Peter Harrison
Encyclopedia
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...
who was born in York, England and emigrated to Rhode Island
Rhode Island
The state of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations, more commonly referred to as Rhode Island , is a state in the New England region of the United States. It is the smallest U.S. state by area...
in 1740. Peter Harrison and his brother, Joseph Harrison, came to the American colonies and established themselves as merchants and captains of their own "vessels." Peter Harrison returned to England between the years of 1743-45 and received his formal training as an architect under the direction of one of the English Lords who had dedicated themselves to the training of architects through private studio-schools using pattern books, grand tours of Italy and Greece and through applied skills, teaching their students to become expert draftsmen. These private studio-schools drew from the works of the masters such as Palladio and Vitruvius
Vitruvius
Marcus Vitruvius Pollio was a Roman writer, architect and engineer, active in the 1st century BC. He is best known as the author of the multi-volume work De Architectura ....
. It is un-known which of the English Lords allowed Mr. Harrison to join their private studio-school. Harrison's travels and education in Europe allowed him to accumulate a substantial library of books concerning Classically inspired forms as well as allowing him to see the latest designs that were produced by the Palladian movement.
Peter Harrison is credited as being the first professionally trained architect in America. He is, however, not the first to deliver Palladianism to America; there are examples that pre-date his works such as Drayton Hall
Drayton Hall
Drayton Hall, in the South Carolina "Lowcountry" and about 15 miles northwest of Charleston, South Carolina and directly across the Ashley River from North Charleston, South Carolina, is one of the most handsome examples of Palladian architecture in North America.The house was built for John...
(1738) in South Carolina and the Byrd Mansion (1730-34) in Virginia. His known works in the British-American colonies are considered, however, to be of the highest quality and the finest examples of Palladiansim of his time. Many buildings are attributed to Peter Harrison, but there are only a few that are solidly documented as being his creations. These buildings are: the Redwood Library (1747-49), the Brick Market Building (1762-72) and the Touro Synagogue
Touro Synagogue
The Touro Synagogue is a 1763 synagogue in Newport, Rhode Island, that is the oldest synagogue building still standing in the United States,the oldest surviving Jewish synagogue building in North America, and the only surviving synagogue building in the U.S...
(1759) in Newport, Rhode Island
Newport, Rhode Island
Newport 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...
and the King's Chapel
King's Chapel
King's Chapel is "an independent Christian unitarian congregation affiliated with the Unitarian Universalist Association" that is "unitarian Christian in theology, Anglican in worship, and congregational in governance." It is housed in what was formerly called "Stone Chapel", an 18th century...
(1749) in Boston, Massachusetts as well as Christ Church, Cambridge
Christ Church, Cambridge
For other churches with this name, please see Christ Church Christ Church, at Zero Garden Street in Cambridge, Massachusetts, U.S.A., is a parish of the Episcopal Diocese of Massachusetts, and is a National Historic Landmark.-History:...
(1759-60).
Peter Harrison's unwavering dedication to Toryism and England brought ruin upon him during the turbulent years of the American Revolution. Just after his death in 1775, his home in New Haven, Connecticut
New Haven, Connecticut
New Haven is the second-largest city in Connecticut and the sixth-largest in New England. According to the 2010 Census, New Haven's population increased by 5.0% between 2000 and 2010, a rate higher than that of the State of Connecticut, and higher than that of the state's five largest cities, and...
was attacked by a mob of revolutionaries who burned his library and all of his original drawings. This act of political violence destroyed the collection of one of the most erudite architects of the colonial period and did not allow for a catalogue of his designs to be created for posterity.
Peter Harrison died in New Haven, Connecticut
New Haven, Connecticut
New Haven is the second-largest city in Connecticut and the sixth-largest in New England. According to the 2010 Census, New Haven's population increased by 5.0% between 2000 and 2010, a rate higher than that of the State of Connecticut, and higher than that of the state's five largest cities, and...
in 1775 and is buried in an un-marked grave at the New Haven Green
New Haven Green
The New Haven Green is a privately owned park and recreation area located in the downtown district of the city of New Haven, Connecticut. It comprises the central square of the nine-square settlement plan of the original Puritan colonists in New Haven, and was designed and surveyed by colonist...
.
External links
- from a Digital Archive of American Architecture
- http://www.flickr.com/photos/herzogbr/3714177960/