Henry Austin (December 4, 1804 – December 17, 1891) was a prominent and prolific American architect based in New Haven, Connecticut. He practiced for more than fifty years and designed many public buildings and homes primarily in the New Haven area."Henry Austin", International Dictionary of Architects and Architecture (Detroit: St. James Press, 1993). His most significant years of production seem to be the 1840s and 1850s.O'Gorman pg.2
Life and practice The paucity of precise information concerned with Austin and a lack of many personal papers (such as diaries or letters) makes a complete biography of his life difficult to write.O'Gorman Henry Austin: In every variety of architectural style (Middletown, 2008) pp.xv-xvi Austin was born in Hamden, Connecticut, in 1804, the son of Daniel and Adah (Dorman) Austin. He first seems to have worked as a carpenter's apprentice and then began his career in architecture in association with Ithiel Town and Alexander Jackson Davis, although the nature of his relationship to Town and Davis has not been ascertained.O'Gorman pp. 3–6 In 1837, he opened his own office in Hartford, evidenced by newspaper advertisements.O'Gorman pg.9 In Hartford, he designed the tower of Christ Church Cathedral (1838), the Wadsworth Athenaeum with Town and Davis (1842, his involvement is uncertain), the demolished gothic-revival Kellogg house (1841), and the long-gone 1842 building for St. John's Episcopal Church; he also became associated at this time with Nelson Hotchkiss a New Haven real-estate developer and designed with him villas along "Park Row" in Trenton, New Jersey, probably his first major commission.O'Gorman, pp. 14–17,79–82
In 1841, he moved his practice to New Haven where his first significant commission was the now-demolished, Greek Revival George Gabriel House (1841).O'Gorman pg.14 In New Haven, Austin's style diversified; in one ad, Austin claimed he could design buildings "in every variety of architectural style". He worked in a range of styles popular in the nineteenth century including Gothic, Italianate, Egyptian and Moorish Revival. In some buildings, he employed an eclectic mix of styles, creating varied, exotic formi. His New Haven work left a lasting impression on the domestic architecture of the then-developing real estate projects in the areas of Wooster Square and Hillhouse Avenue. In Wooster Square he designed the Italianate James E. English House (1845), the exotic Indian/Moorish Willis Bristol House (1845), the Nelson Hotchkiss House (1850), and the irregular Italianate villa Oliver B. King House (1852). On Hillhouse Avenue he worked on the James Dwight Dana House (1848) and the John Pitkin Norton House (1849), as well as remodeled the Greek Revival Ithiel Town House of 1836 for Joseph E. Sheffield in 1859 (demolished), encasing Town's structure in an exuberant Italianate shell. In New Haven, Austin made the so-called candelabra column (a column inspired by Indian architecture consisting of superimposed vegetal layers) his signature, as well as elaborate Indian/Moorish lambrequins over windows, and thick vegetal anthemia and tendrils over window surrounds.O'Gorman pp. 28–30 Other significant works in New Haven include the Grove Street Cemetery Gate in Egyptian Revival (1848–49), Dwight Hall at Yale (1842–1845), the Townsend City Savings Bank (demolished, 1852), the Palladium Building (formerly Young Men's Institute, 1855) and the strange Moorish New Haven Railroad Station (demolished, 1848). His most significant non-residential commission in New Haven was the City Hall (1860), a polychrome, asymmetrical, Gothic Revival structure, which, although significantly altered in the 1980s, still maintains Austin's facade and some interior decorative features.
Austin also worked in other regions and states. In Connecticut, he designed churches in Gothic revival and Italianate styles in Northford (Congregational 1845), Waterbury (St. John's Episcopal Church, 1846), Kent (First Congregational 1849), Plainville (Congregational 1850), and Seymour (Trinity Episcopal, 1858). Perhaps his most significant out-of-state commission was the Morse-Libby House (Victoria Mansion) in Portland, Maine, 1857–1860, for Sylvester Ruggles Morse. This large, elaborate Italianate mansion in brownstone is considered one of Austin's best works and has been called "one of the culminating domestic designs of the antebellum years, and of the Italianate villa in general."O'Gorman pg.65 One of his last major commissions was for the gothic, brownstone library (Rich Hall, 1866–68), now Patricelli '92 Theater, at Wesleyan University in Middletown, Connecticut.
After the 1860s, Austin's style changed with the times, incorporating structures in the Second Empire and Stick styles. In 1868, he constructed two Second Empire houses on Prospect Street in New Haven for Oliver Winchester and John M. Davies. The Winchester House has been demolished, but the Davies house remains, having been restored by Yale and renamed the Betts House. Austin's son, Fred, joined his father's practice in later years, but the firm did not survive long after Austin's death. Throughout his later years, Austin maintained control of his firm and was famous as he aged for wearing a dark brown wig.O'Gorman pg.2 n.4 He was the chairman of the Board of Commissioners of Public Buildings in New Haven at the time of his death; he also served on the New Haven city council in 1854 and belonged to the Masons for fifty years.O'Gorman pg.1 In recent years, curiosity has been raised about Austin's professional relationship to his New Haven contemporary, Sidney Mason Stone,O'Gorman, James F. Henry Austin: In Every Variety of Architectural Style, Wesleyan University Press: Middletown, CT, 2007 but, other than minor references to civic duties they shared, there seems to be little documentation available to fuel such an inquiry.
