Francis Barry Byrne (December 19, 1883 – December 18, 1967) was a member of the group of
architect
An architect is a person who plans, designs and oversees the construction of buildings. To practice architecture means to provide services in connection with the design of buildings and the space within the site surrounding the buildings that h ...
s known as the
Prairie School
Prairie School is a late 19th- and early 20th-century architectural style, most common in the Midwestern United States. The style is usually marked by horizontal lines, flat or hipped roofs with broad overhanging eaves, windows grouped in ...
. After the demise of the Prairie School, about 1914 to 1916, Byrne continued as a successful architect by developing his own style.
Biography
Byrne was born and raised in
Chicago
(''City in a Garden''); I Will
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, map_caption = Interactive Map of Chicago
, coordinates =
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. After seeing a Chicago Architectural Club exhibit in 1902, he sought employment with
Frank Lloyd Wright
Frank Lloyd Wright (June 8, 1867 – April 9, 1959) was an American architect, designer, writer, and educator. He designed more than 1,000 structures over a creative period of 70 years. Wright played a key role in the architectural movements o ...
and secured an apprentice position although he was untrained in architecture. As Wright’s son, John, relates:
After working for Wright in his
Oak Park, Illinois
Oak Park is a village in Cook County, Illinois, adjacent to Chicago. It is the 29th-most populous municipality in Illinois with a population of 54,583 as of the 2020 U.S. Census estimate. Oak Park was first settled in 1835 and later incorporated in ...
studio between 1902 and 1907, Byrne worked briefly at other Chicago firms. He moved to
Seattle
Seattle ( ) is a seaport city on the West Coast of the United States. It is the seat of King County, Washington. With a 2020 population of 737,015, it is the largest city in both the state of Washington and the Pacific Northwest regio ...
in winter 1908 to 1909 to join
Andrew Willatzen
Andrew Willatsen (8 October 1876 – 25 July 1974) was an architect chiefly remembered for bringing the influence of Frank Lloyd Wright and the Prairie School to the Pacific Northwest.
Early life and emigration
Andrew Christian Peter Willatzen wa ...
who had been a fellow employee at Wright's office. They formed the firm Willatzen & Byrne and, over the next several years, produced a series of residential designs in the
Prairie School
Prairie School is a late 19th- and early 20th-century architectural style, most common in the Midwestern United States. The style is usually marked by horizontal lines, flat or hipped roofs with broad overhanging eaves, windows grouped in ...
style.
After the Willatzen & Byrne partnership dissolved in 1913, Willatzen remained in Seattle but Byrne moved to southern California where he lived briefly with Wright's sons
Lloyd Wright
Frank Lloyd Wright Jr. (March 31, 1890 – May 31, 1978), commonly known as Lloyd Wright, was an American architect, active primarily in Los Angeles and Southern California. He was a landscape architect for various Los Angeles projects (192 ...
and
John Lloyd Wright
John Lloyd Wright (December 12, 1892 – December 20, 1972) was an American architect and toy inventor. Born in Oak Park, Illinois, Wright was the second-oldest son of famed architect Frank Lloyd Wright. John Lloyd Wright became estranged from hi ...
. In 1914, he returned to Chicago at first to manage, then, take over the practice of
Walter Burley Griffin
Walter Burley Griffin (November 24, 1876February 11, 1937) was an American architect and landscape architect. He is known for designing Canberra, Australia's capital city and the New South Wales towns of Griffith, New South Wales, Griffith and ...
who had moved to Australia to develop plans for its new capital city,
Canberra
Canberra ( )
is the capital city of Australia. Founded following the federation of the colonies of Australia as the seat of government for the new nation, it is Australia's largest inland city and the eighth-largest city overall. The ci ...
.
By 1917, Byrne was practicing under his own name. He briefly served in World War I, then returned to Chicago. Byrne's style developed independently of Wright and the Prairie School as he moved toward greater simplification of form. Annette Cremin became Byrne's wife in 1926, and they had three children: Ann, Cathleen and Patrick. As an artist, Annette influenced his work, drawing renderings of his architectural designs, and on occasion, contributing interior color patterns and decoration for his buildings and churches. During the depression when there was no demand for his services, she supported the family.
