Theophilus Parsons Chandler, Jr.
Theophilus Parsons Chandler, Jr. (1845 – August 16, 1928) was a Philadelphia architect best remembered for his churches and country houses. He founded the Department of Architecture at the University of Pennsylvania (1890), and was its first head.
Career
Born in Boston, Massachusetts, Chandler was educated at Harvard University and in the atelier of Joseph Auguste Émile Vaudremer in Paris. Upon returning from France, he was employed by several offices in his native Boston. Under the aegis of landscape architect Robert Morris Copeland, he relocated to Philadelphia in 1872, to work on development of the planned community of Ridley Park, Pennsylvania.
On March 8, 1873, Chandler married Sophie Madeleine du Pont (1851–1931, no children). He designed country houses for a number of her relatives, including alterations to the mansion that is now the Winterthur Museum.[1]
He designed several of the original buildings for the Philadelphia Zoo, including the temporary North Gatehouse (1874–75, demolished after 1876), the Monkey House (1874–75, demolished 1898), the Eagle House (1874–75, demolished 1905), and the Bear Pits (1874–75, demolished 1977).[2]
Most notable for his ecclesiastical style, Chandler designed major urban churches, including Philadelphia's Church of the New Jerusalem (Swedenborgian), Tabernacle Presbyterian Church, and Bethlehem Presbyterian Church; as well as Pittsburgh's First Presbyterian Church and Third Presbyterian Church. He also designed exquisitely-detailed country churches, especially in the Philadelphia suburbs.
As founder and head of the University of Pennsylvania's Department of Architecture, Chandler essentially set forth the architectural climate in Philadelphia. He served as president of the Philadelphia Chapter of the AIA, and on the Board of Trustees of the Spring Garden Institute. He persuaded Warren P. Laird to move to Philadelphia to succeed him at Penn, and develop a curriculum based on that of the Ecole des Beaux-Arts. French architect Paul Cret, in turn, succeeded Laird.
Chandler was an early restoration architect, making often sympathetic additions to historic structures. He designed alterations to Independence Hall (1878, unbuilt), and doubled the width of John Haviland's 1838 Pennsylvania Fire Insurance Company (1902). The latter building was demolished in 1974, but its 4-story white-marble Egyptian-Revival facade stands at 508-10 Walnut Street in Philadelphia.
Chandler's papers, at the University of Pennsylvania Archives, include designs for furniture, a bridge, an elevated wire road (similar to a gondola), and his unsuccessful submission in the 1889 design competition for the Cathedral of Saint John the Divine, New York.[3]
Furniture designed by Chandler was exhibited at the Philadelphia Museum of Art in 1976.[4] The first retrospective exhibition of his works, Theophilus P. Chandler Jr.: Portrait of an American Architect, opened at the Athenaeum of Philadelphia September 8, and runs through November 12, 2010.[5]
Selected works
Churches
- Grace Memorial Church, Main St., Darlington, MD (1876–78).[6]
- Christ Church, Ridley Park, PA (1878–80).[7]
- Church of the New Jerusalem (Swedenborgian), 22nd & Chestnut Sts., Philadelphia, PA (c. 1881).[8] Now an office building.
- Tabernacle Presbyterian Church, 37th & Chestnut Sts., Philadelphia, PA (1883–86).[9] Now Tabernacle United Church.[10]
- Bethlehem Presbyterian Church, Broad & Diamond Sts., Philadelphia, PA (1887–89).[11] Now Berean Presbyterian Church.
- Church of St. Asaph, Conshohocken State & St. Asaph's Rds., Bala Cynwyd, PA (1888–93).[12]
- Trinity Episcopal Church, 1108 N. Adams St., Wilmington, DE (1890).[13] The Parish House and Rectory were designed by Frank Miles Day.
- Calvary Presbyterian Church, E. 3rd St. & Madison Ave., Washington, DC (c. 1893).
- Church of St. Martin, King of Prussia Rd., Radnor, PA (1894).[14]
- Third Presbyterian Church, 5701 Fifth Ave., Pittsburgh, PA (1897–1903).[15] Funded by the widow of William Thaw, the brownstone building was nicknamed, "Mrs. Thaw's chocolate church".[16]
- First Presbyterian Church, 6th & Wood Sts., Pittsburgh, PA (1903–05).[17]
- Christ Church Ithan, 536 Conestoga Rd., Villanova, PA (1919).[18]
Houses
- "Stonecliffe" (Thomas M. Stewart/Mrs. Charles Taylor mansion), 7 Caryl Ln., Chestnut Hill, Philadelphia, PA (1880–81).[19]
- "Ingeborg" (William Simpson, Jr. mansion), Overbrook, PA (1880–84, demolished 1920s).[20]
- "Fox Hill" (Rudolph Ellis mansion), Bryn Mawr & Ithan Aves., Bryn Mawr, PA (1881–82, destroyed by fire).[21][22] The gatehouse, cabin and east wing survive.
- Scott-Wanamaker townhouse, 2032 Walnut St., Philadelphia, PA (1883–86, demolished following a fire, 1981).[23] The facade survives, with modern townhouses built behind it.
- "Belmont" (Amzi L. Barber mansion), 1312 Clifton St. NW, Washington, DC (1883–86, demolished 1915).[24]
- "Rostrevor" (Samuel B. Brown mansion), Booth Ln., Haverford Station, PA (1884–86, demolished).[25]
- George Burnham townhouse, 3401 Powelton Ave., Philadelphia, PA (1886).[26]
- "Compton" (Lydia & John Thompson Morris mansion), Meadowbrook Ave., Chestnut Hill, Philadelphia, PA (1887–88, demolished 1968).[27] The grounds are now the Morris Arboretum.
