William Appleton Potter
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 designed numerous buildings for Princeton University
Princeton University
Princeton University is a private research university located in Princeton, New Jersey, United States. The school is one of the eight universities of the Ivy League, and is one of the nine Colonial Colleges founded before the American Revolution....
, as well as municipal offices and churches. He served as a Supervising Architect of the Treasury
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 1874 to 1877.
Biography
Born in 1842 in Schenectady, New YorkSchenectady, New York
Schenectady is a city in Schenectady County, New York, United States, of which it is the county seat. As of the 2010 census, the city had a population of 66,135...
, Potter grew up in Philadelphia and attended Union College
Union College
Union College is a private, non-denominational liberal arts college located in Schenectady, New York, United States. Founded in 1795, it was the first institution of higher learning chartered by the New York State Board of Regents. In the 19th century, it became the "Mother of Fraternities", as...
. Potter was the son of Bishop Alonzo Potter
Alonzo Potter
The Right Reverend Alonzo Potter was an American bishop of the Episcopal Church in the United States who served as the third Bishop of Pennsylvania.-Early life:...
and had eight brothers, including:
- Clarkson Nott PotterClarkson Nott PotterClarkson Nott Potter was an American civil engineer, then a practising lawyer in New York City, and in 1869-1875 and in 1877-1881 a Democratic member of the United States House of Representatives. He was President of the American Bar Association from 1881 to 1882.-Family:Potter was the son of...
(1825–1882), Democratic member of the House of RepresentativesUnited States House of RepresentativesThe United States House of Representatives is one of the two Houses of the United States Congress, the bicameral legislature which also includes the Senate.The composition and powers of the House are established in Article One of the Constitution...
after the Civil WarAmerican Civil WarThe American Civil War was a civil war fought in the United States of America. In response to the election of Abraham Lincoln as President of the United States, 11 southern slave states declared their secession from the United States and formed the Confederate States of America ; the other 25... - Howard PotterHoward PotterHoward Potter was an industrialist, investment banker, diplomat and philanthropist, and a partner in Brown Bros. & Co..He was born in Schenectady, New York on July 8, 1826 and died in London, England on March 24, 1897...
(1826–1897) Banker, Senior Partner in Brown Shipley - Robert Brown PotterRobert Brown PotterRobert Brown Potter was a United States lawyer and a Union Army general in the American Civil War.-Early life:...
(1829–1887), United States General in the Civil War - Henry Codman PotterHenry Codman PotterHenry Codman Potter was a bishop of the Episcopal Church of the United States. He was the seventh Bishop of the Episcopal Diocese of New York.-Life:...
(1835–1908), succeeded Horatio PotterHoratio PotterThe Right Reverend Horatio Potter , was an Episcopal Bishop in the Diocese of New York.The youngest brother of Bishop Alonzo Potter, he was born near Beekman , Dutchess County, New York on 9 February 1802, to Quaker farmers Joseph and Anne Potter...
as Bishop of New York in 1887 - Eliphalet Nott Potter (1836–1901), professor and president of Union College and Hobart CollegeHobart and William Smith CollegesHobart and William Smith Colleges, located in Geneva, New York, are together a liberal arts college offering Bachelor of Arts, Bachelor of Science and Master of Arts in Teaching degrees. In athletics, however, the two schools compete with separate teams, known as the Hobart Statesmen and the...
- Potter's half-brother Edward Tuckerman PotterEdward Tuckerman PotterEdward Tuckerman Potter was an American architect best known for designing the 1871 Mark Twain House in Hartford, Connecticut. With his half-brother William Appleton Potter, he also designed Nott Memorial Hall at his alma mater, Union College, Schenectady, New York...
(1831–1904), architect who designed the Nott MemorialNott MemorialThe Nott Memorial is an elaborate 16-sided stone-masonry building which serves as both architectural and physical centerpiece of Union College in Schenectady, New York...
at Union CollegeUnion CollegeUnion College is a private, non-denominational liberal arts college located in Schenectady, New York, United States. Founded in 1795, it was the first institution of higher learning chartered by the New York State Board of Regents. In the 19th century, it became the "Mother of Fraternities", as...