During the 1920s, some of Byrne's work contained elements of
Expressionism
Expressionism is a modernist movement, initially in poetry and painting, originating in Northern Europe around the beginning of the 20th century. Its typical trait is to present the world solely from a subjective perspective, distorting it rad ...
. He became successful as a designer of ecclesiastical and educational buildings for the Roman Catholic Church, for whom he later created three of his most important works: Church of Christ the King in
Turners Cross, Cork
Turners Cross () is a ward on the south side of Cork City, and home to the Roman Catholic parish of the same name.
Largely residential, one of the key features of the area is the iconic church created by architect Barry Byrne and sculptor John ...
,
Ireland
Ireland ( ; ga, Éire ; Ulster Scots dialect, Ulster-Scots: ) is an island in the Atlantic Ocean, North Atlantic Ocean, in Northwestern Europe, north-western Europe. It is separated from Great Britain to its east by the North Channel (Grea ...
(1931), Church of St. Francis Xavier in
Kansas City, Missouri
Kansas City (abbreviated KC or KCMO) is the largest city in Missouri by population and area. As of the 2020 census, the city had a population of 508,090 in 2020, making it the 36th most-populous city in the United States. It is the central ...
(1949), and St. Benedict's Abbey in
Atchison, Kansas
Atchison is a city and county seat of Atchison County, Kansas, United States, along the Missouri River. As of the 2020 census, the population of the city was 10,885. The city is named in honor of US Senator David Rice Atchison from Missouri an ...
(1951-1957).
In the 1930s, Byrne moved to New York, but after 1945 returned to Chicago. Byrne partially retired about 1953, but continued to accept commissions until his death.
He died on the eve of his 84th birthday after being struck crossing the street to attend Mass with his wife by an automobile driven by retired president of the
American League
The American League of Professional Baseball Clubs, known simply as the American League (AL), is one of two leagues that make up Major League Baseball (MLB) in the United States and Canada. It developed from the Western League, a minor league ...
Will Harridge
William Harridge (October 16, 1883 – April 9, 1971) was an American executive in professional baseball whose most significant role was as president of the American League (AL) from 1931 to 1959. He was elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame by the ...
. He is buried at Calvary Cemetery in
Evanston, Illinois
Evanston ( ) is a city, suburb of Chicago. Located in Cook County, Illinois, United States, it is situated on the North Shore along Lake Michigan. Evanston is north of Downtown Chicago, bordered by Chicago to the south, Skokie to the west, Wil ...
.
Prairie Styles, ''Barry Bryne''
/ref> Annette Cremin Byrne died in 1990, aged 92.
Archival materials are held by the Ryerson & Burnham Libraries
The Ryerson & Burnham Libraries are the art and architecture research collection of the Art Institute of Chicago. The libraries cover all periods with extensive holdings in the areas of 18th-, 19th- and 20th-century architecture and 19th-century ...
in the Art Institute of Chicago
The Art Institute of Chicago in Chicago's Grant Park, founded in 1879, is one of the oldest and largest art museums in the world. Recognized for its curatorial efforts and popularity among visitors, the museum hosts approximately 1.5 mill ...
.
Selected works
* Nelson, Tagholm and Jensen Building, Seattle
Seattle ( ) is a seaport city on the West Coast of the United States. It is the seat of King County, Washington. With a 2020 population of 737,015, it is the largest city in both the state of Washington and the Pacific Northwest regio ...
, Washington (1909) with Andrew Willatzen
Andrew Willatsen (8 October 1876 – 25 July 1974) was an architect chiefly remembered for bringing the influence of Frank Lloyd Wright and the Prairie School to the Pacific Northwest.
Early life and emigration
Andrew Christian Peter Willatzen wa ...
