Charles Sumner Frost (May 31, 1856 – December 11, 1931) was an American architect. He is best known as the architect of

Navy Pier Navy Pier is a pier on the shoreline of Lake Michigan, located in the Streeterville neighborhood of the Near North Side community area in Chicago, Illinois, United States. Navy Pier encompasses over of parks, gardens, shops, restaurants, famil ...

and for designing over 100 buildings for the Chicago and North Western Railway.

Biography

Born in

Lewiston, Maine Lewiston (; ; officially the City of Lewiston, Maine) is List of cities in Maine, the second largest city in Maine and the most central city in Androscoggin County, Maine, Androscoggin County. The city lies halfway between Augusta, Maine, August ...

, Frost was first a draftsman in Boston, and graduated from the

Massachusetts Institute of Technology The Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) is a private land-grant research university in Cambridge, Massachusetts. Established in 1861, MIT has played a key role in the development of modern technology and science, and is one of the ...

in 1876. While working in Boston he worked for the firm of

Peabody and Stearns Peabody & Stearns was a premier architectural firm in the Eastern United States in the late 19th century and early 20th century. Based in Boston, Massachusetts, the firm consisted of Robert Swain Peabody (1845–1917) and John Goddard Stearns J ...

from 1876 to 1881. He moved to Chicago in 1882, when he began a partnership with

Henry Ives Cobb Henry Ives Cobb (August 19, 1859 – March 27, 1931) was an architect from the United States. Based in Chicago in the last decades of the 19th century, he was known for his designs in the Richardsonian Romanesque and Victorian Gothic styles. ...

. Together, they established the firm

Cobb and Frost Cobb and Frost was an American architectural firm. Cobb and Frost was founded in Chicago, Illinois by Henry Ives Cobb and Charles Sumner Frost in 1882. The firm was dissolved in 1889 when Cobb began work on designing the Newberry Library. Their m ...

, which was active from 1882 to 1898. After the partnership ended, he worked alone. Frost married Mary Hughitt, a daughter of

Marvin Hughitt Marvin Hughitt (August 9, 1837 – January 6, 1928) was an American railroad tycoon from New York. Interested in telegraphy at a young age, Hughitt quickly mastered the trade and moved to Chicago, Illinois to work. He came to the attention of the ...

, the President of the Chicago and North Western Railroad, in 1897. On January 1, 1898, he partnered with his brother-in-law,

Alfred Hoyt Granger Alfred Hoyt Granger (May 31, 1867 - December 3, 1939) was an American architect and author. Life Alfred Hoyt Granger was born in Zanesville, Ohio, on May 31, 1867, the son of Judge Moses M. Granger and Mary Hoyt Reese. He earned a bachelor of ar ...

, to form the firm of

Frost and Granger Frost & Granger was an American architectural partnership from 1898 to 1910 of brothers-in-law Charles Sumner Frost (1856–1931) and Alfred Hoyt Granger (1867–1939). Frost and Granger were known for their designs of train stations and terminals, ...

. Frost and Granger were known for their designs of train stations and terminals, including the now-demolished Chicago and North Western Terminal. Frost designed 127 buildings for the Chicago and North Western Railroad alone. After Frost and Granger dissolved in 1910, Frost continued to work independently, designing such structures as the Navy Pier Auditorium. Frost was a Fellow 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 su ...

. He retired on December 31, 1928, and died on December 11, 1931, in

Chicago (''City in a Garden''); I Will , image_map = , map_caption = Interactive Map of Chicago , coordinates = , coordinates_footnotes = , subdivision_type = Country , subdivision_name ...

. The city of

Frost Frost is a thin layer of ice on a solid surface, which forms from water vapor in an above-freezing atmosphere coming in contact with a solid surface whose temperature is below freezing, and resulting in a phase change from water vapor (a gas) ...

, Rome Township, Faribault County, Minnesota, was named for Charles S. Frost.

