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Architecture & Destiny
A West Orange architect helps AIA celebrate 150 years.
by Maria Morrison-Heningburgby
Article is from Matters Magazine
On February 13th, 1857, the renowned architect Richard Upjohn hosted a meeting for 13 men at his New York City office. Their mission was to establish an organization for architects and architecture, to "promote the scientific and practical perfection of its members," and to "elevate the standing of the profession." At that time there were huge voids in their industry. Architects were unlicensed and unregulated, there were no standards, and anyone with related experience could call himself an architect, even a bricklayer. There were as yet no full-fledged formal education programs for architectural study in America. Aspiring architects’ options were limited, with only the best (and wealthiest) students going abroad to study at the Ecole des Beaux-Arts school of architecture in Paris.
Upjohn’s initial group expanded to 39 members, the foremost architects of their generation. Calling themselves the American Institute of Architects (AIA for short), they held a celebratory luncheon at the legendary Manhattan restaurant Delmonico’s on April 13, 1857, at the conclusion of which they filed their corporate papers. One of the men invited by Upjohn in this venture was Alexander Jackson (A. J.) Davis. Both men would have a significant impact on the architecture of West Orange, and their legacies remain with us.
Upjohn, the first president of AIA, often designed in the Gothic Revival style, much in vogue at that time for Christian houses of worship. His work was so influential that he is said to have forever changed the landscape of American churches. This prolific architect’s most famous design was for Trinity Church in 1846, located on Broadway and Wall Street in New York City. He also is credited with designing the 1861 renovations of St. Mark’s Episcopal Church in West Orange (now the home of the Lamb of God Fellowship). Upjohn’s Gothic Revival modifications included expansion of the original 1827 structure as well as the addition of a steeple.
The brownstone church has been accorded landmark status; set high above Main Street near the Orange border, it serves as the gateway to the soon-to-be-revitalized downtown West Orange.
A. J. Davis specialized in the design of country residences and villas. In 1836, nearly two decades before the founding of the AIA, Davis had written Rural Residences, the first illustrated American book about country home design. Davis would later join forces with Andrew Jackson Downing to illustrate and design homes for Downing’s pattern book, The Architecture of Country Houses and for his journal The Horticulturalist. Both furthered the concepts of Picturesque and Romantic styles of building and landscape design embodied in Davis’s work. In his lifetime he would see over one hundred of his designs built.
Davis had long ties to New Jersey, having spent part of his youth in Newark and later designing residences for nearby Belleville (not built) and Rahway. In the 1850s his New Jersey bond grew even stronger when he collaborated with his friend Llewellyn Haskell, the developer of Llewellyn Park. One of our nation’s first "planned communities," it fully embraced the vision of picturesque style. Davis designed numerous properties for the park, including his and Haskell’s own homes. Only a few of his properties remain, including the Gothic-inspired main gatehouse that still welcomes visitors to the park and the mysterious Castlewood, both constructed of native fieldstone.
On the eve of AIA’s 150th anniversary, architect, planner and longtime West Orange resident Jerome Leslie Eben is poised to become the next president AIANJ, the New Jersey Society of Architects, a Chapter and Region of The American Institute of Architects. He’s a good choice for the presidency, which he’ll assume in January: He’s passionate about his vocation and the community in which he lives, especially West Orange’s historic fabric and legendary architecture.
And as Eben himself puts it, he "lives, breaths and sleeps AIA." He sees the architect’s role in society as vital, protecting the health, safety and welfare of the public. Nowadays architects are required to possess a state license. They are ethically bound to represent their client, the building owner. Hence, as its website states, AIANJ members must "remain current with professional standards through continuing education and subscribe to a code of ethics and professional conduct that assure clients, the public and colleagues of their dedication to high standards in professional practice."
"Architects see the big picture because we do not just design four walls and a roof; we create entire environments, interiors and exteriors that satisfy functional needs and are exciting," Eben says. "An architect is the one professional who has the education, training, and experience to guide the public (the owner) through the entire design and construction process. In short, architects guide the way."
According to Eben, 2007 is sure to be an exciting year for AIANJ. Along with the organization’s ongoing programs and initiatives, plans for numerous New Jersey events are underway to commemorate AIA’s sesquicentennial anniversary year. In April, to mark AIA’s official start date, 150 architects are slated to visit sixth grade classrooms and introduce middle schoolers to the world of architects and architecture. Eben is hoping that these architects will inspire some of the students they encounter, recalling a similar experience of his own when he was a seventh grader and an art teacher taught him perspective drawing, forever changing his life. Eben hopes to repay the favor when he returns to his roots by visiting a Hillside, New Jersey classroom.
Coincidently, Llewellyn Park is also celebrating its 150th anniversary in June, a commemoration in which Eben expects AIA to participate. Since the Society’s inception, countless members have made their presence known in West Orange, often building cutting edge masterpieces and contributing to the beauty of the town. And in this special anniversary year West Orange is very fortunate to call Eben one of its own.Maria Morrison Heningburg has previously profiled both Llewellyn Park and the St. Cloud neighborhoods of West Orange. Researching historical facts relating to the area is one of her favorite pastimes.
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