* Charles H. Clarke House, Seattle
Seattle ( ) is a seaport city on the West Coast of the United States. It is the seat of King County, Washington. With a 2020 population of 737,015, it is the largest city in both the state of Washington and the Pacific Northwest regio ...
, Washington (1909) with Andrew Willatzen
Andrew Willatsen (8 October 1876 – 25 July 1974) was an architect chiefly remembered for bringing the influence of Frank Lloyd Wright and the Prairie School to the Pacific Northwest.
Early life and emigration
Andrew Christian Peter Willatzen wa ...
* Frederick Handschy House Seattle
Seattle ( ) is a seaport city on the West Coast of the United States. It is the seat of King County, Washington. With a 2020 population of 737,015, it is the largest city in both the state of Washington and the Pacific Northwest regio ...
, Washington (1910) with Andrew Willatzen
Andrew Willatsen (8 October 1876 – 25 July 1974) was an architect chiefly remembered for bringing the influence of Frank Lloyd Wright and the Prairie School to the Pacific Northwest.
Early life and emigration
Andrew Christian Peter Willatzen wa ...
* Our Lady of Good Help Catholic Church, Hoquiam, Washington
Hoquiam ( ) is a city in Grays Harbor County, Washington, United States. It borders the city of Aberdeen at Myrtle Street, with Hoquiam to the west. The two cities share a common economic history in lumbering and exporting, but Hoquiam has mainta ...
(1910) with Andrew Willatzen
Andrew Willatsen (8 October 1876 – 25 July 1974) was an architect chiefly remembered for bringing the influence of Frank Lloyd Wright and the Prairie School to the Pacific Northwest.
Early life and emigration
Andrew Christian Peter Willatzen wa ...
* George Matzen House, Seattle
Seattle ( ) is a seaport city on the West Coast of the United States. It is the seat of King County, Washington. With a 2020 population of 737,015, it is the largest city in both the state of Washington and the Pacific Northwest regio ...
, Washington (1910), with Andrew Willatzen
Andrew Willatsen (8 October 1876 – 25 July 1974) was an architect chiefly remembered for bringing the influence of Frank Lloyd Wright and the Prairie School to the Pacific Northwest.
Early life and emigration
Andrew Christian Peter Willatzen wa ...
* Oscar E. Maurer House, Seattle
Seattle ( ) is a seaport city on the West Coast of the United States. It is the seat of King County, Washington. With a 2020 population of 737,015, it is the largest city in both the state of Washington and the Pacific Northwest regio ...
, Washington (1910) with Andrew Willatzen
Andrew Willatsen (8 October 1876 – 25 July 1974) was an architect chiefly remembered for bringing the influence of Frank Lloyd Wright and the Prairie School to the Pacific Northwest.
Early life and emigration
Andrew Christian Peter Willatzen wa ...
* Andrew S. Kerry House, Seattle
Seattle ( ) is a seaport city on the West Coast of the United States. It is the seat of King County, Washington. With a 2020 population of 737,015, it is the largest city in both the state of Washington and the Pacific Northwest regio ...
, Washington (1910–11) with Andrew Willatzen
Andrew Willatsen (8 October 1876 – 25 July 1974) was an architect chiefly remembered for bringing the influence of Frank Lloyd Wright and the Prairie School to the Pacific Northwest.
Early life and emigration
Andrew Christian Peter Willatzen wa ...
* George E. Felmlay House, Seattle
Seattle ( ) is a seaport city on the West Coast of the United States. It is the seat of King County, Washington. With a 2020 population of 737,015, it is the largest city in both the state of Washington and the Pacific Northwest regio ...
, Washington (1911) with Andrew Willatzen
Andrew Willatsen (8 October 1876 – 25 July 1974) was an architect chiefly remembered for bringing the influence of Frank Lloyd Wright and the Prairie School to the Pacific Northwest.
Early life and emigration
Andrew Christian Peter Willatzen wa ...
* John T. McVay House, Seattle
Seattle ( ) is a seaport city on the West Coast of the United States. It is the seat of King County, Washington. With a 2020 population of 737,015, it is the largest city in both the state of Washington and the Pacific Northwest regio ...
