Jackson, Robertson & Adams was an architectural firm out of Providence, Rhode Island. Established in 1912, it was originally made up of architects F. Ellis Jackson (1879–1950), Wayland T. Robertson (1873–1935), and J. Howard Adams (1876–1924).William H. Jordy and Christopher P. Monkhouse, Buildings on Paper: Rhode Island Architectural Drawings 1825-1945 Pg. 219-220 (Providence: Bell Gallery, 1982)
Firm history Prior to founding this firm, Jackson worked with Providence architect Howard K. Hilton. He was promoted to partner in 1902, renaming the firm Hilton & Jackson. Between 1902 and 1905, Hilton and Jackson designed and oversaw the construction of numerous distinguished Colonial Revival homes in Providence that drew upon early Rhode Island architecture while introducing new concepts and styles sweeping the architectural and artistic worlds. Jackson took a leave of absence in 1905 to study at the École Nationale Supérieure des Beaux-Arts in the atelier of Eugene Joseph Armand Duquesne who won the prestigious French scholarship the Grand Prix de Rome in 1897. Jackson returned to the United States in 1909 with his diploma. Hilton died less than a month after Jackson's return. Jackson continued on alone under the Hilton & Jackson name. In 1911, Jackson formed the firm of Jackson & Robertson with Wayland T. Robertson. The next year, they added J. Howard Adams to make Jackson, Robertson & Adams. Both Robertson and Adams had had private practice prior to becoming members of the firm.
The firm designed numerous Colonial Revival buildings around the state which still rank among Rhode Island's best architecture. Under F. Ellis Jackson's leadership, the firm continued its commitment to designing distinct residences but was remarkably prolific in contributing to Rhode Island's civic and commercial architecture legacy. Beginning in the 1930s, Jackson, Robertson & Adams became one of the few architects in the state to work in the Art Deco style.Buildings of Rhode Island (2004)
F. Ellis Jackson died abruptly on February 9, 1950.F. Ellis Jackson, Noted Architect, February 10, 1950, The New York Times The Jackson, Robertson & Adams name was retained until 1956, when the then two partners, George Fraser and Raymond J. Henthorne, renamed it Fraser & Henthorne. This firm was dissolved in 1961.American Architects Directory (Bowker, 1962)
Works of Jackson, Robertson & Adams
Civic and Commercial Buildings in Providence, Rhode Island:
Franklin Street Fire Station, 33 Franklin St., Providence, RI (1914) - Demolished.Page 79, The American Contractor (May 2, 1914) Remodeling, Providence City Hall, 25 Dorrance St., Providence, RI (1914)Page 53, Engineering & Contracting (June 24, 1914) Central Baptist Church, 372 Wayland Ave., Providence, RI (1915) - Now the Community Church of Providence.Page 46, The American Contractor (February 26, 1916)Providence Preservation Society Records "Central Baptist Church" Gloria Dei Evangelical Lutheran Church, 15 Hayes St., Providence, RI (1916) - Replaced by a new church by Martin Hedmark in 1925.Page 65, America's Religious Architecture (Marilyn J. Chiat, 1997) Murray S. Danforth Medical Office, 402 Angell St., Providence, RI (1916)PPS Records for 402 Angell Street General Fire Extinguisher Co. Office Building, 260 W. Exchange St., Providence, RI (1919)Page 49, The American Contractor (November 15, 1919) Victory Arch, Kennedy Plaza., Providence, RI (1919) - A temporary structure built to celebrate the end of World War I.Page 231, The Civic and Architectural Development of Providence, 1636-1950 (John Hutchins Cady, 1957) Remodeling of Joseph Brown House for Counting House Corporation, 50 S. Main St., Providence, RI (1920) - Includes an extensive rear addition visible from Hopkins Street.Page 61, The American Contractor (March 20, 1920) 556 Westminster Street, 556 Westminster St., Providence, RI (1922) - An office building at Cathedral Square, now demolished.Page 461, Domestic Engineering (December 3, 1921), 1918 Providence Atlas, 1937 Providence Atlas Providence County Courthouse, 250 Benefit St., Providence, RI (1924)Page 265, Providence: A Citywide Survey of Historic Resources (Wm. McKenzie Woodward, 1986)Providence Preservation Society "Providence County Court House" Morris Plan Bank Building, 25 Canal St., Providence, RI (1926) Nurses' Home, Rhode Island Homeopathic Hospital, 825 Chalkstone Ave., Providence, RI (1927)Page 162, Providence: A Citywide Survey of Historic Resources (Wm. McKenzie Woodward, 1986) Phenix National Bank Building, 89 Westminster St., Providence, RI (1927) - Among the buildings demolished for 50 Kennedy Plaza.Page 61, Downtown Providence: Statewide Historical Preservation Report P-P-5 (May, 1981) Rhode Island State Office Building, 133 Smith St., Providence, RI (1927)Page 35, Rhode Island: State-Owned Historic Properties (1989) Church School Wing, Stimson Ave., Central Congregational Church, Providence, RI (1931) Rhode Island Hospital Trust Co. Branch, 1 Olneyville Sq., Providence, RI (1931)Page 77, Engineering News-record, Volume 104 (1930) College Building, 2 College St., Rhode Island School of Design, Providence, RI (1936)Page 417, Ironworker, Volume 35 (1935)Providence Preservation Society "College Building" St. Paul's Evangelical Lutheran Church, 445 Elmwood Ave., Providence, RI (1938)Page 178, Providence: A Citywide Survey of Historic Resources (Wm. McKenzie Woodward, 1986) U. S. Post Office Annex, 1 Exchange Ter., Providence, RI (1939) Henry Bowen Anthony Fountain, Lippitt Memorial Park, 1059 Hope St., Providence, RI (1940)Providence Preservation Society "Lippitt Memorial Park" Industrial Trust Co. Branch, 582 Elmwood Ave., Providence, RI (1947)Page 286, The Civic and Architectural Development of Providence, 1636-1950 (John Hutchins Cady, 1957) Brook Street Fire Station, 223 Brook St., Providence, RI (1950)Page 156, Providence: A Citywide Survey of Historic Resources (Wm. McKenzie Woodward, 1986) North Main Street Fire Station, 151 N. Main St., Providence, RI (1952)Page 203, Providence: A Citywide Survey of Historic Resources (Wm. McKenzie Woodward, 1986)
Private Residences in Providence, Rhode Island Beresford-Nicholson House, 288 Blackstone Blvd., Providence, RI (1910–12, 1919) Providence Preservation Society "Beresford-Nicholson House" Alice W. Adams House, 57 Barnes St., Providence, RI (1912)Providence Preservation Society "Records for 57 Barnes St." Charles O. Read House, 123 Blackstone Blvd., Providence, RI (1914)Page 65, The American Contractor (April 18, 1914) John P. Farnsworth House, 104 Prospect St., Providence, RI (1914)Providence Preservation Society "John P. Farnsworth House" Benjamin P. Moulton House, 50 Channing Ave., Providence, RI (1915)Page 48, The American Contractor (October 30, 1915) Charles Grossman House, 72 Barnes St., Providence, RI (1915)Page 52, The American Contractor (July 24, 1915) George H. Cahoone House, 360 Olney St., Providence, RI (1915)Olney Street-Alumni Avenue NRHP Nomination (1989) J. Howard Adams House, 64 E. Orchard Ave., Providence, RI (1916) - Home of the architect.PPS Records for 64 East Orchard Avenue James W. Thornley House, 2 Freeman Pkwy., Providence, RI (1916)Page 70, The American Contractor (June 24, 1916)Providence Preservation Society "James W. Thornley House" John S. Holbrook House, 106 Prospect St., Providence, RI (1916)Page 79, The American Contractor (October 7, 1916)Providence Preservation Society "John S. Holbrook House" Mary L. Hartwell House, 16 Freeman Pkwy., Providence, RI (1917)Providence Preservation Society "Mary L. Hartwell House" David P. Moulton House, 75 E. Orchard Ave., Providence, RI (1922)Page 58, The American Contractor (March 18, 1922) Remodeling of the Nightingale-Brown House for John Nicholas Brown II, 357 Benefit St., Providence, RI (1922)Page 47, The American Contractor (September 2, 1922)Providence Preservation Society "Nightingale-Brown House" Benjamin Brier House, 15 