Whitney Warren (January 29, 1864 – January 24, 1943) was an American Beaux-Arts architect who founded, with Charles Delevan Wetmore,

Warren and Wetmore Warren and Wetmore was an architecture firm in New York City which was a partnership between Whitney Warren (1864–1943) and Charles Delevan Wetmore (June 10, 1866 – May 8, 1941), that had one of the most extensive practices of its time and w ...

in New York City, one of the most prolific and successful architectural practices in the US.

Early life

Warren was born in New York City on January 29, 1864. He was one of nine children born to George Henry Warren I (1823–1892) and Mary Caroline (

née A birth name is the name of a person given upon birth. The term may be applied to the surname, the given name, or the entire name. Where births are required to be officially registered, the entire name entered onto a birth certificate or birth re ...

Phoenix) Warren (1832–1901). His siblings included

Lloyd Warren Lloyd Eliot Warren (November 10, 1868 - October 25, 1922) was the founder of the Beaux-Arts Institute of Design in New York City Biography He was born in Paris, France to George Henry Warren I (November 8, 1823 - April 8, 1892) and Mary Caroli ...

, who was also an architect, and

George Henry Warren II George Henry Warren II (October 17, 1855 – June 3, 1943) was a New York City stockbroker and real estate developer. Early life George Henry Warren II was born in Troy, New York to George Henry Warren (1823-1892) and Mary Caroline Phoenix (183 ...

, a stockbroker who was the father of Constance Whitney Warren. He was a cousin of the Goelets and

Vanderbilts The Vanderbilt family is an American family who gained prominence during the Gilded Age. Their success began with the shipping and railroad empires of Cornelius Vanderbilt, and the family expanded into various other areas of industry and philanthr ...

and the grandson of

U.S. Representative The United States House of Representatives, often referred to as the House of Representatives, the U.S. House, or simply the House, is the lower chamber of the United States Congress, with the Senate being the upper chamber. Together they c ...

Jonas Phillips Phoenix. In 1883, he enrolled at

Columbia University Columbia University (also known as Columbia, and officially as Columbia University in the City of New York) is a private research university in New York City. Established in 1754 as King's College on the grounds of Trinity Church in Manhatt ...

to study architecture, but only stayed for one year. He was shown on official

records as a member of the class of 1885 of the

School of Mines, Columbia University The Fu Foundation School of Engineering and Applied Science (popularly known as SEAS or Columbia Engineering; previously known as Columbia School of Mines) is the engineering and applied science school of Columbia University. It was founded as th ...

. From 1884 until 1894, Warren spent ten years at the

École des Beaux-Arts École des Beaux-Arts (; ) refers to a number of influential art schools in France. The term is associated with the Beaux-Arts style in architecture and city planning that thrived in France and other countries during the late nineteenth century ...

in Paris. There he studied under

Honoré Daumet Pierre Jérôme Honoré Daumet (23 October 1826, Paris – 12 December 1911, Paris) was a French architect. Biography Daumet was the winner of the Prix de Rome in 1855, and in 1861 conducted a treasure-hunting expedition to Macedonia at the reque ...

and

Charles Girault Charles-Louis Girault (27 December 1851 – 26 December 1932) was a French architect. Biography Born in Cosne-Cours-sur-Loire, he studied with Honoré Daumet at the École nationale supérieure des Beaux-Arts in Paris. He received the first Pri ...

, and met fellow architecture student

Emmanuel Louis Masqueray Emmanuel Louis Masqueray (1861–1917) was a Franco-American preeminent figure in the history of American architecture, both as a gifted designer of landmark buildings and as an influential teacher of the profession of architecture dedicated t ...

, who would, in 1897, join the Warren and Wetmore firm.

Career

Warren returned to New York in 1894, and began practicing as an architect. One of his first clients was the lawyer Charles Delevan Wetmore. After their successful collaboration, Warren convinced Wetmore to become his partner and they organized

with Warren as the architect and Wetmore responsible for the business side of the firm. During

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 ...