, Washington (1911) with Andrew Willatzen
Andrew Willatsen (8 October 1876 – 25 July 1974) was an architect chiefly remembered for bringing the influence of Frank Lloyd Wright and the Prairie School to the Pacific Northwest.
Early life and emigration
Andrew Christian Peter Willatzen wa ...
* Carleton Huiscamp House, Seattle
Seattle ( ) is a seaport city on the West Coast of the United States. It is the seat of King County, Washington. With a 2020 population of 737,015, it is the largest city in both the state of Washington and the Pacific Northwest regio ...
, Washington (1912) with Andrew Willatzen
Andrew Willatsen (8 October 1876 – 25 July 1974) was an architect chiefly remembered for bringing the influence of Frank Lloyd Wright and the Prairie School to the Pacific Northwest.
Early life and emigration
Andrew Christian Peter Willatzen wa ...
* George Bellman House, Seattle
Seattle ( ) is a seaport city on the West Coast of the United States. It is the seat of King County, Washington. With a 2020 population of 737,015, it is the largest city in both the state of Washington and the Pacific Northwest regio ...
, Washington (1912) with Andrew Willatzen
Andrew Willatsen (8 October 1876 – 25 July 1974) was an architect chiefly remembered for bringing the influence of Frank Lloyd Wright and the Prairie School to the Pacific Northwest.
Early life and emigration
Andrew Christian Peter Willatzen wa ...
* L. George Hagar House, Seattle
Seattle ( ) is a seaport city on the West Coast of the United States. It is the seat of King County, Washington. With a 2020 population of 737,015, it is the largest city in both the state of Washington and the Pacific Northwest regio ...
, Washington (1913) with Andrew Willatzen
Andrew Willatsen (8 October 1876 – 25 July 1974) was an architect chiefly remembered for bringing the influence of Frank Lloyd Wright and the Prairie School to the Pacific Northwest.
Early life and emigration
Andrew Christian Peter Willatzen wa ...
* Sam Schneider House, Mason City, Iowa
Mason City is a city and the county seat of Cerro Gordo County, Iowa, United States. The population was 27,338 in the 2020 census, a decline from 29,172 in the 2000 census. The Mason City Micropolitan Statistical Area includes all of Cerro Go ...
(1914), attributed (original commission to Walter Burley Griffin
Walter Burley Griffin (November 24, 1876February 11, 1937) was an American architect and landscape architect. He is known for designing Canberra, Australia's capital city and the New South Wales towns of Griffith, New South Wales, Griffith and ...
)
* J.B. Franke House, Fort Wayne, Indiana
Fort Wayne is a city in and the county seat of Allen County, Indiana, United States. Located in northeastern Indiana, the city is west of the Ohio border and south of the Michigan border. The city's population was 263,886 as of the 2020 Censu ...
(1914)
* Hugh Gilmore House, Mason City, Iowa (1915)
* Dr. James Frederic Clarke House, Fairfield, Iowa
Fairfield is a city in, and the county seat of, Jefferson County, Iowa. It has a population of 9,416 people, according to the 2020 census. The median family income is $46,138, with 10% of families below the poverty line.
The city is typical o ...
(1915)
* John Travis Kenna Apartments, Chicago, Illinois
(''City in a Garden''); I Will
, image_map =
, map_caption = Interactive Map of Chicago
, coordinates =
, coordinates_footnotes =
, subdivision_type = Country
, subdivision_name ...
(1916)
* C.M. Rich House, Keokuk, Iowa
Keokuk is a city in and a county seat of Lee County, Iowa, United States, along with Fort Madison. It is Iowa's southernmost city. The population was 9,900 at the time of the 2020 census. The city is named after the Sauk chief Keokuk, who is ...
(1916)
* Saint Francis Xavier School, Wilmette, Illinois
Wilmette is a village in New Trier Township, Cook County, Illinois, United States. Bordering Lake Michigan and Evanston, Illinois, it is located north of Chicago's downtown district. Wilmette had a population of 27,087 at the 2010 census. The ...
