Parris was born in Halifax, Massachusetts. At the age of 16, he apprenticed to a housewright in Pembroke, but talent led him towards architecture. Married to Silvina Bonney Stetson in 1800, he moved to Portland, Maine, which was then experiencing a building boom. The city had been bombarded during the Revolution by the Royal Navy, reducing three-quarters to ashes in 1775. But following the war, its trade recovered, almost challenging Boston as the busiest port in New England. Parris received numerous residential and commercial commissions, working in the fashionable style of architect Charles Bulfinch. Like most housewrights of the era, he often used elements derived directly from English architectural books, or those published in the United States by Asher Benjamin. Unfortunately, some of his designs were lost in the Great Fire of 1866, but early photographs and Parris' surviving drawings bespeak works of neoclassical artistry and taste.
The boom would end, however, with Jefferson'sEmbargo of 1807, which lasted 14 months and devastated Portland's mercantile base. Merchants went bankrupt. The Portland Bank, its building designed by Parris, failed. By 1809, construction in the city had come to a halt. Parris left for Richmond, Virginia, where he designed the Wickham House and the Executive Mansion. But architect Benjamin Latrobe examined Parris' preliminary plans for the Wickham House, which resembled his previous Federal style works in Portland, and gave it a blistering review. Latrobe's advice left a profound imprint on the future work of Parris, beginning with the building's revised design. Consequently, the Wickham House is considered a watershed design by Parris, marking the shift from his earlier Adamesque period towards his later, more severe, monumental and architectonic period. In the War of 1812, he served in Plattsburgh, New York as a Captain of the Artificers (engineers), gaining knowledge of military requirements for engineering.
Boston and federal patronage
In 1815, he moved to Boston, where he found a position in the office of Charles Bulfinch. Like his famous employer, Parris produced refined residences, churches and commercial buildings. When in 1817 Bulfinch was called to Washington to work on the U.S. Capitol Building, Parris helped complete the Bulfinch Building home of the Ether Dome at Massachusetts General Hospital. With Bulfinch's departure, Parris soon became the city's leading architect, and a proponent of what would be called "Boston Granite Style," with austere, monolithic stonework. Around 1818-1823 he kept an office on Court Street.[1] He belonged to the Massachusetts Charitable Mechanic Association.[2]
In 1824, however, he began a twenty-year association working for the Boston Navy Yard in Charlestown. He would end his career as chief engineer at the Portsmouth Naval Shipyard in Kittery, Maine. With the federal government as patron, Parris produced plans for numerous utilitarian structures, from storehouses to ropewalks, and was superintendent of construction at one of the nation's first drydocks, located at the Charlestown base. Today, he is fondly remembered for his stalwart stone lighthouses, commissioned by the U.S. Treasury Department. They are often of a tapered form termed "windswept."
Parris balanced the delicacy of his "superb draftsmanship," as it was called, with the coarseness of his building material of choice: granite. His most famous building, Quincy Market, is made of it. Parris died in Pembroke, where he is interred in the Briggs Burying Ground.
^Joseph Jenkins. An address delivered before the Massachusetts Charitable Mechanick Association, December 17, 1818, being the anniversary of the choice of officers, and fourth triennial celebration of their public festival. (Boston: Munroe & Francis, 1819)
Richard M. Candee, "Maine Towns, Maine People -- Architecture and the Community, 1783-1820," a chapter in Maine in the Early Republic; Maine Historical Society & Maine Humanities Council; University Press of New England, Hanover & London 1988
Arthur Gerrier, "Alexander Parris' Portland Years, 1801-1809," Landmarks Observer (Greater Portland Landmarks, Inc.), VIII, November–December 1981, pp. 10–11
Edward F. Zimmer, Pamela J. Scott, "Alexander Parris, B. Henry Latrobe and the John Wickham House in Richmond, Virginia," The Journal of the Society of Architectural Historians, Vol. 41, No. 3 (October, 1982), pp. 202–211
The Bulfinch Building: State of the Art from the Start, R. Tomsho, Massachusetts General Hospital Magazine, 2011
External links
Wikimedia Commons has media related to Alexander Parris.
