Gridley James Fox Bryant

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Gridley James Fox Bryant (August 29, 1816 – June 8, 1899) was a famous 19th century Boston architect and builder. His work was seen in custom houses, government buildings, churches, schoolhouses, and private residences across the United States.

Bryant was born to Marcia Winship Fox and Gridley Bryant, noted railway pioneer. He studied in his father's engineering office and that of Alexander Parris, then opened his own architect's office at the corner of Court and Washington streets. His first achievement was the design for the Broadway Savings Bank, South Boston, in the early 1830s. He married Louisa Bryant on September 9, 1839.

Bryant was a leading proponent of the Boston "Granite Style", and together with Arthur Gilman devised the Back Bay's gridiron street pattern. Some idea of his popularity as an architect may be had from the fact that 152 buildings that he designed were destroyed in the Boston fire of 1872, and he received commissions to rebuild 110 of them.

His projects included a number of well-known Boston landmarks such as the Quincy School (1847), the second addition to the Massachusetts State House (1853-1856 but demolished 1889), Boston's Mercantile Wharf Building (1857), Arlington Street Church (1860 with Arthur Gilman), Old City Hall (1862-65 with Arthur Gilman), the Charlestown State Prison and the Charles Street Jail. He also renovated the New Hampshire State House at Concord, New Hampshire, and built the first house in the Robert Treat Paine Estate.