John B. Sutcliffe (March 28, 1853"SUTCLIFFE, John", The National Cyclopedia of American Biography, Vol. 2, p. 499 (1892) James T. White, New York – October 23, 1913) was an English-born American architect."Obituary of the Late John Sutcliffe; Prominent Church Architect of Chicago" (Nov 8, 1913) The Construction News, Volume 36, No. 19, pg. 11

Biography United Kingdom John Sutcliffe was born in Bacup,Albert Nelson Marquis (1911) The Book of Chicagoans, p.657, Marquis & Company, Chicago in the county of Lancashire, England, on March 28, 1853, the son of John and Martha (Townend) Sutcliffe. His paternal grandfather was a builder in Todmorden, Yorkshire. His paternal great-grandfather was a wool manufacturer; his maternal grandfather, John Townend, was a large colliery owner in Lancashire. John's father was a large contractor, who failed in business as a result of the depression brought about in that part of England by the American Civil War. He subsequently became an architect and civil engineer and in 1864, his son John left school to enter his father's business.

Sutcliffe attended evening classes at the Science and Art School for many years and, as a result of his work outside of business hours, he won the gold medal for architecture from the South Kensington Museum, where he graduated in architecture and art. He also won the bronze medal for descriptive geometry, and numerous other prizes and diplomas. From 1875 to 1877, he was a draughtsman for Robert B. Dixon,Directory of British Architects, 1834-1914, Vol. 2 of Darlington and from 1877 to 1878, he worked for Osborne & Reading,"Osborne & Reading," archiseek Birmingham. From 1878 to 1882, he was engaged as an architect at Bacup, and in 1878, he designed the buildings for a school in Crimsworth near Hebden Bridge.The British Architect and Northern Engineer, Vol. 9 No. 21 (May 24, 1878) From 1882 to 1886, he was chief draughtsman in the British government's dockyard at Portsmouth.

United States New York and Alabama

In 1886, he emigrated to America, working first for J.A. Wood in New York City, and then on the staff of The American Architect in Boston, and in December moved to Birmingham, AL,Proceedings of the 26th Annual Convention of the American Institute of Architects (Oct 1892) where the following year he founded the Alabama Association of Architects. John Sutcliffe is mentioned in a civil lawsuit with which he was connected while working in Alabama, which was heard by the Supreme Court of Alabama in 1895, regarding an unpaid bill for architectural work of $29.05.Woodlawn v. Purvis (1895) Reports of Cases Argued and Determined in the Supreme Court of Alabama, November Term, 1895, Vol. 108, p. 511 (1896) Montgomery, ALThe debt had been assigned to a third party but in the meantime, the defendant paid the debt to Sutcliffe (the original creditor). The court held that the defendant must pay the debt twice because he had not informed the assignee, within the time period required by statute, that he had in fact paid off the debt.

Among the buildings he designed in Alabama is St. Mary's-on-the-Highlands Episcopal Church (1891–92).

Illinois

In 1892 he moved to Chicago. He built on his success at St. Mary's in Birmingham, by beginning to specialize in Gothic design and church architecture and found his true vocation. Examples of his churches include:

The Cathedral Church of St. Paul, Springfield, IL,Cathedral Church of St. Paul St. Luke's Church, Evanston, and Grace Church, Oak Park.Grace Episcopal Church St. Elizabeth's Church, Glencoe Christ Church, Chicago, Quarterly Bulletin: Containing an Index of Literature from the Publications of Architectural Societies and Periodicals on Architecture and Allied Subjects, Vol. 9

Sutcliffe was the official architect for the Episcopal Diocese of Springfield.Journal of the Twenty-Seventh Annual Synod of the Holy Catholic Church in the Diocese of Springfield in St. Paul's Pro-Cathedral, Springfield, Ill. 1904 (1905) Phillips Bos., Printers and Binders, Springfield, Illinois Sutcliffe was a member of the Chicago Architects’ Business Association.

Arkansas In 1897, Sutcliffe designed St John's Episcopal Church, Helena, AR,"Synopsis of Building News" (Aug 1897) The Inland Architect and News Record, Vol.30 No.1 p.10 which was completed in 1899 but burned down in 1914.St John's Episcopal Church website Sutcliffe was the Diocesan Architect for the Diocese of Arkansas.Journal of Proceedings of the Twenty-Eighth Council of the Diocese of Arkansas (1900) Arkansas Democrat Company, Little Rock

Other churches Other churches designed by Sutcliffe in the United States are: St. John's Church, Sturgis, MichiganGeorge V. Wilson (1973) 100 Years, St. John's Episcopal Church, Sturgis, Michigan, p.9St. John's Episcopal Church website Christ Church, Pensacola, Florida"Selected Miscellany" (July 1903) The Brickbuilder Vol. 12, No. 7, p. 149, Rogers & Manson, Boston, http://www.christ-church.net/ Church of Our Savior, Little Falls, Minnesota St. Andrew's Church, Ashland, WisconsinSt. Andrew's Church website St. Thomas Church, Plymouth, IndianaSt. Thomas Episcopal Church - Plymouth website St. James Church, Dundee, Illinois"A Brief History of Saint James Episcopal Church","The Chicago Architectural Club Exhibition" (May 1904) The Inland Architect and News Record, Vol 43, No. 4, p. 30 Emmanuel Episcopal Church, Rushford, MinnesotaFranklyn Curtiss-Wedge et al. (1912) History of Fillmore County, Minnesota, Volume 2, p. 1126, H.C. Cooper, Jr. & Co., ChicagoEmmanuel Episcopal Church website St. John's Episcopal Church, New London, WisconsinJournal of the Thirty-First Annual Convention, Diocese of Fond du Lac (1905) P.B. Haber Printers St. Paul's Church, Savannah, Georgia"History" (May 15, 2013) The Collegiate Church of St. Paul the Apostle, Savannah, GeorgiaBook of the Annual Exhibition of the Chicago Architectural Club (1908) St. Luke's Protestant Episcopal Church, Kearney, Nebraska Trinity Episcopal Church, Houghton, Michigan

Other buildings In 1910, Sutcliffe designed the Frances Donaldson Library at Nashotah House Theological Seminary in Wisconsin."Contracts Awarded" (Aug 6, 1910) The American Contractor, Vol. 31, p. 40About the library, Frances Donaldson Library, Nashotah House Theological Seminary

Personal life and death On 13 May 1879, Sutcliffe married Lydia Sophia Knight of Saint Helier, Jersey.

Sutcliffe died at his home in Oak Park,"John Sutcliffe Deceased" (Nov 5, 1913) The American Architect, Vol. 54, No. 1981 on October 23, 1913. He was survived by his wife and five children, Arthur George, Helen Mary, Clara Mabel, Edwin Alan and Isabel Ray. His second son, Edwin, also became an architect. Funeral services were held at Grace Church. There was a requiem celebration of the Holy Communion. He was interred at Oak Ridge Cemetery.

Publications John Sutcliffe (March 1908) "Washington Cathedral", Christian Art, Vol. 2, No. 6, Richard G. Badger Publisher, Boston

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