Alaska State CapitolAlaska State CapitolThe Alaska State Capitol is the state capital of Alaska. Located in the state capital of Juneau at the corner of East 4th Street and Main Street, it houses the Alaska Legislature and the offices for the governor of Alaska and lieutenant governor of Alaska....
, Juneau, AlaskaJuneau, AlaskaThe City and Borough of Juneau is a unified municipality located on the Gastineau Channel in the panhandle of the U.S. state of Alaska. It has been the capital of Alaska since 1906, when the government of the then-District of Alaska was moved from Sitka as dictated by the U.S. Congress in 1900...
, 1931 - U.S. Post Office (Medina, New York)U.S. Post Office (Medina, New York)The U.S. Post Office in Medina, New York, is located at West Avenue and West Center Street . It is a brick building erected in the early 1930s, serving the ZIP Code 14103, covering the village of Medina and neighboring portions of the towns of Ridgeway and Shelby.Its Colonial Revival style design...
, 1931-1932 - Las Vegas Post Office and CourthouseLas Vegas Post Office and CourthouseLas Vegas Post Office and Courthouse is a Neo-classical building located in Las Vegas, Nevada that is listed on the United States National Register of Historic Places.- History :The building was erected between 1931 and 1933, opening on November 27, 1933...
, Las Vegas, NevadaLas Vegas, NevadaLas Vegas is the most populous city in the U.S. state of Nevada and is also the county seat of Clark County, Nevada. Las Vegas is an internationally renowned major resort city for gambling, shopping, and fine dining. The city bills itself as The Entertainment Capital of the World, and is famous...
, 1933