Notable buildings

* Union Depot, 201 South Main Street,

Leavenworth, Kansas Leavenworth () is the county seat and largest city of Leavenworth County, Kansas, United States and is part of the Kansas City metropolitan area. As of the 2020 census, the population of the city was 37,351. It is located on the west bank of t ...

, 1888 (with Cobb) *Chicago and North Western Railway

Lake Front Depot The Lake Front Depot was a train station in Milwaukee, Wisconsin built in 1889–1890 by the Chicago and North Western Railway (C&NW). It was located near the shore of Lake Michigan at the end of East Wisconsin Avenue, by today's Milwaukee County ...

, Wisconsin Avenue,

Milwaukee, Wisconsin Milwaukee ( ), officially the City of Milwaukee, is both the most populous and most densely populated city in the U.S. state of Wisconsin and the county seat of Milwaukee County, Wisconsin, Milwaukee County. With a population of 577,222 at th ...

, 1889, demolished 1968 * Morgan Park Library (George C. Walker Branch Library) in Chicago, 1889-90 *

Adams Memorial Library The DuPage County Historical Museum, formerly the Adams Memorial Library, is a building designed by Charles Sumner Frost in Wheaton, Illinois, United States. History Adams Memorial Library was the first public library in Wheaton, Illinois; alon ...

Wheaton, Illinois Wheaton is a suburban city in Milton and Winfield Townships and is the county seat of DuPage County, Illinois. It is located approximately west of Chicago. As of the 2010 census, the city had a total population of 52,894, which was estimated ...

, 1891 *The Second Union Station,

Omaha, Nebraska Omaha ( ) is the largest city in the U.S. state of Nebraska and the county seat of Douglas County. Omaha is in the Midwestern United States on the Missouri River, about north of the mouth of the Platte River. The nation's 39th-largest cit ...

, 1891 *

Western Bank Note Building Western may refer to: Places *Western, Nebraska, a village in the US *Western, New York, a town in the US *Western Creek, Tasmania, a locality in Australia *Western Junction, Tasmania, a locality in Australia *Western world, countries that id ...

in Chicago in 1891 * Fond du Lac Chicago and Northwestern Railroad Depot,

Fond du Lac, Wisconsin Fond du Lac () is a city in Fond du Lac County, Wisconsin, Fond du Lac County, Wisconsin, United States. The population was 44,678 at the 2020 census. The city forms the core of the United States Census Bureau's Fond du Lac United States metrop ...

, 1891 * Chicago and North Western Railway station, 200 North 6th Street, De Kalb, Illinois, 1891 (with Granger) * Chicago and North Western Railway station, 724 Green Bay Road,

Glencoe, Illinois Glencoe () is a lakefront village in northeastern Cook County, Illinois, United States. As of the 2020 census, the population was 8,849. Glencoe is part of Chicago's North Shore and is located within the New Trier High School District. Glenc ...

, 1891 * Chicago and North Western Railway depot, Broad Street, Lake Geneva, 1891 * Chicago and North Western Railway depot, Milwaukee Avenue, South Milwaukee, Wisconsin, 1893 *

Maine State Building The Maine State Building is a historic building on Preservation Way, part of the Poland Springs resort complex in South Poland, Maine. It was built in 1893 at the Columbian Exposition in Chicago. Designed by Chicago architect Charles Sumner Fros ...

, 1893 for the

World's Columbian Exposition The World's Columbian Exposition (also known as the Chicago World's Fair) was a world's fair held in Chicago (''City in a Garden''); I Will , image_map = , map_caption = Interactive Map of Chicago , coordi ...

*Old Law Building,

Madison, Wisconsin Madison is the county seat of Dane County and the capital city of the U.S. state of Wisconsin. As of the 2020 census the population was 269,840, making it the second-largest city in Wisconsin by population, after Milwaukee, and the 80th-lar ...