(1916)
* Old Chemistry Hall, University of New Mexico
The University of New Mexico (UNM; es, Universidad de Nuevo México) is a public research university in Albuquerque, New Mexico. Founded in 1889, it is the state's flagship academic institution and the largest by enrollment, with over 25,400 ...
, Albuquerque, New Mexico
Albuquerque ( ; ), ; kee, Arawageeki; tow, Vakêêke; zun, Alo:ke:k'ya; apj, Gołgéeki'yé. abbreviated ABQ, is the most populous city in the U.S. state of New Mexico. Its nicknames, The Duke City and Burque, both reference its founding in ...
(1916)
* John Valentine House
The John Valentine House, now replaced by the Sigma Phi Epsilon Fraternity House, was a Prairie School style building in Muncie, Indiana. It was designed by Barry Byrne and was built in 1918. Formerly the Sigma Tau Gamma fraternity house. Now ...
(now Sigma Tau Gamma
Sigma Tau Gamma (), commonly known as Sig Tau, is a United States college social fraternity founded on June 28, 1920, at the University of Central Missouri (then known as Central Missouri State Teachers College). The fraternity was founded as a re ...
fraternity house, Ball State University
Ball State University (Ball State, State or BSU) is a public university, public research university in Muncie, Indiana. It has two satellite facilities in Fishers, Indiana, Fishers and Indianapolis.
On July 25, 1917, the Ball brothers, indust ...
), Muncie, Indiana
Muncie ( ) is an incorporated city and the county seat, seat of Delaware County, Indiana, Delaware County, Indiana. Previously known as Buckongahelas Town, named after the legendary Delaware Chief.http://www.delawarecountyhistory.org/history/docs ...
(1917)
* William F. Temple House remodeling, Kenilworth, Illinois
Kenilworth is a village in Cook County, Illinois, United States, north of downtown Chicago. As of the 2020 census it had a population of 2,514. It is the newest of the nine suburban North Shore communities bordering Lake Michigan, and is one of ...
(1917), with Alfonso Iannelli
Alfonso Iannelli (February 17, 1888 – March 23, 1965) was an Italian-American sculptor, artist, and industrial designer.
Based in Chicago for most of his life, Iannelli was born in Andretta, Italy on February 17, 1888. He came to America in ...
* Immaculata High School and Convent Buildings, Chicago (1922), historic landmark
* St. Francis Xavier High School, Wilmette, Illinois (1922)
Church of St. Thomas the Apostle
Chicago, Illinois (1922)
* All Saints Cemetery
All Saints Cemetery is a cemetery of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Chicago, and is located at 700 North River Road, in Des Plaines, Illinois.
The original 1923 East cemetery was expanded in 1954 to include All Saints West. The cemetery include ...
, Des Plaines, Illinois
Des Plaines is a city in Cook County, Illinois, United States. Per the 2020 census, the population was 60,675. The city is a suburb of Chicago and is located just north of O'Hare International Airport. It is situated on and is named after the ...
(1923)
* St. Catherine's High School, Racine, Wisconsin (1923)
* St. Patrick's Roman Catholic Church, Racine, Wisconsin
Racine ( ) is a city in and the county seat of Racine County, Wisconsin, United States. It is located on the shore of Lake Michigan at the mouth of the Root River. Racine is situated 22 miles (35 km) south of Milwaukee and approximately 60 ...
(1924)
* Church of Christ the King, Tulsa, Oklahoma
Tulsa () is the second-largest city in the state of Oklahoma and 47th-most populous city in the United States. The population was 413,066 as of the 2020 census. It is the principal municipality of the Tulsa Metropolitan Area, a region with ...
(1926)
* Church of Christ the King, Parish of Turners Cross, Cork
Turners Cross () is a ward on the south side of Cork City, and home to the Roman Catholic parish of the same name.
