Lucius W. Briggs (August 26, 1866 – September 10, 1940) was an American architect in practice in Worcester, Massachusetts from 1896 until his death in 1940. During that period he was the city's leading architect.
Life and career Lucius Wallace Briggs was born August 26, 1866, in Worcester to Cornelius Winters Briggs, a mechanical engineer, and Lucy Ryder Briggs, née Wallace. He was educated in the Worcester public schools and as a special student in architecture at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. He worked as a drafter for Worcester contractors Norcross Brothers and architects Barker & Nourse and Fuller & Delano. In 1896 he left to open his own office. His early practice was chiefly residential, and he was a runner-up in the competition to design the new Worcester County Courthouse.Charles Nutt, "Lucius Wallace Briggs," in History of Worcester and its People, vol. 4 (New York: Lewis Historical Publishing Company, 1919): 711.Leon Keach, "Lucius W. Briggs" in Pencil Points 21, no. 11 (November 1940): 22.
In 1899 he formed the partnership of Frost, Briggs & Chamberlain with Howard Frost and C. Leslie Chamberlain, former colleagues from the office of Fuller & Delano."Personal," Architecture and Building 30, no. 23 (June 10, 1899): 192. The new firm quickly outpaced Worcester's other architects and became the city's most prominent architects. This firm was, among other projects, responsible for the design of such landmarks as the Slater Building. In 1912, after thirteen years, the partnership was dissolved. Frost & Chamberlain continued their practice, and Briggs incorporated the L. W. Briggs Company. He continued in his former success, and at the time of his death was Worcester's best known architect.
Briggs joined the American Institute of Architects in 1902 as a member of the former Worcester chapter. He served as chapter president for twenty years. For many years he also served on the Worcester Planning Board.
Personal life Briggs was married in 1889 to Lillian Fraser Vickers of Portland, Maine. They had four children, two sons and two daughters. Stuart Wallace Briggs, who worked with his father, was the youngest.
In addition to his professional associations, Briggs was also a member of the Society for the Preservation of New England Antiquities, the Worcester Country Club and local fraternal organizations.
Briggs died September 10, 1940, in Worcester at the age of 74.
Legacy After Briggs' death, the firm was continued by his son, Stuart W. Briggs, a Worcester Polytechnic Institute graduate who had been associated with him since 1920. In 1949 he reorganized the firm as L. W. Briggs Associates."Briggs, Stuart Wallace," in American Architects Directory (New York: R. R. Bowker Company, 1962): 79. The work of the younger Briggs includes the Worcester County Courthouse annex (1954, with Cornelius W. Buckley)Worcester's Best, ed. Elliot B. Knowlton and Sandra Gibson-Quigley (Worcester: Preservation Worcester, 1996): 20-21. and Burncoat High School (1964)Engineering News-Record (October 29, 1959): 74. He died in 1968.
At least three buildings designed independently by Briggs have been listed on the United States National Register of Historic Places, in addition to three designed by Frost, Briggs & Chamberlain. Others contribute to listed historic districts.
Works 1898 – George Gabriel House, 31 Lenox St, Worcester, MassachusettsAmerican Architect and Building News 61, no. 1181 (August 13, 1898): xii. 1913 – Frances Perkins Branch Library, 470 W Boylston St, Worcester, Massachusetts"The Carnegie Libraries" in Worcester Magazine (December 1912): 357.Worcester's Best, ed. Elliot B. Knowlton and Sandra Gibson-Quigley (Worcester: Preservation Worcester, 1996): 225-226. 1914 – Frank O. Woodland house, 1 Drury Ln, Worcester, MassachusettsHistoric Building Detail: WOR.2188, Massachusetts Cultural Resource Information System, no date. Accessed October 1, 2024. 1914 – Worcester Country Club, 2 Rice St, Worcester, MassachusettsHistoric Building Detail: WOR.16, Massachusetts Cultural Resource Information System, no date. Accessed October 1, 2024. 1917 – Worcester Technical High School expansion, 34 Grove St, Worcester, MassachusettsHistoric Building Detail: WOR.368, Massachusetts Cultural Resource Information System, no date. Accessed October 1, 2024.Brickbuilder (July 1916): 166. 1925 – Worcester Fire Alarm Station, 230 Park Ave, Worcester, MassachusettsHistoric Building Detail: WOR.425, Massachusetts Cultural Resource Information System, no date. Accessed October 1, 2024. 1926 – Katz and Leavitt Apartment House, 53 Elm St, Worcester, MassachusettsWorcester's Best, ed. Elliot B. Knowlton and Sandra Gibson-Quigley (Worcester: Preservation Worcester, 1996): 89-90. 1931 – South High School annex, 14 Richards St, Worcester, MassachusettsEngineering News-Record (June 26, 1930): 74. 1933 – Worcester Memorial Auditorium, 1 Lincoln Sq, Worcester, MassachusettsWorcester's Best, ed. Elliot B. Knowlton and Sandra Gibson-Quigley (Worcester: Preservation Worcester, 1996): 18-19. 1936 – Auburn High School, 99 Auburn St, Auburn, MassachusettsBridgemen's Magazine (January 1935): 33. 1939 – Leicester Town Hall, 3 Washburn Sq, Leicester, MassachusettsHistoric Building Detail: LEI.114, Massachusetts Cultural Resource Information System, no date. Accessed October 1, 2024.
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