Quincy Market (1824-1826), Boston, Massachusetts
Wickham House (1812), Richmond Virginia
January 07, 2023
alexander, parris, november, 1780, june, 1852, prominent, american, architect, engineer, beginning, housewright, evolved, into, architect, whose, work, transitioned, from, federal, style, architecture, later, greek, revival, parris, taught, ammi, young, among,. Alexander Parris November 24 1780 June 16 1852 was a prominent American architect engineer Beginning as a housewright he evolved into an architect whose work transitioned from Federal style architecture to the later Greek Revival Parris taught Ammi B Young and was among the group of architects influential in founding what would become the American Institute of Architects He is also responsible for the designs of many lighthouses along the coastal Northeastern United States Alexander ParrisBorn 1780 11 24 November 24 1780Halifax MassachusettsDiedJune 16 1852 1852 06 16 aged 71 Pembroke MassachusettsNationalityAmericanOccupationArchitectParent s Mercy ThompsonMatthew ParrisBuildingsVirginia Executive MansionQuincy Market Contents 1 Early life and work 2 Boston and federal patronage 3 Designs 4 References 5 External linksEarly life and work EditParris was born in Halifax Massachusetts At the age of 16 he apprenticed to a housewright in Pembroke but talent led him towards architecture Married to Silvina Bonney Stetson in 1800 he moved to Portland Maine which was then experiencing a building boom The city had been bombarded during the Revolution by the Royal Navy reducing three quarters to ashes in 1775 But following the war its trade recovered almost challenging Boston as the busiest port in New England Parris received numerous residential and commercial commissions working in the fashionable style of architect Charles Bulfinch Like most housewrights of the era he often used elements derived directly from English architectural books or those published in the United States by Asher Benjamin Unfortunately some of his designs were lost in the Great Fire of 1866 but early photographs and Parris surviving drawings bespeak works of neoclassical artistry and taste The Executive Mansion at Richmond Virginia c 1905 The boom would end however with Jefferson s Embargo of 1807 which lasted 14 months and devastated Portland s mercantile base Merchants went bankrupt The Portland Bank its building designed by Parris failed By 1809 construction in the city had come to a halt Parris left for Richmond Virginia where he designed the Wickham House and the Executive Mansion But architect Benjamin Latrobe examined Parris preliminary plans for the Wickham House which resembled his previous Federal style works in Portland and gave it a blistering review Latrobe s advice left a profound imprint on the future work of Parris beginning with the building s revised design Consequently the Wickham House is considered a watershed design by Parris marking the shift from his earlier Adamesque period towards his later more severe monumental and architectonic period In the War of 1812 he served in Plattsburgh New York as a Captain of the Artificers engineers gaining knowledge of military requirements for engineering Boston and federal patronage EditIn 1815 he moved to Boston where he found a position in the office of Charles Bulfinch Like his famous employer Parris produced refined residences churches and commercial buildings When in 1817 Bulfinch was called to Washington to work on the U S Capitol Building Parris helped complete the Bulfinch Building home of the Ether Dome at Massachusetts General Hospital With Bulfinch s departure Parris soon became the city s leading architect and a proponent of what would be called Boston Granite Style with austere monolithic stonework Around 1818 1823 he kept an office on Court Street 1 He belonged to the Massachusetts Charitable Mechanic Association 2 Quincy Market in 1830 Boston Massachusetts In 1824 however he began a twenty year association working for the Boston Navy Yard in Charlestown He would end his career as chief engineer at the Portsmouth Naval Shipyard