1893 * Chicago and North Western Railway depot,

Belle Plaine, Iowa Belle Plaine is a city in Benton County, Iowa, United States. The population was 2,330 at the 2020 United States Census, 2020 census. It is part of the Cedar Rapids, Iowa, Cedar Rapids Cedar Rapids metropolitan area, Metropolitan Statistical Area. ...

1894 * Richard T. Ely House in Madison, 1896 *Chicago and North Western Railway depot, North West and West 5th Streets,

Carroll, Iowa Carroll is a city in, and the county seat of, Carroll County, Iowa, United States, along the Middle Raccoon River. The population was 10,321 in the 2020 census. History Carroll was laid out in 1867. It took its name from Carroll County, which ...

, 1896 * Oconomowoc Milwaukee Road depot, 115 Collins Street,

Oconomowoc, Wisconsin Oconomowoc ( ) is a city in Waukesha County, Wisconsin, United States. The name was derived from Coo-no-mo-wauk, the Potawatomi term for "waterfall." The population was 15,712 at the 2010 census. The city is partially adjacent to the Town of Oco ...

, 1896 * Milwaukee Road Passenger Depot in Green Bay, 1898 (

Frost & Granger Frost & Granger was an American architectural partnership from 1898 to 1910 of brothers-in-law Charles Sumner Frost (1856–1931) and Alfred Hoyt Granger (1867–1939). Frost and Granger were known for their designs of train stations and terminals, ...

) * Milwaukee Road Depot, 201 3rd Street South,

Minneapolis, Minnesota Minneapolis () is the largest city in Minnesota, United States, and the county seat of Hennepin County. The city is abundant in water, with thirteen lakes, wetlands, the Mississippi River, creeks and waterfalls. Minneapolis has its origins ...

, 1899 * Chicago and North Western Railway station, Western Avenue,

Lake Forest, Illinois Lake Forest is a city located in Lake County, Illinois, United States. Per the 2020 census, the population was 19,367. The city is along the shore of Lake Michigan, and is a part of the Chicago metropolitan area and the North Shore. Lake Forest ...

, 1899 (

) *

Chicago and North Western Railway The Chicago and North Western was a Class I railroad in the Midwestern United States. It was also known as the "North Western". The railroad operated more than of track at the turn of the 20th century, and over of track in seven states befor ...

depot, 200 Dousman Street,

Green Bay, Wisconsin Green Bay is a city in the U.S. state of Wisconsin. The county seat of Brown County, it is at the head of Green Bay (known locally as "the bay of Green Bay"), a sub-basin of Lake Michigan, at the mouth of the Fox River. It is above sea lev ...

, 1899 (

) * Union Depot, 417 Chapple Avenue, Ashland, Wisconsin, 1900 * Chicago and North Western Railway depot, 526 Main Street, Ames, Iowa, 1900 * Chicago, Milwaukee and St. Paul Railway Company Passenger Depot, 127 South Spring Street,

Beaver Dam, Wisconsin Beaver Dam is a city in Dodge County, Wisconsin, United States, along Beaver Dam Lake and the Beaver Dam River. The population was 16,708 at the 2020 census, making it the largest city primarily located in Dodge County. It is the principal city ...

, 1900 (

) * Rock Island Lines Passenger Station, 5th Avenue at 31st Street,

Rock Island, Illinois Rock Island is a city in and the county seat of Rock Island County, Illinois, Rock Island County, Illinois, United States. The original Rock Island, from which the city name is derived, is now called Rock Island Arsenal, Arsenal Island. The popul ...

, 1901 (

) * Chicago and North Western Railway depot,

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 ...

, 1901 (

) *

LaSalle Street Station LaSalle Street Station is a commuter rail terminal at 414 South LaSalle Street in downtown Chicago. First used as a rail terminal in 1852, it was a major intercity rail terminal for the New York Central Railroad until 1968, and for the Chicago, R ...