He became an assistant professor at Columbia College
Columbia College of Columbia University
Columbia College is the oldest undergraduate college at Columbia University, situated on the university's main campus in Morningside Heights in the borough of Manhattan in New York City. It was founded in 1754 by the Church of England as King's College, receiving a Royal Charter from King George II...
, where he taught chemistry
Chemistry
Chemistry is the science of matter, especially its chemical reactions, but also its composition, structure and properties. Chemistry is concerned with atoms and their interactions with other atoms, and particularly with the properties of chemical bonds....
for a year, after which he spent another year touring France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
. His collegiate background distinguished him from most architects of the first half of the 19th-century, who received their training through apprenticeship in the building trades and sometimes in the offices of practicing architects. The apprenticeship tradition was still strong, however, and Potter received his professional training first in the New York
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...
office of George B. Post
George B. Post
George Browne Post was an American architect trained in the Beaux-Arts tradition.-Biography:Post was a student of Richard Morris Hunt , but unlike many architects of his generation, he had previously received a degree in civil engineering...
, and then in his half-brother's office at Schenectady.
Potter died February 19, 1909. Among his apprentices was the architect James Brown Lord
James Brown Lord
James Brown Lord was an American architect, working in a Beaux-Arts idiom, with a practice in New York City. His Appellate Court House was his most prominent commission, noted at the time of his premature death, at the age of forty-three...
.
Career
Princeton University
Princeton University is a private research university located in Princeton, New Jersey, United States. The school is one of the eight universities of the Ivy League, and is one of the nine Colonial Colleges founded before the American Revolution....
was Potter's first major commission. In it, he took the High Victorian Gothic vocabulary and octagonal form used by his half-brother for the Nott Memorial
Nott Memorial
The Nott Memorial is an elaborate 16-sided stone-masonry building which serves as both architectural and physical centerpiece of Union College in Schenectady, New York...
at Union College
Union College
Union College is a private, non-denominational liberal arts college located in Schenectady, New York, United States. Founded in 1795, it was the first institution of higher learning chartered by the New York State Board of Regents. In the 19th century, it became the "Mother of Fraternities", as...
, and elaborated it into a complex interplay of octagons of various sizes and shapes. For Princeton, retaining Potter represented a shift from dependence on Philadelphia architects to a New York practitioner. He would receive from the college an honorary Master of Arts
Master of Arts (postgraduate)
A Master of Arts from the Latin Magister Artium, is a type of Master's degree awarded by universities in many countries. The M.A. is usually contrasted with the M.S. or M.Sc. degrees...
degree in 1872, and go on to design several other buildings on campus.
From 1874 to 1877, Potter served as supervising architect of the United States Treasury. Under his supervision, designs were produced for customhouses, courthouses, and post offices in 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...
, Indiana
Indiana
Indiana is a US state, admitted to the United States as the 19th on December 11, 1816. It is located in the Midwestern United States and Great Lakes Region. With 6,483,802 residents, the state is ranked 15th in population and 16th in population density. Indiana is ranked 38th in land area and is...
, Massachusetts
Massachusetts
The Commonwealth of Massachusetts is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States of America. It is bordered by Rhode Island and Connecticut to the south, New York to the west, and Vermont and New Hampshire to the north; at its east lies the Atlantic Ocean. As of the 2010...
, Georgia
Georgia (U.S. state)
Georgia is a state located in the southeastern United States. It was established in 1732, the last of the original Thirteen Colonies. The state is named after King George II of Great Britain. Georgia was the fourth state to ratify the United States Constitution, on January 2, 1788...
, and Tennessee
Tennessee
Tennessee 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...
.
Concurrent with his years at the U.S. Treasury, Potter formed a partnership with Robert Henderson Robertson
Robert Henderson Robertson
Robert Henderson Robertson was an American architect who designed numerous houses, institutional buildings and churches.-Life and career:...
