John Kellum
Encyclopedia
John Kellum was an American
architect
in practice in New York City
.
Kellum, born in Hempstead, Long Island, was trained as a carpenter
; he was largely self-taught in architecture, and was taken into partnership in 1846 by the well-established New York architect Gamaliel King
. King was engaged in constructing Brooklyn City Hall, and Kellum, as junior partner, was his on-site supervisor. Together they established a reputation for constructing many of the new cast-iron commercial buildings
that changed the aspect of New York. They remained in partnership until 1859, when Kellum left to open a practice in partnership with his son.
Kellum received his first big independent commission as the architect to Alexander T. Stewart, the department store
magnate, designing the A.T. Stewart store at Broadway and 10th Street (1859-62, demolished), which occupied the entire blockfront He designed Stewart's marble mansion on the northeast corner of Fifth Avenue and 34th Street, that was the first of Fifth Avenue's marble palazzos.
Kellum designed and built for Stewart the Working Women's Hotel (1869-75, demolished), on Park Avenue between 32nd and 33rd Streets.
In addition to his work on Stewart's projects, Kellum designed a number of commercial structures during the 1860s: the Ball, Black & Company building, 565-67 Broadway (1858-60, standing); the cast-iron building at 55 White Street (1861, standing); Mutual Life Insurance Building, 140-46 Broadway (1863-65; demolished); the cast-iron Fulton Ferry Terminal (1863, demolished); the former New York Stock Exchange
, Broad Street (1865, demolished); the New York Herald Building, Broadway ((1865-67, demolished); and the James McCreery & Company Building, 801 Broadway (1868, standing)
At the time of his death Kellum was occupied in an even grander project for Stewart, laying out Garden City, Long Island
on the 7000 acres (28.3 km²) tract in Hempstead township that Stewart had bought. It was one of the first American "garden city
" planned suburbs.
Kellum was also the primary architect of the New York County Courthouse
(1861 onwards; completed with revised and ealborated interiors, 1881), on Chambers Street behind New York City Hall; it is known as the "Tweed Courthouse" after William Marcy "Boss" Tweed, who commissioned it and profited from kickbacks during its construction. Kellum's exterior is in the Italianate manner; immense cast-iron structural and decorative elements are to be seen in the public spaces of the rich interiors.
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...
in practice 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...
.
Kellum, born in Hempstead, Long Island, was trained as a carpenter
Carpenter
A carpenter is a skilled craftsperson who works with timber to construct, install and maintain buildings, furniture, and other objects. The work, known as carpentry, may involve manual labor and work outdoors....
; he was largely self-taught in architecture, and was taken into partnership in 1846 by the well-established New York architect Gamaliel King
Gamaliel King
Gamaliel King was an American architect who practiced in New York City and the adjacent city of Brooklyn, where he was a major figure in Brooklyn civic and ecclesiastical architecture for several decades.His practice began as a "builder" in Brooklyn in the 1820s: in 1823 he and Joseph Moser were...
. King was engaged in constructing Brooklyn City Hall, and Kellum, as junior partner, was his on-site supervisor. Together they established a reputation for constructing many of the new cast-iron commercial buildings
Cast-iron architecture
Cast-iron architecture is a form of architecture where cast iron plays a central role. It was a prominent style in the Industrial Revolution era when cast iron was relatively cheap and modern steel had not yet been developed.-Structural use:...
that changed the aspect of New York. They remained in partnership until 1859, when Kellum left to open a practice in partnership with his son.
Department store
A department store is a retail establishment which satisfies a wide range of the consumer's personal and residential durable goods product needs; and at the same time offering the consumer a choice of multiple merchandise lines, at variable price points, in all product categories...
magnate, designing the A.T. Stewart store at Broadway and 10th Street (1859-62, demolished), which occupied the entire blockfront He designed Stewart's marble mansion on the northeast corner of Fifth Avenue and 34th Street, that was the first of Fifth Avenue's marble palazzos.
In addition to his work on Stewart's projects, Kellum designed a number of commercial structures during the 1860s: the Ball, Black & Company building, 565-67 Broadway (1858-60, standing); the cast-iron building at 55 White Street (1861, standing); Mutual Life Insurance Building, 140-46 Broadway (1863-65; demolished); the cast-iron Fulton Ferry Terminal (1863, demolished); the former New York Stock Exchange
New York Stock Exchange
The New York Stock Exchange is a stock exchange located at 11 Wall Street in Lower Manhattan, New York City, USA. It is by far the world's largest stock exchange by market capitalization of its listed companies at 13.39 trillion as of Dec 2010...
, Broad Street (1865, demolished); the New York Herald Building, Broadway ((1865-67, demolished); and the James McCreery & Company Building, 801 Broadway (1868, standing)
At the time of his death Kellum was occupied in an even grander project for Stewart, laying out Garden City, Long Island
Garden City, New York
Garden City is a village in the town of Hempstead in central Nassau County, New York, in the United States. It was founded by multi-millionaire Alexander Turney Stewart in 1869, and is located on Long Island, to the east of New York City, from mid-town Manhattan, and just south of the town of...
on the 7000 acres (28.3 km²) tract in Hempstead township that Stewart had bought. It was one of the first American "garden city
Garden city movement
The garden city movement is a method of urban planning that was initiated in 1898 by Sir Ebenezer Howard in the United Kingdom. Garden cities were intended to be planned, self-contained communities surrounded by "greenbelts" , containing proportionate areas of residences, industry and...
" planned suburbs.
Kellum was also the primary architect of the New York County Courthouse
Tweed Courthouse
The building is composed of a central section with two projecting wings, with an addition in the center on the south facade. The entry portico on the main Chambers Street facade rises three and a half stories from a low granite curb, supported by four Corinthian columns...
(1861 onwards; completed with revised and ealborated interiors, 1881), on Chambers Street behind New York City Hall; it is known as the "Tweed Courthouse" after William Marcy "Boss" Tweed, who commissioned it and profited from kickbacks during its construction. Kellum's exterior is in the Italianate manner; immense cast-iron structural and decorative elements are to be seen in the public spaces of the rich interiors.