Charles Babcock (March 23, 1829 – August 27, 1913) was an American

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 ...

, academic, Episcopal priest and founding member of the

American Institute of Architects The American Institute of Architects (AIA) is a professional organization for architects in the United States. Headquartered in Washington, D.C., the AIA offers education, government advocacy, community redevelopment, and public outreach to ...

. He was born in

Ballston Spa, New York Ballston Spa is a village and the county seat of Saratoga County, New York, United States, located southwest of Saratoga Springs. The population of the village, named after Rev. Eliphalet Ball, a Congregationalist clergyman and an early settler, ...

. After being educated at

Union College Union College is a Private university, private liberal arts college in Schenectady, New York. Founded in 1795, it was the first institution of higher learning chartered by the New York State Board of Regents, and second in the state of New York, ...

in 1847, he served as an apprentice of

Richard Upjohn Richard Upjohn (22 January 1802 – 16 August 1878) was a British-born American architect who emigrated to the United States and became most famous for his Gothic Revival churches. He was partially responsible for launching the movement to ...

while he designed Trinity Church in

Manhattan Manhattan (), known regionally as the City, is the most densely populated and geographically smallest of the five Boroughs of New York City, boroughs of New York City. The borough is also coextensive with New York County, one of the List of co ...

. Remaining with the firm for five years, he became a partner and later married Upjohn's daughter.''The Journal of San Diego History'', Winter 1987, Volume 33, Number 1, William ''Sterling Hebbard: Consummate San Diego Architect''; By Kathleen Flanigan From 1858 to 1862 he taught in St. Stephen's college, Annandale, New York. His interest in

Gothic Revival architecture Gothic Revival (also referred to as Victorian Gothic, neo-Gothic, or Gothick) is an architectural movement that began in the late 1740s in England. The movement gained momentum and expanded in the first half of the 19th century, as increasingly ...

led him to study for the ministry, and after his training he became the priest and rector of an Episcopal church in Arden, New York. He was elected the first Professor of Architecture at

Cornell University Cornell University is a private statutory land-grant research university based in Ithaca, New York. It is a member of the Ivy League. Founded in 1865 by Ezra Cornell and Andrew Dickson White, Cornell was founded with the intention to ...

on September 18, 1871, essentially founding the College of Architecture, Art, and Planning. While at Cornell, he continued to serve as a minister, and authored two textbooks, ''Elementary Architecture'' (1876) and ''Vaults'' (1884), and designed several important campus buildings, including Sage Hall, Franklin Hall (later renamed Olive Tjaden Hall), and

Sage Chapel Sage Chapel is the non-denominational chapel on the campus of Cornell University in Ithaca, New York State which serves as the burial ground for many contributors to Cornell's history, including the founders of the university: Ezra Cornell and A ...

. He was a professor until 1897, when he became Professor

Emeritus ''Emeritus'' (; female: ''emerita'') is an adjective used to designate a retired chair, professor, pastor, bishop, pope, director, president, prime minister, rabbi, emperor, or other person who has been "permitted to retain as an honorary title ...

, and served in that position until his death.Writers' Program of the Work Projects Administration in the State of New York, ''New York: A Guide to the Empire State'', Oxford University Press, 1940 He designed Christ Church in

Sparkill, New York Sparkill, formerly known as Tappan Sloat, is a suburban hamlet and census-designated place in the Town of Orangetown, Rockland County, New York, United States located north of Palisades; east of Tappan; south of Piermont and west of the Hudso ...

. The church was listed on the

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 artist ...

in 2011. Charles Babcock died in

Ithaca, New York Ithaca is a city in the Finger Lakes region of New York (state), New York, United States. Situated on the southern shore of Cayuga Lake, Ithaca is the seat of Tompkins County, New York, Tompkins County and the largest community in the Ithaca m ...

at the age of 84.

Gallery

File:St Andrew's Episcopal Church, Walden, NY.jpg, St. Andrew's Episcopal Church in Walden, NY, designed by Babcock in 1871. File:Cornell Armory.jpg, The Cornell Armory, a Babcock building that has since been demolished File:Sage College, Cornell University Campus (3678122369).jpg, Sage Hall, 1875 File:Olive Tjaden Hall, Cornell University.jpg, Franklin Hall, now Olive Tjaden Hall, 1883

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Babcock, Charles 1829 births 1913 deaths American Episcopal priests Cornell University faculty Union College (New York) alumni People from Ballston Spa, New York Architects from New York (state) Founder of American Institute of Architects 19th-century American Episcopalians