Largely residential, one of the key features of the area is the iconic church created by architect Barry Byrne and sculptor John ...
, Ireland
Ireland ( ; ga, Éire ; Ulster Scots dialect, Ulster-Scots: ) is an island in the Atlantic Ocean, North Atlantic Ocean, in Northwestern Europe, north-western Europe. It is separated from Great Britain to its east by the North Channel (Grea ...
(1931), sculpture by John Storrs
* Church of SS. Peter & Paul, Pierre, South Dakota
Pierre ( ; lkt, Čhúŋkaške, lit=fort) is the capital city of South Dakota, United States, and the seat of Hughes County. The population was 14,091 at the 2020 census, making it the second-least populous US state capital after Montpelier, ...
(1941)
* Church of St. Francis Xavier, Kansas City, Missouri
Kansas City (abbreviated KC or KCMO) is the largest city in Missouri by population and area. As of the 2020 census, the city had a population of 508,090 in 2020, making it the 36th most-populous city in the United States. It is the central ...
(1949), with Joseph B Shaughnessy Sr. sculptures by Alfonso Iannelli
Alfonso Iannelli (February 17, 1888 – March 23, 1965) was an Italian-American sculptor, artist, and industrial designer.
Based in Chicago for most of his life, Iannelli was born in Andretta, Italy on February 17, 1888. He came to America in ...
* St. Columba Church, St. Paul, Minnesota (1949)
* St. Benedict's Abbey Church, Atchison, Kansas
Atchison is a city and county seat of Atchison County, Kansas, United States, along the Missouri River. As of the 2020 census, the population of the city was 10,885. The city is named in honor of US Senator David Rice Atchison from Missouri an ...
(1951-1957)
* Church of St. Patrick, London, Ontario
London (pronounced ) is a city in southwestern Ontario, Canada, along the Quebec City–Windsor Corridor. The city had a population of 422,324 according to the 2021 Canadian census. London is at the confluence of the Thames River, approximate ...
(1952)
* Holy Redeemer College (now Académie Sainte-Cécile), Windsor, Ontario
Windsor is a city in southwestern Ontario, Canada, on the south bank of the Detroit River directly across from Detroit, Michigan, United States. Geographically located within but administratively independent of Essex County, it is the souther ...
(1957)
* St. Procopius College (now Benedictine University
Benedictine University is a private Roman Catholic university in Lisle, Illinois. It was founded in 1887 as St. Procopius College by the Benedictine monks of St. Procopius Abbey in the Pilsen community on the West Side of Chicago. The institu ...
), Lisle, Illinois
Lisle ( ) is a village in DuPage County, Illinois, United States. The population was 22,390 at the 2010 census, and in 2019 the population was recorded to be 23,270. It is part of the Chicago metropolitan area and the Illinois Technology and Resea ...
(1962)
References
Further reading
* Brooks, H. Allen (Ed.), ''Prairie School Architecture: Studies from "The Western Architect"'', Van Nostrand Reinhold Co., New York 1983;
* Brooks, H. Allen, ''The Prairie School: Frank Lloyd Wright and his Midwest Contemporaries'', University of Toronto Press, Toronto 1972;
* Hildebrand, Grant, and Giessel Jess M., "Andrew Willatsen," in ''Shaping Seattle Architecture: A Historical Guide to the Architects'' (ed. Jeffrey Karl Ochsner), University of Washington Press
The University of Washington Press is an American academic publishing house. The organization is a division of the University of Washington, based in Seattle. Although the division functions autonomously, they have worked to assist the universit ...
, Seattle and London 1994, pages 168-173, 312;
* Michael, Vincent L. ''The Architecture of Barry Byrne: Taking the Prairie School to Europe'' (University of Illinois Press; 2013) 226 pages;
External links
Byrne Biography and Buildings
* Francis Barry Byrne works
{{DEFAULTSORT:Byrne, Barry
1883 births
1967 deaths
20th-century American architects
Architects from Chicago
Benedictine University
Architects of Roman Catholic churches