Austin was married twice, first to Harriet M. Hooker, then to Jane Hempstead, and had four children who survived into adulthood, Willard, Henry, David, and Fred.O'Gorman pg.1 n.1 He died in 1891 in New Haven and is interred in Grove Street Cemetery, the gates of which he designed.
Selected works * indicates demolished or significantly altered buildings
Image Date Location Name and Information 1840 Wallingford, Connecticut Samuel Simpson House. (Also known as the Simpson Taber House) Austin designed this Greek revival house early in his career. Although the form is relatively straightforward, some of Austin's styling can be seen in the window surrounds. 1840* Trenton, New Jersey Park Row. Austin in concert with Nelson Hotchkiss designed six, mostly Italianate villas for Hotchkiss' development in Trenton. The two architects seem to have collaborated in the designs, but, since the homes have been demolished, it cannot be determined how they reflected Austin's design proclivities. 1845 New Haven, Connecticut, Wooster Square Willis Bristol House. An Italianate villa with striking Moorish/Indian design elements including candelabra columns, Moorish window lambrequins, and uniquely paned windows.See also HABS documentation https://www.loc.gov/pictures/item/ct0061/ 1845 New Haven, Connecticut, Wooster Square James E. English House. An Italianate villa; the house has delicate candelabra columns, atypical of other Austin works. The porch displays a delicate, gothic quatrefoil balustrade. The third story is an addition to the original design from 1876. 1845–1848 New Haven, Connecticut, Hillhouse Avenue James Dwight Dana House. Now owned by Yale University. The house is an Italianate villa with detailing influenced by Indian precedents, such as the candelabra columns on the porch.http://historicbuildingsct.com/?tag=henry-austin&paged=3. See also HABS documentation https://www.loc.gov/pictures/item/ct0063/ The house is on the NRHP. The house also has an elaborately carved belvidere on the roof and drops bordering the heavy cornice. 1842–1845 New Haven, Connecticut Yale University Library now Dwight Hall. This symmetrical, brownstone, Gothic revival building was built as a library for Yale University. The tall central Gothic hall originally contained balconies with book alcoves, as did the side wings of the building. It was probably based on King's College Chapel in Cambridge, although the many tall pointed spires were not constructed as planned. In 1931, the building was adapted for use as a chapel and the interior altered to accommodate worshipers.O'Gorman pp. 124–130
1848–1849 New Haven, Connecticut Grove Street Cemetery Gates, 1848–49. Austin designed the gate in Egyptian revival style with papyrus-bud capitals. 1848–1849* New Haven, Connecticut New Haven Railroad Station. This station incorporated Italianate and Moorish revival styles. It was converted into a market in 1874 and was destroyed by fire in 1894.Priscilla Searles, New Haven's Enterprise Hall of Fame, Business New Haven, 1/25/1999 1849 New Haven, Connecticut, Hillhouse Avenue John Pitkin Norton House. Now owned by Yale University, this house is an irregular Italianate villa inspired by A. J. Downing's designs. The window surrounds, canopies, and styling are typical of Austin, as is the flamboyant Moorish entryway. Although much of the detailing, such as the canopies and balconies, had been lost, the house was restored in 2003 by Yale. The third floor and left wing are additions made to Austin's initial design.http://historicbuildingsct.com/?tag=henry-austin&paged=3 See also HABS documentation https://www.loc.gov/pictures/item/ct0068/ 1849* New Haven, Connecticut First Methodist Church now First & Summerfield Methodist Church. This church was designed by Austin in a neo-Federal style. Unfortunately, a great deal of Austin's design work, including the spire was removed and replaced in the early 20th century with colonial revival details and a dramatic porch. 1850* Wallingford, Connecticut Moses Yale Beach House This large, symmetrical Italianate villa included a columned veranda with thick candelabra columns, Austin's typical chamfered window surrounds and vegetal decoration on the belvedere. It was demolished in the 1960s.
1850 New Haven, Connecticut, Wooster Square Nelson Hotchkiss House This was the first house Austin designed for Nelso Hotchkiss with whom he had worked closely. The windows are surrounded by Austin's signature, notched surrounds. The house also features a delicate canopy over the central three part window.O'Gorman pg.44 This house is part of a series of villas Austin designed on Chapel Street. 1850 New Haven, Connecticut, Wooster Square William Lewis House This was one of the houses in the row on Chapel Street in Wooster Square Austin designed for Hotchkiss; this house was built for a partner of Hotchkiss', William Lewis. The house displays many Austin design elements including the noticeable candelabra columns; it also includes a particularly notable balcony with a unique canopy. Although the house cannot be securely attributed to Austin, its proximity in date and location to his known works and the relationship of the client to Austin argue in favor of the ascription. 1850 Plainville, Connecticut Congregational Church. This church was designed by Austin with a mixture of Italianate and carpenter gothic detailing, featuring a tall spire positioned to the side of the nave. 1850s New Haven, Connecticut, Hillhouse Avenue