Peabody & Stearns was a premier architectural firm in the Eastern United States in the late 19th century and early 20th century. Based in Boston, Massachusetts, the firm consisted of Robert Swain Peabody (1845–1917) and John Goddard Stearns Jr. (1843–1917). The firm worked on a variety of designs but is closely associated with shingle style.

With addition of Pierce P. Furber, presumably as partner, the firm became Peabody, Stearns & Furber.Out of 32 NRHP entries listing "Peabody" and "Stearns" in the NRIS database, just one (Security Building) also includes "Furber". The firm was later succeeded by W. Cornell Appleton, one of the Peabody & Stearns architects, and Frank Stearns, son of Frank, as Appleton & Stearns.

Works Georgia Plum Orchard (George L. Carnegie House), Cumberland Island (1898) Stafford Place (William Carnegie House), Cumberland Island (1901) Greyfield (Margaret Carnegie Ricketson House), Cumberland Island (1901)

Maine York Hall (William D. Sewall House), 1 Edwards St., Bath (1896–98)Murphy, Kevin D. Colonial Revival Maine. 2004. Bangor High School, 185 Harlow St., Bangor (1912)Engineering and Contracting 7 Feb. 1912: 59. Bangor Public Library, 145 Harlow St., Bangor (1912) Exchange Building, 27 State St., Bangor (1912–13)American Architect 7 Aug. 1912: 14.

Massachusetts

Matthews Hall, Harvard University, Cambridge, (1871) Bussey Institute, Harvard University, Jamaica Plain, (1871) Frederick L. Ames House, 306 Dartmouth St., Boston (1872) College Hall, Smith College, Northampton (1875) R. H. White department store, 518–536 Washington Street, Boston (1876) First Church of Christ, 129 Main St., Northampton (1878) Shepherd Brooks House, 275 Grove St., Medford (1881) Dudley Hall Bradlee House, 21 Ashcroft Road, Medford, Massachusetts (1878) Henry Bradlee Jr. House, Medford (1881–82) James C. Bayley House, 16 Fairmont Ave., Newton (1883–84) Kragsyde (George N. Black Jr. House), 27 Smith's Point Rd., Manchester-by-the-Sea (1883) – Demolished 1929. Elm Court (William D. Sloane House), 310 Old Stockbridge Rd., Lenox (1886) Exchange Building, 53 State St., Boston (1887–91) First Parish Church, 349 Boston Post Rd., Weston (1888) Greystone (Jonathan H. White House), 62 Buckminster Rd., Brookline (1888) Charles E. Cotting Buildings, 186–192 South St., Boston (1891)Engineering Record 11 April 1891: 319. Wheatleigh (Henry H. Cook House), Hawthorne Rd., Stockbridge (1893) Fiske Building, 75 State St., Boston (1896) – Demolished 1984. Christ Episcopal Church, 750 Main St., Waltham (1897–1902) Worcester City Hall, 455 Main St., Worcester (1898) Dorchester Heights Monument, Dorchester (1902) Marlborough Public Library, 35 W. Main St., Marlborough (1903–04) Springfield Fire & Marine Insurance Co. Building, 195 State St., Springfield (1905) U. S. Custom House Tower, Boston (1913–15) Norfolk County Registry of Deeds, Dedham, Massachusetts (1905)

Missouri St. Louis School and Museum of Fine Arts, 1815 Locust St., St. Louis (1879–81) – Demolished 1919. Unitarian Church of the Messiah, 508 N. Garrison Ave., St. Louis (1880–82) – Demolished 1987.Unitarian Church of the Messiah NRHP Nomination. 1979. Turner Building, 304 N. 8th St., St. Louis (1882–83) – Demolished 1902. St. Louis Club, T.E. Huntley Ave. & Locust Blvd., St. Louis (1884–85) – Demolished. George Blackman House, 5843 Bartmer Ave., St. Louis (1885)American Architect and Building News 18 July 1885: 36. Alvah Mansur House, 3700 Lindell Blvd., St. Louis (1885–86)American Architect and Building News 5 Sept. 1885: 120. Charles F. Morse House, 200 E. 36th St., Kansas City (1887) – Demolished."Morse, C.F., Residence". http://digital-libraries.saic.edu/. n.d. Web. Henry L. Newman House, 21 Westmoreland Pl., St. Louis (1889) – Demolished.Hunter, Julius K. Westmoreland and Portland Places: The History and Architecture of America's Premier Private Streets, 1888–1988. 1988. Security Building, 319 N. 4th St., St. Louis (1890–92), (Peabody, Stearns & Furber) Corinne Dyer House, 38 Westmoreland Pl., St. Louis (1892) Edward C. Rowse House, 10 Benton Pl., St. Louis (1892)Bryan, John Albury. Lafayette Square: St. Louis. 2007. John T. Davis House, 17 Westmoreland Pl., St. Louis (1893–94) Dr. George Ashe Bronson House, 3201 Washington Ave., St. Louis (1885)

