Birdsall Parmenas Briscoe (June 10, 1876 – 1971) was an American architect active in Texas, especially in
Houston
Houston (; ) is the most populous city in Texas, the most populous city in the Southern United States, the fourth-most populous city in the United States, and the sixth-most populous city in North America, with a population of 2,304,580 in ...
. He was known as "Birdsall Briscoe" or "Birdsall P. Briscoe". Several of his works have been listed on the U.S.
National Register of Historic Places
The National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) is the United States federal government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures and objects deemed worthy of preservation for their historical significance or "great artistic v ...
for their architecture.
Early life
Briscoe was born on June 10, 1876, in
Harrisburg, Texas
Harrisburg is a community that is now (originally documented as Harrisburgh, then shortened to Harrisburg in 1892) located within the city of Houston, Texas, United States.
The community is located east of downtown Houston, south of the Brays Bayo ...
, as son of Andrew Birdsall and Annie Frances (Paine) Briscoe.
Andrew Briscoe
Andrew Briscoe (November 25, 1810 – October 4, 1849) was a merchant, revolutionary, soldier, and jurist. He was an organizer of the Texas Revolution, attending the Convention of 1836 and signing the Texas Declaration of Independence. He foug ...
was a grandfather and
John Richardson Harris, founder of Harrisburg, was a great-grandfather. His parents owned a ranch near
Goliad, Texas
Goliad ( ) is a city in Goliad County, Texas, United States. It is known for the 1836 Goliad massacre during the Texas Revolution. It had a population of 1,620 at the 2020 census. Founded on the San Antonio River, it is the county seat of Gol ...
. He left the area to attend a San Antonio Academy, a preparatory school in San Antonio, Texas. He matriculated at Texas A&M University and the University of Texas.
Career
Briscoe trained as an architect under C. Lewis Wilson and Lewis Sterling Green, while later forming a three-year partnership with Green. He opened his own practice in 1912.
[ He shared an office in downtown Houston with fellow architect, Maurice P. Sullivan. He was selected by the River Oaks Company as one of three architects to design nine model homes in the nascent subdivision.
While still working outside of a partnership, Briscoe designed three homes in the ]private
Private or privates may refer to:
Music
* " In Private", by Dusty Springfield from the 1990 album ''Reputation''
* Private (band), a Denmark-based band
* "Private" (Ryōko Hirosue song), from the 1999 album ''Private'', written and also recorde ...
street subdivision of Courtlandt Place, Houston
Courtlandt Place, Houston is a residential subdivision consisting of a single street, south of downtown Houston, planned in 1906. Courtlandt Place is a member of the Neartown, Houston, Neartown Houston Association.
Overview
Courtlandt Place i ...
. He completed the J. J. Carroll House, the W. T. Carter Jr. House, and the Judson L. Taylor House before World War I
World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, the United States, and the Ottoman Empire, with fightin ...
. All three are listed on the National Register for Historic Places
The National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) is the United States federal government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures and objects deemed worthy of preservation for their historical significance or "great artistic v ...
. He won commissions for two homes in Houston for William Lockhart Clayton, both of which are historic landmarks. The first was the Georgian-Revival home sited on a whole city block in the Southmore Addition. In 1924, Briscoe completed the William L. Clayton Summer House (NRHP-listed) in River Oaks
River Oaks is a residential community located in the center of Houston, Texas, United States. Located within the 610 Loop and between Downtown and Uptown, the community spans .Archive Established in the 1920s by brothers Will Hogg and Michael ...
, the first property to be developed in the subdivision.
Briscoe's work can also be found in the Broadacres Historic District in Houston. He designed four houses on South Boulevard with his partner Sam H. Dixon Jr. Two of these the Clarence L. Carter and Walter H. Walne houses employed prominent bays to create an asymmetrical medieval motif. The partners built a federal-style house for William D. Cleveland Jr. and a Spanish-style house for John F. Dickson Jr. They severed the partnership in 1926, after which Briscoe designed another four houses in Broadacres as a sole-practitioner. The first of these, the Cotswold-style Bettie G. Lester House on North Boulevard, marks a transition in Briscoe's work. He built an Italian villa for Burdine Clayton Anderson, then two more homes on North Boulevard, one for Robert W. Wier, and another for Edmond Pincoffs.
Briscoe served as associate architect to John F. Staub in the development of Bayou Bend
Bayou Bend Collection and Gardens, located in the River Oaks community in Houston, Texas, United States, is a facility of the Museum of Fine Arts, Houston (MFAH) that houses a collection of decorative art, paintings and furniture. Bayou Bend is th ...
, a sprawling mansion sited on a fourteen-acre lot in River Oaks. The home was built between 1926 and 1928 under the consultation of Ima Hogg
Ima Hogg (July 10, 1882 – August 19, 1975), known as "The First Lady of Texas", was an American society leader, philanthropist, mental health advocate, patron and collector of the arts, and one of the most respected women in Texas during th ...
, who lived there with her brothers, Will and Mike. Hogg bequeathed the estate to the Museum of Fine Arts, Houston
The Museum of Fine Arts, Houston (MFAH), is an art museum located in the Houston Museum District of Houston, Texas. With the recent completion of an eight-year campus redevelopment project, including the opening of the Nancy and Rich Kinder Build ...
, which operates the property as a museum annex for the Bayou Bend Collection of decorative arts. Bayou Bend is NRHP-listed.
Briscoe was a veteran of the Spanish–American War
, partof = the Philippine Revolution, the decolonization of the Americas, and the Cuban War of Independence
, image = Collage infobox for Spanish-American War.jpg
, image_size = 300px
, caption = (clock ...
and World War I
World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, the United States, and the Ottoman Empire, with fightin ...
.[
]
Death
Briscoe died on September 19, 1971, in Houston. He was interred at Oak Hill Cemetery in Goliad.[
]
References
{{DEFAULTSORT:Briscoe, Birdsall
1876 births
1971 deaths
Architects from Houston
University of Texas alumni
Texas A&M University alumni
Spanish–American War
World War I