. From 1875 to 1881, along with major public projects, the firm produced summer vacation cottages 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 Jersey Shore
Jersey Shore
The Jersey Shore is a term used to refer to both the Atlantic coast of the U.S. state of New Jersey and the adjacent resort and residential communities. . The New Jersey State Department of Tourism considers the Shore Region, Greater Atlantic City, and the Southern Shore to be distinct, each having...
. This included the Adam-Derby House
Adam-Derby House
Adam-Derby House is a historic home located at Oyster Bay in Nassau County, New York. It was built in 1878 and designed by noted architects William Appleton Potter and Robert Henderson Robertson during their partnership as Potter & Robertson. From 1914 to 1977, it was the home of Ethel Roosevelt...
at Oyster Bay, New York.
Commissions
- South Congregational Church (Springfield, Massachusetts)South Congregational Church (Springfield, Massachusetts)South Congregational Church is a historic church at 45 Maple Street in Springfield, Massachusetts.The church was built in 1875 to designs by William Appleton Potter and added to the National Historic Register in 1976.-External links:*...
(1871–1875) - Chancellor Green Library, Princeton UniversityPrinceton UniversityPrinceton University is a private research university located in Princeton, New Jersey, United States. The school is one of the eight universities of the Ivy League, and is one of the nine Colonial Colleges founded before the American Revolution....
(1871–1873) - John C. Green Science building, Princeton (1873–1875) (razed)
- Berkshire AthenaeumBerkshire AthenaeumThe Berkshire Athenaeum is a public library based on a previously private athenaeum, and now located at 1 Wendell Avenue, Pittsfield, Massachusetts in the Berkshires, USA. Like many New England libraries, the Berkshire Athenaeum started as a private organization.A private Public Library...
, Pittsfield, MassachusettsPittsfield, MassachusettsPittsfield is the largest city and the county seat of Berkshire County, Massachusetts, United States. It is the principal city of the Pittsfield, Massachusetts Metropolitan Statistical Area which encompasses all of Berkshire County. Its area code is 413. Its ZIP code is 01201...
(1874–1876) - Belleville Avenue Congregational ChurchBelleville Avenue Congregational ChurchBelleville Avenue Congregational Church is a historic church at 151 Broadway in Newark, New Jersey.It was built in 1874 and added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1986....
, Newark, New JerseyNewark, New JerseyNewark is the largest city in the American state of New Jersey, and the seat of Essex County. As of the 2010 United States Census, Newark had a population of 277,140, maintaining its status as the largest municipality in New Jersey. It is the 68th largest city in the U.S...
(1874) - Witherspoon Hall, Princeton (1875–1877)
- Stuart Hall at Princeton Theological SeminaryPrinceton Theological SeminaryPrinceton Theological Seminary is a theological seminary of the Presbyterian Church located in the Borough of Princeton, New Jersey in the United States...
(1875–1877) - The University Hotel, Princeton (1875–1877, with partner Robert Henderson RobertsonRobert Henderson RobertsonRobert Henderson Robertson was an American architect who designed numerous houses, institutional buildings and churches.-Life and career:...
) (razed) - Robinson Library, Brown UniversityBrown UniversityBrown University is a private, Ivy League university located in Providence, Rhode Island, United States. Founded in 1764 prior to American independence from the British Empire as the College in the English Colony of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations early in the reign of King George III ,...
, Providence, Rhode IslandProvidence, Rhode IslandProvidence is the capital and most populous city of Rhode Island and was one of the first cities established in the United States. Located in Providence County, it is the third largest city in the New England region...
(1875–1878, with partner Robert Henderson RobertsonRobert Henderson RobertsonRobert Henderson Robertson was an American architect who designed numerous houses, institutional buildings and churches.-Life and career:...
) - Charles H. Baldwin HouseCharles H. Baldwin HouseCharles H. Baldwin House is a historic house on Bellevue Avenue in Newport, Rhode Island.William Appleton Potter and Robert Anderson built the house in the mid-nineteenth century as an excellent example of American shingle style architecture. The house was later added to the National Register of...
