Henry G. Harrison
architect; b. 1813; d. 1895.
He designed several important buildings in New York City, and became prominent in connection with the architectural schemes projected by Mr. A. T. Stewart for Garden City, Long Island. Of the proposed buildings only the cathedral, designed by Harrison, was carried out.
Georges Eugène Haussmann
baron; administrator aud politician; b. March 27, 1809 (at Paris); d. January 11, 1891.
The family of Baron Haussmann came originally from Cologne, Germany. He was educated at the Collège Henri IV, Paris, now Lycée Condorcet. He sided with Louis Philippe in the revolution of 1830, and May 22, 1831, was made secrétaire général of the préfecture of Vienne, France. He was promoted to various sous-préfectures. Haussmann was a supporter of Louis Napoleon who, as President of the Republic, appointed him to the préfecture of the Var, January, 1849. Haussmann assisted Napoleon III in the Coup d'État of November 7, 1852, and on January 2, 1853, was appointed Préfet de la Seine. He held that office for sixteen years and accomplished a complete transformation of the city of Paris. He remodelled the sanitary system of the city, destroyed old quarters, annexed suburbs, laid out boulevards and wide streets, created parks and public gardens. Under his patronage, also, several monumental works on the history, archaeology, and architecture of Paris were prepared and published, such as Histoire générale de Paris, Paris dans sa splendeur (3 vols, folio), Promenades de Paris (2 vols, folio, 1867-1873), and other works. He was removed from office at the commencement of the ministry of Emile Olivier in January, 1870, and devoted the remainder of his life to the preparation of his Memoirs.
Richard Morris Hunt
architect; b. October 21, 1828 ; d. July 31, 1895.
His early training was received at a private school in New Haven and at the Latin School in Boston. At the age of fifteen he went abroad with his family and settled in Geneva, where he studied architecture and drawing with Samuel Darier. In 1848 he entered the École des Beaux Arts in Paris under the direction of Hector Martin Lefuel. For several years Hunt travelled about Europe, visiting also Asia Minor and Egypt. In 1854 he returned to Paris and rejoined Lefuel, who had succeeded Visconti as architect of the extension of the Louvre and Tuileries undertaken by Napoleon III. He was appointed inspector of works and had charge of the details of the Pavillon de la Bibliothèque in the new Louvre. In 1853 Hunt came to America and was associated with Thomas U. Walter, who was then occupied with the extensions of the capitol in Washington. He afterward established himself in New York and opened an atelier for architectural students, where many prominent architects received their training. Hunt was for many years the best-known architect of America, although his practice did not include many public monuments of importance. Among his principal works are the Tribune building and the Lenox library in New York, two buildings at West Point, the National Observatory in Washington, the Administration building of the World's Fair in Chicago (1893), the Fogg Museum at Harvard University, "Marble Hall" (a residence) at Newport, "The Breakers" (a residence) at Newport, the houses of Mr. W. K. Vanderbilt, Mr. F. W. Vanderbilt, Mr. E. T. Gerry, and Mr. John Jacob Astor in New York, "Biltmore House" (a residence) at Asheville, North Carolina. In 1888 he was elected president of the American Institute of Architects, and in 1893 received the gold medal of The Royal Institute of British Architects. He was honorary and corresponding member of the Académie des Beaux Arts of the Institute of France (1882), and chevalier of the Légion d'Honneur.
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