Henry Austin (architect)
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| Henry Austin | |
| Personal Information | |
|---|---|
| Name | Henry Austin |
| Nationality | American |
| Birth date | December 4, 1804 |
| Birth place | Mt. Carmel, Connecticut |
| Date of death | December 17, 1891 |
| Place of death | New Haven, Connecticut |
| Work | |
| Significant Buildings | Grove Street Cemetery Gates James Dwight Dana House |
Henry Austin (December 4, 1804—December 17, 1891) was a prominent and prolific American architect based in New Haven, Connecticut. He practiced for more than fifty years and designed many public buildings and homes primarily in the New Haven area.
Austin was born in Mt. Carmel, Connecticut in 1804 and was the son of Daniel and Adah (Dorman) Austin. He first worked as a carpenter's apprentice and then began his career in architecture working for Ithiel Town. In 1836, he opened his own office. He worked in many styles throughout his career including the revival styles popular in the nineteenth century.
Austin died in 1891 in New Haven and is interred in Grove Street Cemetery, whose famous gates he designed.
[edit] Selected Works
- Yale College Library (Dwight Hall), Yale University, 1842-1845. Gothic revival.
- Grove Street Cemetery Gates, 1848-1849. Egyptian revival. Austin also designed the cemetery chapel.
- James Dwight Dana House, Yale University, 1845-1848. On Hillhouse Avenue.
- Willis Bristol House, New Haven, 1845. Islamic Revival.
- New Haven Railroad Station, 1848-1849. Italianate and Asian styles. Destroyed.
- Moses Yale Beach House, Wallingford, Connecticut, 1850. Razed.
- 604 Chapel Street, New Haven, 1852. Italian Villa.
- John Pitkin Norton House, Yale University, 1849, Tuscan/Italian Villa on Hillhouse Avenue.
- Additions to the Ithiel Town-designed mansion, for Joseph Earl Sheffield on Hillhouse Avenue. Razed in 1957.
- Morse-Libby House (Victoria Mansion), Portland, Maine, 1858-1860. An asymmetric brownstone Italian villa with a four-story tower and ornate carvings.
- New Haven City Hall, 1861. Victorian Gothic. The façade of this building is now incorporated into the new City Hall, built in 1986.
- Davies Mansion (Betts House), Yale University. Victorian.
- W. J. Clark House, Branford, Connecticut, 1879-1880. Stick style.
[edit] Sources
- Brown, Elizabeth M.: "New Haven: A Guide to Architecture and Urban Design", Yale University Press, New Haven, Connecticut, 1976.
- "Henry Austin", International Dictionary of Architects and Architecture. St. James Press, 1993.