Upton Ave., Providence, RI (1924)Freeman Plat Historic District NRHP Nomination (1995) Wayland W. Rice House, 15 Taber Ave., Providence, RI (1924-1925) Frederick W. Tillinghast House, 39 E. Orchard Ave., Providence, RI (1925)Blackstone Park Historic District NRHP Nomination (1998) Jeanette B. Huntoon House, 63 Manning St., Providence, RI (1925)Page 197, Providence: A Citywide Survey of Historic Resources (Wm. McKenzie Woodward, 1986)Providence Preservation Society "Jeanette B. Huntoon House" Lucy P. Kelley House, 25 Orchard Ave., Providence, RI (1925)Wayland Historic NRHP Nomination (2005) Richard A. Hurley House, 103 Alumni Ave., Providence, RI (1916) James P. Murphy House, 57 Boylston Ave., Providence, RI (1917)Page 60, The American Contractor (November 18, 1916) Mary G. Chapin House, 170 Everett Ave., Providence, RI (1917)Page 44, The American Contractor (December 23, 1916) Carrie M. Sutcliffe House, 120 Laurel Ave., Providence, RI (1918)Page 51, The American Contractor (April 13, 1918) Shubael B. Howes House, 450 Wayland Ave., Providence, RI (1920) - Architect Wayland T. Robertson was the first occupant. Charles M. Smith III House, 295 Laurel Ave., Providence, RI (1933)
Civic, Commercial and Residential Buildings Elsewhere In Rhode Island:
Hope Co. Houses, 1-3, 2-4 Brown St., 7-9, 11-13 Goddard St., Hope, RI (1916)Hope Village Historic District NRHP Nomination (1995) Hope Co. Overseers' House, 66-68 Main St., Hope, RI (1917) Lonsdale Co. Houses, 12-14, 16-18, 20-22, 24-26 Blackstone St., Lonsdale, RI (1917)Page 41, The American Contractor (August 11, 1917)Lonsdale Historic District NRHP Nomination (1984) Stillwater Co. Houses, 23, 33 Burrill Rd., 11, 20, 36, 45, 50, 66, 80, 90 N. Hill Rd., 4, 22, 36, 50 Park Ave., 63, 75, 95, 107, 125, 145, 155 & 171 Steere Rd., Harrisville, RI (1918)Harrisville Mill Village Historic District NRHP Nomination (1984) Rhode Island Malleable Iron Works, 697 Jefferson Blvd., Hillsgrove, RI (1918) - All but the administration building has been demolished.Page 34, The American Contractor (September 21, 1918) Charles Brown House, 64 Ocean Ave., Pawtuxet, RI (1919)Page 60, The American Contractor (February 22, 1919) Industrial Trust Co. Branch, 39 Warren Ave., East Providence, RI (1920)Page 45, The American Contractor (November 22, 1919) Lonsdale Co. Houses, 152-154, 156-158 & 164-166 Lonsdale Main St., Lonsdale, RI (1920)Page 55, The American Contractor (June 19, 1920) Henry S. Newcombe House, 2950 Boston Neck Rd., Saunderstown, RI (1921) Industrial Trust Co. Branch, 1 Fountain Sq., Pascoag, RI (1922)Page 53, The American Contractor (November 12, 1921) Davisville Free Library, 481 Davisville Rd., Davisville, RI (1923) Pascoag Free Public Library, 57 Church St., Pascoag, RI (1923)Page 49, The American Contractor (September 30, 1922) South County Public Service Co. Building, 53-55 High St., Westerly, RI (1926)Page 204, Electrical World, Volume 88 (1926) St. Mary's Home for Children, 420 Fruit Hill Ave., Fruit Hill, RI (1927)Page 93, Domestic Engineering and the Journal of Mechanical Contracting, Volume 118 (1927) Dawson Brown Gates, Yawgoog Scout Reservation, 61 Camp Yawgoog Rd., Rockville, RI (1931) Rhode Island State Police Barracks, 54 Nooseneck Hill Rd., Wyoming, RI (1931)Page 3, Rhode Island: State-Owned Historic Properties (1989) Rhode Island State Police Barracks, 1575 Old Louisquisset Pk., Lincoln, RI (1931)Page 342, American Machinist, Volume 73 (1930) Administration Building, 572 Airport Rd., T. F. Green Airport, Warwick, RI (1932)Page 4, Rhode Island: State-Owned Historic Properties (1989) Assembly Theatre, 26 East Ave., Harrisville, RI (1933) Bucklin Memorial Building, Yawgoog Scout Reservation, 61 Camp Yawgoog Rd., Rockville, RI (1933)Page 421, Buildings of Rhode Island (William H. Jordy, 2004) Burrillville Town Building, 105 Harrisville Main St., Harrisville, RI (1933) Remodeling, First Universalist Church, 134 Harrisville Main St., Harrisville, RI (1933)