- "Lyndhurst" (William & Mary C. Thaw mansion), 1165 Beechwood Blvd., Squirrel Hill, Pittsburgh, PA (1887–89?, demolished c. 1942). Mrs. Thaw was forced to sell "Lyndhurst" to raise funds for her son Harry's legal defence, after he murdered the architect Stanford White.
- St. Asaph's Rectory, Conshohocken State & St. Asaph Rds., Bala Cynwyd, PA (1888).[28]
- "Stirling" (James Hervey Sternbergh mansion), 1120 Centre Ave., Reading, PA (1890–92).[29]
- "Hillsover" (Lincoln Godfrey mansion), 560 Sproul Rd., Radnor, PA (1893).[30] Extensively altered by Paul Cret in 1926, and renamed "Launfal." Now the Academy of Notre Dame de Namur.
- "Langoma" (Joseph D. Potts mansion), Wyebrook, Chester County, PA (1897–1901).[31] Chandler's largest residence, the 67-room chateau is now a religious retreat operated by the Daughters of St. Mary of Providence.
- Bishop Alexander MacKay-Smith townhouse, 251 S. 22nd St., Philadelphia, PA (1903–04).
Other buildings
- Bear Pits, Philadelphia Zoo (1874–75, demolished 1977).[32]
- Thomas P. Duncan Mausoleum, Union Dale Cemetery, Pittsburgh, PA (1879).
- New Castle County Court House, 1000 Market St., Wilmington, DE (1879–80, demolished 1915).[33]
- Spring Garden Insurance Company, 431 Walnut St., Philadelphia, PA (1880–81, demolished 1960).[34]
- Philadelphia, Wilmington & Baltimore Railroad Station, French St., Wilmington, DE (1881, demolished 1905?). Frank Furness's French Street Station (1908) replaced it on the site.
- Hayes Mechanics Home for Men, 2210 Belmont Ave., Philadelphia, PA (1886). Now Hayes Manor Retirement Residence.[35]
- Commercial Union Assurance Company, 416-20 Walnut St., Philadelphia, PA (1889, demolished 1963).[36]
- Gladstone Apartment House, 1101 Pine St., Philadelphia, PA (1889–90, demolished 1971).[37][38] Now the site of Louis Kahn Park.
- North Philadelphia Station (Germantown Junction), Pennsylvania Railroad, 2900 N. Broad St., Philadelphia, PA (1896–1901).[39]
- Alterations to Pennsylvania Fire Insurance Company, 508-10 Walnut St., Philadelphia, PA (1902, demolished 1974, facade survives).[40]
- Goshen Road Bridge over Darby Creek, Broomall, PA (1905).[41]
Gallery
See also
References
- Joan Church Roberts, Theophilus P. Chandler, Jr.: Portrait of an American Architect (Athenaeum of Philadelphia, 2010).
- ^ Chandler Papers from Winterthur Library.
- ^ Roberts, pp. 45-47.
- ^ Theophilus P. Chandler Collection at Architectural Archives, University of Pennsylvania.
- ^ George E. Thomas, "Theophilus Parsons Chandler," Philadelphia: Three Centuries of American Art (Philadelphia Museum of Art, 1976), pp. 415-16.
- ^ Chandler exhibition at Athenaeum of Philadelphia.
- ^ Grace Memorial Church
- ^ Christ Church, Ridley Park
- ^ Church of the New Jerusalem from Flickr.
- ^ Tabernacle Presbyterian Church from HABS.
- ^ Tabernacle United Church
- ^ Berean Presbyterian Church from Preservation Alliance for Greater Philadelphia.
- ^ Church of St. Asaph
- ^ Trinity Church
- ^ Church of St. Martin from HABS.
- ^ Third Presbyterian Church of Pittsburgh
- ^ Roberts, p. 29.
- ^ First Presbyterian Church of Pittsburgh
- ^ Christ Church Ithan
- ^ Stonecliffe from Bryn Mawr College.
- ^ Ingeborg Moses King, Philadelphia and Notable Philadelphians (New York, 1901), p. 74. Photo caption: "The charmingly picturesque ivy-clad Elizabethan stone residence of the late William Simpson, Jr., of the venerable dry-goods house of Wm. Simpson, Sons & Co., president of Eddystone Mfg. Co., etc., in whose memory was built the beautiful stone Memorial Church of St. Paul at Overbrook. Theophilus P. Chandler, architect." From Bryn Mawr College.
- ^ Fox Hill from Bryn Mawr College.
- ^ detail
- ^ Scott-Wanamaker townhouse from HABS.
- ^ Belmont from Flickr.
- ^ Rostrevor from Bryn Mawr College.
- ^ Burnham house from HABS.
- ^ "Compton" from HABS.
- ^ St. Asaph's Rectory from Lower Merion Historical Society.
- ^ Stirling
- ^ Hillsover from HABS.
- ^ "Langoma" from RedBubble.
- ^ Bear Pits, Philadelphia Zoo from HABS.
- ^ John Thomas Scharf, History of Delaware: 1609-1888 (Philadelphia: L.J. Richards & Company, 1888), pp. 618-19.
- ^ Spring Garden Insurance Company from HABS.
- ^ Hayes Manor
- ^ Commercial Union Assurance Company from HABS.
- ^ Gladstone Apartments from Bryn Mawr College.
- ^ Gladstone Hotel from HABS.
- ^ North Philadelphia Station from HABS.
- ^ Pennsylvania Fire Insurance Company from HABS.
- ^ Delaware County Bridge Inventory, Bridge #65, pp. D-12-13, April 2007
External links
| Persondata |
| Name |
Chandler, Theophilus Parsons, Jr. |
| Alternative names |
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| Short description |
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| Date of birth |
1845 |
| Place of birth |
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| Date of death |
August 16, 1928 |
| Place of death |
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