Minnesota James J. Hill House, 240 Summit Ave., St. Paul (1887–91) – Peabody & Stearns were fired from the project in 1889. Union Depot, 509 W. Michigan Ave., Duluth (1890–92)Engineering and Building Record 31 May 1890: 415.

New Jersey

Elberon Casino, Lincoln Ave., Elberon (1882–83) – Demolished.Lewis, Arnold. American Country Houses of the Gilded Age. 1982. Lawrenceville School, Lawrenceville (1884–95) Central Railroad of New Jersey Terminal, Jersey City (1888–89)"The New Depot of the C. R. R. of N. J." Engineering News 6 Oct. 1888: 265.

Pennsylvania George W. Childs-Drexel House, 1726 Locust St., Philadelphia (1893)Architectural Record July 1896: 61. Nathaniel Holmes House, Morewood & 5th Aves., Pittsburgh (1895) – Demolished.Floyd, Margaret Henderson. Architecture After Richardson: Regionalism before Modernism: Longfellow, Alden, and Harlow in Boston and Pittsburgh. 1994. Harvey Childs House, 718 Devonshire St., Pittsburgh (1896) Sarah Drexel Fell House, 1801 Walnut St., Philadelphia (1896–98) Durbin Horne House, 7418 Penn Ave., Pittsburgh (1897)Brickbuilder Nov. 1897: 257. Joseph Horne & Co. Dept. Store, 501 Penn Ave., Pittsburgh (1897–98)Brickbuilder Dec. 1897: 289. East Liberty Market, 5900 Baum Blvd., Pittsburgh (1898–1900)Toker, Franklin. Buildings of Pittsburgh. 2007. Remsen V. Messler House, 651 Morewood Ave., Pittsburgh (1900–01)Engineering Record 1 Sept. 1900: 215. Laurento (E. Craig Biddle House), Darby-Paoli Rd., Villanova (1901) – Demolished 1980s.Morrison, William Alan. The Main Line: Country Houses of Philadelphia's Storied Suburb, 1870–1930. 2002. Penshurst (Percival Roberts House), Conshohocken State Rd., Lower Merion (1901) – Demolished. Krisheim (George Woodward House), 7514 McCallum St., Philadelphia (1910)Keels, Thomas H. and Elizabeth Farmer Jarvis. Images of America: Chestnut Hill. 2002. Westview (Livingston L. Biddle House), Westview Rd., Bryn Mawr (1917)American Contractor 26 May 1917: 55.

Rhode Island

Frederick S. G. D'Hauteville House, 489 Bellevue Ave., Newport (1871) – Burned.Miller, Paul F. Lost Newport: Vanished Cottages of the Resort Era. 2008. Nathan Matthews House, 492 Bellevue Ave., Newport (1871–72) – Burned 1881.Yarnall, James L. Newport Through its Architecture. 2005. Weetamoe (Nathaniel Thayer House), 2 Rovensky Ave., Newport (1872) Grace W. Rives House, 30 Red Cross Ave., Newport (1875–76) The Breakers (Pierre Lorillard IV House), 44 Ochre Point Ave., Newport (1877–78) – Burned 1892, later replaced. Hillside (Arthur B. Emmons House), 300 Gibbs Ave., Newport (1882)"Emmons, Arthur Brewster, Residence". http://digital-libraries.saic.edu/. n.d . Web. Vinland (Catharine Lorillard Wolfe House), Newport (1882–83) – Now Salve Regina's Mcauley Hall. Honeysuckle Lodge (Josiah M. Fiske House), 255 Ruggles Ave., Newport (1885–86) Midcliff (Caroline Ogden M. Jones House), 229 Ruggles Ave., Newport (1886) Pavilion, Easton's Beach, Memorial Blvd., Newport (1887) – Destroyed 1938Newport Historical Society. "History Bytes: Easton's Beach Pavilion". http://www .newporthistory.org/. 19 Feb. 2015. Web. Ocean Lawn (Elizabeth Gammell House), 51 Cliff Ave., Newport (1888–89) Rough Point (Frederick W. Vanderbilt House), 680 Bellevue Ave., Newport (1888–91)

