With his partners Stanford White and William R. Mead, architect Charles Follen McKim designed grand Beaux Arts buildings, important mansions, and also relaxed Shingle Style homes.
Born:
August 24, 1847 in Chester County, Pennsylvania
Died:
September 14, 1909 at his summer home in St. James, Long Island, New York
Education:
- One year at the Lawrence Scientific School at Harvard University
- 1867-1870: Studied architecture at the École des Beaux-Arts in Paris
Related People:
- 1867: Worked briefly in the New York office of Russel Sturgis
- 1870: Joined the office of Henry Hobson Richardson
- 1877: Partnered with William R. Mead
- 1879: Stanford White joined the partnership and the firm of McKim, Mead & White was established
Important Projects:
The architectural firm McKim, Mead, & White designed both relaxed summer homes and grand public buildings. Landmark examples include:
- 1881-1883: Isaac Bell House in Newport, Rhode Island
- 1887-1895: Boston Public Library
- 1894: New York Herald Building
- 1895-1903: Rhode Island State Capitol
- 1897: Low Memorial Library, Columbia University, New York City
- 1910: Pennsylvania Station, New York City
Important Styles:
About Charles Follen McKim:
Charles Follen McKim studied at Ecole des Beaux Arts in Paris and, with his partners Stanford White and William R. Mead, he applied Beaux Arts ideas to grand American buildings like the Boston Public Library and Pennsylvania Station in New York City.
However, McKim was drawn to the clean lines of American Colonial architecture, and he admired the simple architecture of Japan and rural France. The architectural firm McKim, Mead, & White became known for informal, open plan Shingle Style houses designed shortly after the partnership was formed.
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