John E. Tourtellotte

John Everett Tourtellotte (1869 – 1939) was a prominent western American architect, whose work included the Idaho State Capitol, the Boise City National Bank, Boise's Carnegie Library, and numerous other buildings for schools, universities, churches, and government institutions in Boise, Idaho.[1]

He was associated with partnerships John E. Tourtellotte & Company and Tourtellotte and Hummel, based in Boise. Works by these firms were covered in a 1982 study and many of the buildings were immediately or later listed on the National Register of Historic Places.[2][3]

Contents

Biography

Tourtellotte was born in East Thompson, Connecticut, to a well-respected French Huguenot family. His father, Charles W. Tourtellotte, was a prosperous farmer and grist-mill owner. At age 17, he enrolled as an apprentice to the architectural firm of Cutting & Bishop, based in Webster, Massachusetts, where he studied architectural drawing for two years. During this time, he supervised roof construction for the Butler Insane Asylum in Providence, Rhode Island, and the Anne & Hope factory in Lonsdale, which was then the largest factory in the United States.

Following his apprenticeship, Tourtellotte traveled westward, working on construction projects in Chicago, Kansas City, Albuquerque, and Pueblo, Colorado, before arriving in Boise in 1890, the year Idaho achieved statehood. His architectural and construction business thrived in Boise, and by 1894, Tourtellotte devoted his business entirely to architecture. In 1903, he formed a partnership with German immigrant Charles Hummel, a university-trained architect who had previously worked for Tourtellotte's architecture and construction business.[4]

Tourtellotte was known for combining architectural motifs from disparate styles and eras, and the domed Idaho State Capitol is celebrated for its use of natural light. To celebrate the opening of the state capitol, Tourtellotte wrote an essay where he compared the architectural styles of various eras to the state of spiritual and moral development of civilization evident during those times, with the use of illumination and light signifying the increasing spiritual enlightenment of humanity.[5]

His most famous work, the Idaho State Capitol, is currently undergoing an extensive restoration due to be completed in 2010.[6]

Tourtellotte also designed the Administration Building at the University of Idaho in Moscow. Construction of the Tudor Gothic-style structure began in 1907 and the main building was completed in 1909; its wings in 1912 and 1916. Based on the Hampton Court Palace in England, the UI Administration Building is a campus icon and was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1978, at age 69.[7]

Works

Works on the NRHP

Numerous buildings designed by Tourtellotte and associated firms are listed on the National Register of Historic Places.[3]

Other works

References

  1. ^ http://idahoptv.org/productions/specials/capitoloflight/architects.cfm
  2. ^ Patricia Wright (September 22, 1982). "Tourtellotte and Hummel Architecture Thematic Resources". National Register of Historic Places. National Park Service. http://pdfhost.focus.nps.gov/docs/NRHP/Text/64000170.pdf. 
  3. ^ a b "National Register Information System". National Register of Historic Places. National Park Service. 2009-03-13. http://nrhp.focus.nps.gov/natreg/docs/All_Data.html. 
  4. ^ History of Idaho. French, Hiriam T. The Lewis Publishing Company, 1914.
  5. ^ John E Tourtellotte: A Western Visionary, available online at http://www.capitolcommission.idaho.gov/pdf/history/Tourtellotte.pdf.
  6. ^ http://idahoptv.org/productions/specials/capitoloflight/
  7. ^ University of Idaho - special collections - UI buildings - A - accessed 2010-03-23
  8. ^ "Guide to the Fletcher P. Homan papers 1902–1923 at the Mark O. Hatfield Library". Northwest Digital Archives. http://nwda-db.wsulibs.wsu.edu/findaid/ark:/80444/xv94592. Retrieved July 25, 2011. 

External links