Frost, Briggs & Chamberlain

Frost, Briggs & Chamberlain
Practice information
FoundersHoward Frost; Lucius W. Briggs; C. Leslie Chamberlain
Founded1899
LocationWorcester, Massachusetts
The former South High School in Worcester, designed by Frost, Briggs & Chamberlain in the Neoclassical style and completed in 1901.
The Slater Building in Worcester, designed by Frost, Briggs & Chamberlain in the Neoclassical style and completed in 1907.
The former Beaman Memorial Public Library, designed by Frost, Briggs & Chamberlain in the Colonial Revival style and completed in 1912.
The Leominster Municipal Building, designed by Frost & Chamberlain in the Neoclassical style and completed in 1915.
The former Worcester Boys Club, designed by Frost, Chamberlain & Edwards in the Colonial Revival style and completed in 1930.
The Shaughnessy Administration Building of Worcester State University, designed by Frost, Chamberlain & Edwards in the Colonial Revival style and completed in 1932.

Frost, Briggs & Chamberlain, later Frost & Chamberlain and Frost, Chamberlain & Edwards, was an early 20th century architectural firm based in Worcester, Massachusetts.

History

Frost, Briggs & Chamberlain was established in 1899 as the partnership of architects Howard Frost, Lucius W. Briggs and C. Leslie Chamberlain.[1] It was quickly successful, and completed a series of notable public and private projects. In 1912 the initial partnership was dissolved when Briggs left to form his own firm, the L. W. Briggs Company.[2] Frost and Chamberlain continued as the firm of Frost & Chamberlain. In 1923 the firm was reorganized as Frost, Chamberlain & Edwards when Lester B. Edwards joined the partnership.[3] Chamberlain died in 1939, followed by Frost in 1946 and Edwards in 1968.

Chiefly through Briggs' efforts, Frost, Briggs & Chamberlain emerged as the leading architectural firm in Worcester at the beginning of the twentieth century. He took much of this reputation with him when he established his own firm in 1912.[4] Though somewhat diminished, over the next twenty years Frost & Chamberlain and Frost, Chamberlain & Edwards were responsible for several major projects in the Worcester area.

Architect Wallace K. Harrison, a Worcester native, was employed by Frost & Chamberlain between 1913 and 1916.[5]

Partner biographies

Howard Frost

Howard Frost (December 30, 1859 – January 9, 1946) was born in Deep River, Connecticut, to John Hodgman Frost and Elizabeth Frost, née Low. He was educated in the Worcester public schools and at Harvard University, but withdrew at the end of his freshman year to join Fuller & Delano, Worcester architects.[6][7] In 1895 he became a partner in the firm, which was renamed Fuller, Delano & Frost. He was with this firm until establishing Frost, Briggs & Chamberlain.[1]

Frost died in Worcester at the age of 87.[8]

Lucius W. Briggs

Main article: Lucius W. Briggs

C. Leslie Chamberlain

Charles Leslie Chamberlain (1865 – 1939) was raised in North Andover. As a young man he worked for Fuller & Delano and was promoted to superintendent in 1888.[9] By 1893 he was working in the same role for Amos P. Cutting, and for him supervised the First Congregational Church (1894) in Nashua, New Hampshire.[10] Prior to joining Frost and Briggs he had been working for the Webb Granite and Construction Company of Worcester.[1]<

Chamberlain was married in 1891 to Elizabeth White Dennis of Worcester.[11] He died in 1939.[12]

Lester B. Edwards

Lester B. Edwards (1879 – 1968)[13] worked as a drafter for Briggs and for the Central Building Company before joining Frost & Chamberlain c. 1920.[14][15]

Works

Frost, Briggs & Chamberlain, 1899–1912

Frost & Chamberlain, 1912–1923

Frost, Chamberlain & Edwards, from 1923

Notes

  1. ^ A contributing resource to the Westminster Village–Academy Hill Historic District, NRHP-listed in 1983.
  2. ^ A contributing resource to the Clark University historic district, NRHP-listed in 1980.
  3. ^ A contributing resource to the Lincoln Estate–Elm Park Historic District, NRHP-listed in 1983.
  4. ^ A contributing resource to the Charlton Center Historic District, NRHP-listed in 1995.
  5. ^ a b c NRHP-listed.
  6. ^ a b A contributing resource to the Institutional District, NRHP-listed in 1980.
  7. ^ A contributing resource to the Monument Square Historic District, NRHP-listed in 1982.
  8. ^ A contributing resource to the Main and Franklin Streets Historic District, NRHP-listed in 2022.
  9. ^ Demolished or destroyed.
  10. ^ A contributing resource to the Sterling Center Historic District, NRHP-listed in 1988.

