Richard Morris Hunt: Architect of the Gilded Age

Born:

October 31, 1827 in Brattleboro, Vermont

Died:

July 31, 1895

Education:

Richard Morris Hunt was born into a wealthy family. He traveled extensively through Europe and studied in Geneva, Switzerland and at the École des Beaux-Arts in Paris. He was made an assistant at the École in 1854.

Mansions by Richard Morris Hunt:

• 1881: Renovation of Astors' Beechwood, Newport, Rhode Island
• 1888-1892: Vanderbilt Marble House, Newport, Rhode Island
• 1888-1895: Biltmore Estate (George W. Vanderbuilt Mansion), Asheville, North Carolina
• 1892-1895: Cornelius Vanderbuilt II Mansion (The Breakers), Newport, Rhode Island

Great Buildings by Richard Morris Hunt:

• 1869-1870: Stuyvesant Apartments, New York City
• 1873-1874: Roosevelt Building, New York City
• 1876: New York Tribune Building
• 1881-1886: Pedestal for the Statue of Liberty, New York City
• 1889-1893: Gymnasium, United States Military Academy, at West Point, New York
• 1889-1895: Academic Building, United States Military Academy, at West Point, New York
• 1891-1893: Columbian Exposition Administration Building, Chicago, IL
• 1894-1902: Entrance to the Metropolitan Museum, New York City

Other Projects by Richard Morris Hunt:

Working with artists and craftspeople, Richard Morris Hunt designed lavish interiors with paintings, sculptures, murals, and interior architectural details modeled after those found in European castles and palaces.

Important Styles:

• Beaux Arts
• Renaissance Revival
• Neoclassical

About Richard Morris Hunt:

Richard Morris Hunt was the first American to attend the École des Beaux-Arts in Paris. When he returned to the United States, he introduced the country to Beaux Arts and Renaissance Revival architecture.

Richard Morris Hunt became famous for designing elaborate homes for the very wealthy. However, he worked on many different types of buildings including libraries, civic buildings, apartment buildings, and art museums.

Richard Morris Hunt helped establish architecture as a profession in the United States. He started the first American studio for architect training, and was a mentor to Philadelphia Gilded Age architect Frank Furness. Richard Morris Hunt also helped found the American Institute of Architects (AIA). In 1855, he served as president of the AIA.

Hunt's brother, William Morris Hunt, was a well-known painter.

Learn More:

• The Architecture of Richard Morris Hunt (compare prices)