in Kittery Maine With the federal government as patron Parris produced plans for numerous utilitarian structures from storehouses to ropewalks and was superintendent of construction at one of the nation s first drydocks located at the Charlestown base Today he is fondly remembered for his stalwart stone lighthouses commissioned by the U S Treasury Department They are often of a tapered form termed windswept Parris balanced the delicacy of his superb draftsmanship as it was called with the coarseness of his building material of choice granite His most famous building Quincy Market is made of it Parris died in Pembroke where he is interred in the Briggs Burying Ground Designs Edit United First Parish Church 1828 Quincy Massachusetts exterior and interior 1801 Joseph Holt Ingraham House Portland Maine 1803 1804 Maine Fire amp Marine Insurance Company Building Portland Maine 1804 James Deering House Portland Maine 1805 Commodore Edward Preble House Portland Maine 1805 Hunnewell Shepley House Portland Maine 1806 1807 Portland Bank Portland Maine 1807 St John s Church Portsmouth New Hampshire 1809 1810 Moses Payson House Bath New Hampshire 1812 Wickham House Richmond Virginia 1813 Executive Mansion Richmond Virginia 1816 Watertown Arsenal Watertown Massachusetts 1818 39 and 40 Beacon Street Boston Massachusetts 1819 Cathedral Church of St Paul Boston Massachusetts 1819 David Sears House now the Somerset Club Boston Massachusetts 1819 Appleton Parker House or Nathan Appleton Residence Boston Massachusetts 1822 St Paul s Episcopal Church Windsor Vermont 1824 Pilgrim Hall Plymouth Massachusetts 1824 1826 Quincy Market Boston Massachusetts 1828 United First Parish Church Quincy Massachusetts 1831 Barnstable County Courthouse Barnstable Massachusetts 1834 St Joseph s Church Boston Massachusetts 1834 Ropewalk Boston Navy Yard Charlestown Massachusetts 1836 Chelsea Naval Hospital Chelsea Massachusetts 1837 Chelsea Naval Magazine Chelsea Massachusetts 1839 Saddleback Ledge Lighthouse between the islands of Vinalhaven and Isle au Haut Maine 1847 Mount Desert Rock Lighthouse south of Mount Desert Island Maine 1848 Libby Island Lighthouse Machiasport Maine at the entrance to Machias Bay 1848 Matinicus Rock Lighthouse 6 miles south of Matinicus Island Maine 1848 Whitehead Island Lighthouse Whitehead Island Maine southern entrance to Penobscot Bay 1849 Execution Rocks Lighthouse Long Island Sound New York 1850 Monhegan Island Lighthouse Monhegan Island Maine Wickham House 1812 Richmond Virginia Somerset Club 1819 Boston Massachusetts Pilgrim Hall 1824 Plymouth Massachusetts Execution Rocks Light 1849 Long Island Sound The Bulfinch Building State of the Art from the Start References Edit Boston Directory 1818 1823 Joseph Jenkins An address delivered before the Massachusetts Charitable Mechanick Association December 17 1818 being the anniversary of the choice of officers and fourth triennial celebration of their public festival Boston Munroe amp Francis 1819 Richard M Candee Maine Towns Maine People Architecture and the Community 1783 1820 a chapter in Maine in the Early Republic Maine Historical Society amp Maine Humanities Council University Press of New England Hanover amp London 1988 Arthur Gerrier Alexander Parris Portland Years 1801 1809 Landmarks Observer Greater Portland Landmarks Inc VIII November December 1981 pp 10 11 Edward F Zimmer Pamela J Scott Alexander Parris B Henry Latrobe and the John Wickham House in Richmond Virginia The Journal of the Society of Architectural Historians Vol 41 No 3 October 1982 pp 202 211 The Bulfinch Building State of the Art from the Start R Tomsho Massachusetts General Hospital Magazine 2011External links Edit Wikimedia Commons has media related to Alexander Parris Alexander Parris Digital Project Moses Payson House 1809 1810 Quincy Market 1824 1826 Boston Massachusetts Wickham House 1812 Richmond Virginia Wickham House The Valentine Richmond History Center Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Alexander Parris amp oldid 961793704, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