, Warren was involved in organizing the

Comité des Étudiants Américains de l'École des Beaux-Arts Paris The Committee of American Students of the School of Beaux-Arts, Paris (''Comité des Étudiants Américains de l'École des Beaux-Arts Paris'' 'C.E.A. à l'E.D.B.A.'' was an organization of American art students at the Ecole des Beaux-Arts in ...

; a student-run charity in support of the French cause. He also supported actively the claims of

Italy Italy ( it, Italia ), officially the Italian Republic, ) or the Republic of Italy, is a country in Southern Europe. It is located in the middle of the Mediterranean Sea, and its territory largely coincides with the homonymous geographical re ...

in the

Adriatic The Adriatic Sea () is a body of water separating the Italian Peninsula from the Balkans, Balkan Peninsula. The Adriatic is the northernmost arm of the Mediterranean Sea, extending from the Strait of Otranto (where it connects to the Ionian Sea) ...

, during and after the war. He was an intimate friend of Gabriele d'Annunzio, and was appointed diplomatic representative in the United States of the "Free State of

Fiume Rijeka ( , , ; also known as Fiume hu, Fiume, it, Fiume ; local Chakavian: ''Reka''; german: Sankt Veit am Flaum; sl, Reka) is the principal seaport and the third-largest city in Croatia (after Zagreb and Split). It is located in Primor ...

". He was the author of ''Les Justes Revendications de l'Italie: la Question de Trente, de Trieste et de l'Adriatique''. Many of his addresses, delivered 1914-1919, were published and widely distributed. Warren retired in 1931, but occasionally served as consultant. Warren took particular pride in his design of the new library building of the

Catholic University of Leuven University of Leuven or University of Louvain (french: Université de Louvain, link=no; nl, Universiteit Leuven, link=no) may refer to: * Old University of Leuven (1425–1797) * State University of Leuven (1817–1835) * Catholic University of ...

, which was finished in 1928. The library was severely damaged by British and German forces during World War II, but was completely restored after the war. Two of the firm's major works were the

construction Construction is a general term meaning the art and science to form objects, systems, or organizations,"Construction" def. 1.a. 1.b. and 1.c. ''Oxford English Dictionary'' Second Edition on CD-ROM (v. 4.0) Oxford University Press 2009 and com ...

Grand Central Terminal Grand Central Terminal (GCT; also referred to as Grand Central Station or simply as Grand Central) is a commuter rail terminal located at 42nd Street and Park Avenue in Midtown Manhattan, New York City. Grand Central is the southern terminus ...

and of the

Biltmore Hotel Bowman-Biltmore Hotels was a hotel chain created by the hotel magnate John McEntee Bowman. The name evokes the Vanderbilt family's Biltmore Estate, whose buildings and the gardens within are privately owned historical landmarks and tourist attracti ...

, both in New York City.

Personal life

In 1884, Warren was married to Charlotte Augusta Tooker (1864–1951) in

Newport, Rhode Island Newport is an American seaside city on Aquidneck Island in Newport County, Rhode Island. It is located in Narragansett Bay, approximately southeast of Providence, Rhode Island, Providence, south of Fall River, Massachusetts, south of Boston, ...

. Charlotte was the eldest daughter of

Gabriel Mead Tooker Gabriel Mead Tooker (December 12, 1839 – December 11, 1905) was an American lawyer and clubman who was prominent in New York Society during the Gilded Age. Early life Tooker was born on December 12, 1839, in New York City. He was the thi ...

, a prominent New York lawyer and member of

Mrs. Astor Caroline Webster "Lina" Schermerhorn Astor (September 22, 1830 – October 30, 1908) was a prominent American socialite of the second half of the 19th century who led the The Four Hundred (1892), Four Hundred. Famous for being referred to later ...