Althorpe (John T. Spencer House), Ruggles Ave., Newport (1889–90) – Now Salve Regina's Founders Hall. Episcopal Church of the Messiah, 1680 Westminster St., Providence (1889–90)Woodward, Wm. McKenzie. Providence: A Citywide Survey of Historic Resources. 1986. Rockhurst (H. Mortimer Brooks House), Bellevue Ave., Newport (1891) – Demolished 1955. Parish House for St. John's Episcopal Church, 275 N. Main St., Providence (1893) – Demolished.Brickbuilder April 1894: 60. Shamrock Cliff (G. M. Gaun McRobert Hutton House), 65 Ridge Rd., Newport (1894) Beechbound (William F. Burden House), 127 Harrison Ave., Newport (1895) Bleak House (Ross R. Winans House), Ocean Ave., Newport (1895) – Demolished 1948. Ridgemere (Fannie Foster House), 11 Leroy Ave., Newport (1896) Hopedene (Elizabeth H. Gammell Slater House), 43 Cliff Ave., Newport (1899–1902) Providence Journal Building, 60 Eddy St., Providence (1906)

Washington, D.C. Volta Bureau, 3414 Volta Pl. NW, Washington, D.C. (1893)

Notable Peabody & Stearns architects

John Scudder Adkins – likely helped design buildings for the World's Columbian Exposition in 1893 Francis Richmond Allen – began career at the firm; partner of Allen & Collens Robert Day Andrews – was an office boy for the firm in 1874; partner in Andrews, Jaques & Rantoul Charles L. Bevins – worked for the firm from 1878–1882 Clarence H. Blackall – worked at the firm from 1884 to 1888, was the firm's chief draftsman Warren R. Briggs – worked for the firm from 1874–1876 Henry Budden – Australian architect who worked at the firm during the mid–1890s; partner of Kent & Budden John Hutchins Cady – worked at the firm from 1906–1907 Henry Ives Cobb – worked at the firm from 1881–1882; partner of Cobb and Frost Charles Collens – apprentice for the firm; partner of Allen & Collens Charles Sumner Frost – worked at the firm from 1876–1881; partner of Cobb and Frost George A. Fuller – worked at the firm from 1876–1880 and became partner in charge of the New York City office. Left to start the George A. Fuller Company in Chicago. He is often credited as being the "inventor" of modern skyscrapers and the modern contracting system. Edward T. P. Graham – worked at the firm in 1904 Charles R. Greco – worked at the firm from 1900–1907 S. Wesley Haynes – started his own firm in 1918 Burnham Hoyt – began career at the firm; later became professor at New York University and Dean of the School of Architecture Charles Wilson Killam – worked at the firm from 1887–1908, was the firm's chief architectural engineer; professor of architecture at Harvard University Westray Ladd – after working for he firm he practiced in Philadelphia Ellis F. Lawrence – apprenticed at the firm in 1902; co-founder and first dean of the University of Oregon's School of Architecture. Ion Lewis – worked at the firm after graduating from MIT until 1882; partner of Whidden & Lewis Louis Christian Mullgardt – worked at the firm around 1886 Orlando Whitney Norcross – worked for the firm After H. H. Richardson's death; partner of Norcross Brothers Frederick Lincoln Savage – office boy and apprentice at the firm from 1884–1886 Albert Cicero Schweinfurth – apprentice and draftsman at the firm from 1882–1883. His brothers Henry and Julius also worked at the firm Julius A. Schweinfurth – chief designer at the firm from 1879–1883 then from 1886–1895 Timothy Francis Walsh – worked at the firm from 1887–1897; partner of Maginnis & Walsh Joseph Morrill Wells – worked at the firm from 1874–1875 Edmund M. Wheelwright – worked at the firm in the late 1870s; served as City Architect of Boston from 1891–1895 Arthur H. Vinal – apprenticed at the firm before starting his own practice in 1875; served as the first City Architect of Boston from 1884–1887

Images

Notes

References

Further reading Wheaton A. Holden. "The Peabody Touch: Peabody and Stearns of Boston, 1870–1917." Journal of the Society of Architectural Historians, Vol. 32, No. 2 (May, 1973)

External links

The Architecture of Peabody & Stearns The Brooks Estate East Liberty Market House (Motor Square Garden) and Harvey Childs house Laurelawn, Hopedene

Fiske Building Matthews Hall