, 1902 (

) *

station, Oak Street Northwest,

Sleepy Eye, Minnesota Sleepy Eye is a small city in rural Brown County, Minnesota, United States. The city is named after a famed local Dakota chief from the 1800s. The population was 3,599 at the 2010 census. History Sleepy Eye took its name from Sleepy Eye La ...

, 1902 (

) * West Madison Depot, Chicago, Milwaukee, and St. Paul Railway, 640 West Washington Avenue,

, 1903 (

) * Chicago and Northwest Railroad Passenger Station,

Watertown, Wisconsin Watertown is a city in Dodge and Jefferson counties in the U.S. state of Wisconsin. Most of the city's population is in Jefferson County. Division Street, several blocks north of downtown, marks the county line. The population of Watertown was 22, ...

, 1903 * Lake Bluff station,

Lake Bluff, Illinois Lake Bluff is a village in Lake County, Illinois, United States. Per the 2020 census, the population was 5,616. History The first settler family to claim land within the area now part of Lake Bluff arrived in 1836. They claimed 100 acres of ...

, 1904 (

) * Chicago and North Western Depot, Railroad Street,

Reedsburg, Wisconsin Reedsburg is a city in Sauk County, Wisconsin, United States. Located along the Baraboo River, it was founded in 1868, and was named for early settler David C. Reed. The city is surrounded by the Town of Reedsburg. It is part of the Baraboo Mic ...

, 1905 (

) * Chicago and North Western Railway station, Main Street,

Breda, Iowa Breda is a city in Carroll County, Iowa, United States. The population was 500 at the 2020 census. History Breda got its start in the year 1877, following construction of the Maple branch of the Chicago and North Western railroad through that te ...

, 1907 (

) *

Norwood Park station Norwood Park station is a historic commuter railroad station along the Union Pacific Northwest Line in the Norwood Park neighborhood of Chicago, Illinois. It is officially located on 6088 North Northwest Highway, but also runs parallel to Avonda ...

, Norwood Park, Illinois, 1907 (

) * Chicago and North Western Railway depot,

Antigo, Wisconsin Antigo ( ) is a city in and the county seat of Langlade County, Wisconsin, United States. The population was 8,100 at the 2020 census. Antigo is the center of a farming and lumbering district, and its manufactures consist principally of lumber, ...

, 1907 (

) * St. Luke's Hospital Complex in Chicago, 1908 (with Granger), 1439 S. Michigan/1440 S. Indiana * Chicago and North Western Railway Power House, Chicago, 1909 (

) *

Chicago and North Western Terminal The Richard B. Ogilvie Transportation Center (; formerly Chicago and North Western Terminal) is a commuter rail terminal in downtown Chicago, Illinois. It is the terminus for the three commuter rail lines of Metra's Union Pacific District to Chica ...

, 1911 (with Granger) * Electric Railway Chambers, Winnipeg, Manitoba, 1912 *

Minneapolis Great Northern Depot The Minneapolis Great Northern Depot, also known as Great Northern Station, was a passenger railroad station which served Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA. It was built in 1913 and demolished in 1978. It was located on Hennepin Avenue next to the Hen ...

, 1913 *

Navy Pier Auditorium The Navy Pier Auditorium, designed by the architect Charles Sumner Frost and constructed in 1916, is located at the east end of Navy Pier in Chicago and is also known as the Hall. The Navy Pier Auditorium consists of the Festival Hall and the Aon ...

in Chicago, 1916 *

Railroad and Bank Building The Railroad and Bank Building at 176 E. 5th Street in St. Paul, Minnesota, renamed Great Northern Building in 2019, was the largest office building in the Upper Midwest from its completion in 1914 until 1973. For most of its existence, it wa ...

, 176 East 5th Street, St. Paul, Minnesota, 1916 * Union Depot, St. Paul, Minnesota, 1917

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Frost, Charles Sumner 1856 births 1931 deaths Architects from Maine American railway architects Chicago and North Western Railway People from Lewiston, Maine Massachusetts Institute of Technology alumni

Biography

Notable buildings

See also

References