, Newport, Rhode Island (1877–78, with partner Robert Henderson RobertsonRobert Henderson RobertsonRobert Henderson Robertson was an American architect who designed numerous houses, institutional buildings and churches.-Life and career:...
) - St. James Protestant Episcopal Chapel; known as the Church of the PresidentsChurch of the Presidents (New Jersey)The Church of the Presidents is a former Episcopal chapel on the Jersey Shore where seven United States presidents worshiped. It was visited by presidents Chester A. Arthur, James Garfield, Ulysses S. Grant, Benjamin Harrison, Rutherford Hayes, William McKinley, and Woodrow Wilson...
, Elberon, New JerseyElberon, New JerseyElberon is an unincorporated area that is part of Long Branch in Monmouth County, New Jersey, United States. The area is served as United States Postal Service ZIP code 07740....
(1879, with partner Robert Henderson RobertsonRobert Henderson RobertsonRobert Henderson Robertson was an American architect who designed numerous houses, institutional buildings and churches.-Life and career:...
) - Christ Church, Poughkeepsie, New YorkPoughkeepsie (city), New YorkPoughkeepsie is a city in the state of New York, United States, which serves as the county seat of Dutchess County. Poughkeepsie is located in the Hudson River Valley midway between New York City and Albany...
(1887–1889) - St. Martin's Church, 230 Lenox Avenue (1888) (NYCL)
- St. Agnes ChapelSt. Agnes Chapel (New York City)St. Agnes Chapel was an Upper West Side Episcopal "plant chapel" of Trinity Church , one of many. It was located at 121-147 West 91st Street, between Amsterdam and Columbus Avenues...
, New York City (1890–1892; razed 1944) - Alexander Hall, Princeton (1891–1894)
- Church of St. Paul & St. Andrew, 236 West 86th Street (1895)
- First Reformed Dutch church, Somerville, New JerseySomerville, New JerseySomerville is a borough in Somerset County, New Jersey, United States. As of the 2010 United States Census, the borough population was 12,098. It is the county seat of Somerset County....
(1896–1897) - East Pyne Building, Princeton (1896–1897)
- Church of the Divine Paternity (Fourth Universalist Society)Fourth Universalist Society of New YorkThe Fourth Universalist Society of New York is a congregation within the Unitarian Universalist Association. It is the last surviving Universalist congregation in Manhattan....
, 160 Central Park West (1898) - Advent Lutheran Church (New York City)Advent Lutheran Church (New York City)Advent Lutheran Church is a Lutheran church located in the Upper West Side, Manhattan, New York City. The church building was designed by the architectural firm of William Appleton Potter .-Description:...
(1900) - Townhouse, 33 East 67th Street, New York, New York (1903)
Greenwich Point
Potter was the uncle of Mrs. J. Kennedy Tod (Maria Howard Potter) daughter of Howard Potter, and in 1887 Potter designed Innis Arden House and several other buildings for Mr. and Mrs. Tod's Greenwich, ConnecticutGreenwich, Connecticut
Greenwich is a town in Fairfield County, Connecticut, United States. As of the 2010 census, the town had a total population of 61,171. It is home to many hedge funds and other financial service companies. Greenwich is the southernmost and westernmost municipality in Connecticut and is 38+ minutes ...
estate, known as Innis Arden. Today the 147 acre (0.59488842 km²) estate is a public park in Greenwich, known as Greenwich Point. Several original buildings on the estate remain, including the Old Barn (circa 1887), which is the oldest extant building at Greenwich Point and is slated for restoration by the Greenwich Point Conservancy, and the Innis Arden Cottage, which was designed by an associate of Potter, Katherine C. Budd, an early and prominent woman architect. The 1903 Innis Arden Cottage is undergoing complete restoration under the leadership of the Greenwich Point Conservancy, and will open to the public in Spring 2011.