's famous Four Hundred. Together, they are the parents of: * Charlotte Augusta Warren (1885–1957), who married William Greenough in 1907. * Gabrielle Warren (1895–1971), who married Reginald Bulkeley Rives (1890–1957), a nephew of George Rives and Edward Bulkeley, in 1917. * Whitney Warren Jr. (1898–1986), who was a

horticulturalist Horticulture is the branch of agriculture that deals with the art, science, technology, and business of plant cultivation. It includes the cultivation of fruits, vegetables, nuts, seeds, herbs, sprouts, mushrooms, algae, flowers, seaweeds and no ...

and patron of the arts. Warren Jr. was referred to as "an overly rich bachelor operating in San Francisco" who traveled around the world. In 1927, Warren and his brother George each inherited $2,314,143 from the estate of their uncle, Lloyd Phoenix. Warren died after a nine-week illness on January 24, 1943 at

New York Hospital Weill Cornell Medical Center (previously known as New York Hospital or Old New York Hospital or City Hospital) is a research hospital in New York City. It is part of NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital and the teaching hospital for Cornell University. ...

in New York City. At the time of his death, Warren resided at 280 Park Avenue in New York City and was a member of the

Knickerbocker Club The Knickerbocker Club (known informally as The Knick) is a gentlemen's club in New York City that was founded in 1871. It is considered to be the most exclusive club in the United States and one of the most aristocratic gentlemen's clubs in th ...

, the

Racquet and Tennis Club The Racquet and Tennis Club, familiarly known as the R&T, is a private social and athletic club at 370 Park Avenue, between East 52nd and 53rd Streets in Midtown Manhattan, New York City. History The Racquet Court Club opened in 1876 at 55 We ...

, and the Church and South Side Sportsmen's Clubs. After a service at St. Thomas Church,

Fifth Avenue Fifth Avenue is a major and prominent thoroughfare in the borough of Manhattan in New York City. It stretches north from Washington Square Park in Greenwich Village to West 143rd Street in Harlem. It is one of the most expensive shopping stre ...

, he was buried at

Island Cemetery The Common Burying Ground and Island Cemetery are a pair of separate cemeteries on Farewell and Warner Street in Newport, Rhode Island. Together they contain over 5,000 graves, including a colonial-era slave cemetery and Jewish graves. The pair ...

in Newport. His widow died in 1951 and was buried alongside him in Newport.

Legacy

In 1917, Warren received the

Medal of Honor The Medal of Honor (MOH) is the United States Armed Forces' highest military decoration and is awarded to recognize American soldiers, sailors, marines, airmen, guardians and coast guardsmen who have distinguished themselves by acts of valor. ...

from 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 ...

for the firm's work. Works by Warren are found in the collection of the

Cooper-Hewitt, National Design Museum Cooper Hewitt, Smithsonian Design Museum is a design museum housed within the Andrew Carnegie Mansion in Manhattan, New York City, along the Upper East Side's Museum Mile (New York City), Museum Mile. It is one of 19 museums that fall under the ...

.Whitney Warren , People , Collection of Smithsonian Cooper-Hewitt, National Design Museum
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References

Notes Sources

External links

Guide to Whitney Warren's papers, MS Am 2113-2113.5
at

Houghton Library Houghton Library, on the south side of Harvard Yard adjacent to Widener Library, is Harvard University's primary repository for rare books and manuscripts. It is part of the Harvard College Library, the library system of Harvard's Faculty of Art ...

Harvard University Harvard University is a private Ivy League research university in Cambridge, Massachusetts. Founded in 1636 as Harvard College and named for its first benefactor, the Puritan clergyman John Harvard, it is the oldest institution of higher le ...

Warren & Wetmore architectural drawings and photographs, 1889-1938.
at

{{DEFAULTSORT:Warren, Whitney 1864 births 1943 deaths American architects American alumni of the École des Beaux-Arts Vanderbilt family Columbia School of Engineering and Applied Science alumni