References

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Frost, Briggs & Chamberlain.
  1. ^ a b c "Architects' removals, etc." in American Architect and Building News 64, no. 1225 (June 17, 1899): ix.
  2. ^ Charles Nutt, "Lucius Wallace Briggs," in History of Worcester and its People, vol. 4 (New York: Lewis Historical Publishing Company, 1919): 711.
  3. ^ "Personals," Pencil Points 4, no. 8 (August 1923): 63.
  4. ^ "Died" in Architectural Forum 73, no. 4 (October 1940): 68.
  5. ^ Victoria Newhouse, Wallace K. Harrison, Architect (New York: Random House, 1989): 5-7.
  6. ^ Harvard College, Class of 1883, Secretary's Report No. 1 (Cambridge: Wheeler, printer, 1883): 92.
  7. ^ Class of 1883, Harvard College, Thirtieth Anniversary, 1883–1913, Sixth Report (Boston: E. O. Cockayne, printer, 1913): 225.
  8. ^ Harvard Alumni Bulletin 48, no. 10 (1946): 411.
  9. ^ "North Andover," Andover Townsman, April 20, 1888, 5.
  10. ^ "North Andover," Andover Townsman, April 13, 1893, 8.
  11. ^ "North Andover," Andover Townsman, September 6, 1895, 8.
  12. ^ Gravesite, Hope Cemetery, Worcester, Massachusetts.
  13. ^ Gravesite, Hope Cemetery, Worcester, Massachusetts.
  14. ^ Charles Nutt, History of Worcester and its People, vol. 2 (New York: Lewis Historical Publishing Company, 1919): 896.
  15. ^ Worcester directories
  16. ^ Engineering Record 5 Aug. 1899: 212.
  17. ^ Public Library Bulletin Sept. 1901: 131.
  18. ^ Historic Building Detail: WOR.276, Massachusetts Cultural Resource Information System, no date. Accessed October 1, 2024.
  19. ^ American Architect and Building News (June 28, 1902): xii.
  20. ^ "Bullock, Chandler House". mhc-macris.net. Massachusetts Historical Commission, n.d.
  21. ^ Charles J. McIntyre, Address at the Dedication of the Dexter Memorial Town Hall, Charlton, Mass (1905)
  22. ^ School Board Journal (June 1904): 28.
  23. ^ Real Estate Record and Builders' Guide (April 1, 1905): 730.
  24. ^ Domestic Engineering (February 13, 1909): 205.
  25. ^ Worcester Magazine (March, 1915): xiv.
  26. ^ "Worcester's Newest Office Building". Worcester Magazine April 1907: 75.
  27. ^ Arthur W. Brayley, History of the Granite Industry of New England. 1913.
  28. ^ Historic Building Detail: GAR.215, Massachusetts Cultural Resource Information System, no date. Accessed October 1, 2024.
  29. ^ Metal Worker, Plumer and Steam Fitter (July 3, 1909): 71.
  30. ^ Report of the Free Public Library Commission (January, 1912)
  31. ^ Engineering News (July 10, 1913): 30.
  32. ^ "The Street Lad's Paradise" in Worcester Magazine (November 1915): 271.
  33. ^ Electrical World (December 21, 1918): 1206.
  34. ^ Domestic Engineering (March 25, 1922): 555.
  35. ^ Historic Building Detail: WOR.795, Massachusetts Cultural Resource Information System, no date. Accessed October 1, 2024.
  36. ^ Worcester city reports for 1927
  37. ^ Historic Building Detail: FIT.1302, Massachusetts Cultural Resource Information System, no date. Accessed October 1, 2024.
  38. ^ Frank J. Morrill, William O. Hultgren and Eric J. Salomonsson. Postcard History Series: Worcester (2005)
  39. ^ F. J. Osborn, Green-Belt Cities: The British Contribution (London: Faber and Faber Ltd., 1946): 9.
  40. ^ Power 73, no. 16 (April 21, 1931): 648.
  41. ^ https://mhc-macris.net/details?mhcid=wor.2297 Historic Building Detail: WOR.2297], Massachusetts Cultural Resource Information System, no date. Accessed October 1, 2024.
  42. ^ Massachusetts Teacher (1929): 366.
  43. ^ Iron Age (1933): 56.