Origins & Early Life

Henry Hobson Richardson, FAIA (September 29, 1838 – April 27, 1886) was an American architect, best known for his work in a style derived from Romanesque Revival that became known as Richardsonian Romanesque. Along with Louis Sullivan and Frank Lloyd Wright, Richardson is one of "the recognized trinity of American architecture." Richardson was born at the Priestley Plantation in St. James Parish, Louisiana, and spent part of his childhood in New Orleans, where his family lived on Julia Row in a red brick house designed by the architect Alexander T. Wood.

Pivotal Works & Achievements

He was the great-grandson of inventor and philosopher Joseph Priestley, who is usually credited with the discovery of oxygen. Richardson went on to study at Harvard College and Tulane University. Initially, he was interested in civil engineering, but shifted to architecture, which led him to go to Paris in 1860 to attend the famed École des Beaux Arts in the atelier of Louis-Jules André. He was only the second U.S. citizen to attend the École's architectural division—Richard Morris Hunt was the first—and the school was to play an increasingly important role in training Americans in the following decades...

Enduring Legacy & Impact

The historical impact and works continue to influence the modern world.

Contemporary Figures & Related Historical Timelines

• Bankim Chandra Chatterjee — Contemporary (Born in 1838) (1838): Pioneering Bengali novelist, poet, and journalist, celebrated as the 'Emperor of Literature'.
• Edward W. Morley — Contemporary (Born in 1838) (1838): Pioneering American physicist known for atomic weight measurements and the Michelson–Morley experiment.
• Ernst Mach — Contemporary (Born in 1838) (1838): Pioneering physicist and philosopher who shaped modern science and logic.
• Alfonso XIII — Contemporary (Born in 1886) (1886): King of Spain (1886-1931), whose reign spanned constitutional crises and republican upheaval.
• Clarence Birdseye — Contemporary (Born in 1886) (1886): Founder of the modern frozen food industry through rapid-freezing technology.
• David Ben-Gurion — Contemporary (Born in 1886) (1886): Primary national founder and first Prime Minister of the State of Israel.
• Alfie Boe — Shared historical date (09-29 · Born) (1973): Acclaimed English musical theatre star, celebrated for roles like Jean Valjean.
• Andrea del Sarto — Shared historical date (09-29 · Died) (1530): Florentine painter celebrated for fresco work during the High Renaissance.
• Anouk Aimée — Shared historical date (04-27 · Born) (1932): Iconic French actress known for her captivating roles from the 1940s to 2010s.
• Antonio Gramsci — Shared historical date (04-27 · Died) (1937): Italian Marxist philosopher known for his theory of cultural hegemony.
• 1838 Historical Timeline & Archive — Explore world events and figures from 1838
• September 29 (09-29) On This Day — Historical birthdays and events on September 29
• 1886 Historical Timeline & Archive — Explore world events and figures from 1886
• April 27 (04-27) On This Day — Historical events and memorials on April 27