Domenic Thomas Russillo,

AIA AIA or A.I.A. or Aia may refer to: Aia * Aia, a small town in the Basque province of Gipuzkoa, Spain * Aia, current Kutaisi, ancient capital of Colchis * Aia, another name for Aea (Malis), an ancient town in Greece * ''Aia'', the collected ed ...

(1902-1980), was a minor American architect who practiced in mid-20th-century

Rhode Island Rhode Island (, like ''road'') is a U.S. state, state in the New England region of the Northeastern United States. It is the List of U.S. states by area, smallest U.S. state by area and the List of states and territories of the United States ...

and

Massachusetts Massachusetts (Massachusett language, Massachusett: ''Muhsachuweesut assachusett writing systems, məhswatʃəwiːsət'' English: , ), officially the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, is the most populous U.S. state, state in the New England ...

Early life and education

Russillo was born March 9, 1902, in

Providence, Rhode Island Providence is the capital and most populous city of the U.S. state of Rhode Island. One of the oldest cities in New England, it was founded in 1636 by Roger Williams, a Reformed Baptist theologian and religious exile from the Massachusetts Bay ...

, and educated at the

Rhode Island School of Design The Rhode Island School of Design (RISD , pronounced "Riz-D") is a private art and design school in Providence, Rhode Island. The school was founded as a coeducational institution in 1877 by Helen Adelia Rowe Metcalf, who sought to increase the ...

from 1922 to 1924 and 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 1926.

Career

Russillo began his career as a designer for the architectural firm of

Jackson, Robertson & Adams Jackson, Robertson & Adams was an architectural firm out of Providence, Rhode Island. Established in 1912, it was originally made up of architects F. Ellis Jackson (1879-1950), Wayland T. Robertson (1873-1935), and J. Howard Adams (1876-1924).W ...

, working there from 1928 to 1932. He started his own firm, D. Thomas Russillo in 1933 during the

Great Depression The Great Depression (19291939) was an economic shock that impacted most countries across the world. It was a period of economic depression that became evident after a major fall in stock prices in the United States. The economic contagio ...

, eventually registering as an architect in Massachusetts and Rhode Island. He became a member of the Rhode Island Chapter of the AIA in 1944. As of 1970, he worked at 334 Westminster Mall,

Providence Providence often refers to: * Providentia, the divine personification of foresight in ancient Roman religion * Divine providence, divinely ordained events and outcomes in Christianity * Providence, Rhode Island, the capital of Rhode Island in the ...

. William Mackenzie Woodward of the Rhode Island Historical Preservation and Heritage Commission declared that "Russillo was clearly aware of and more than merely competent in producing designs within the contemporary mainstream." Many of Russillo's residential designs can be found "on the East Side in the Blackstone Boulevard area, as well as the Smith Hill neighborhood. Most of these houses are Moderne- or Frank-Lloyd-Wright-inspired designs."

Personal life

As of 1970, he lived at 66 S. Hill Dr, Cranston. The AIA was notified of his death in 1980.

Works

* Anthony Gizzarelli House, 665 Pleasant Valley Pkwy., Providence, RI (1947) * Israel Sarat House, 6 Holly St., Providence, RI (1948) * Anson Building, 24 Baker St., Providence, RI (1950) * Louis Kirschenbaum House, 540 Blackstone Blvd., Providence, RI (1954) * Leonard Levin House, 80 Clarendon Ave., Providence, RI (1954) * Temple Beth-El, 145 Oakland Ave., Providence, RI (1954) * Burleigh B. Greenberg House, 6 Woodland Ter., Providence, RI (1957–58) * Peter Bardach House, 33 Intervale Rd., Providence, RI (1958) * Jack G. Savran House, 8 Woodland Ter., Providence, RI (1959–61)Cavanaugh, Kathryn J
"PPS Records for 8 Woodland Terrace"
''http://gowdey.ppsri.org/''. May 2011. Web. * Bellevue Shopping Center, 181 Bellevue Ave.,

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

(1960) * Boy Scouts of America Building, 175 Broad St., Providence, RI (1962) * Max Winograd House, 100 Clarendon Ave., Providence, RI (1962) * Fall River Jewish Home for the Aged, 538 Robeson St., Fall River, MA (1967) * Nortek Building, 815 Reservoir Ave.,

Cranston, RI Cranston, once known as Pawtuxet, is a city in Providence County, Rhode Island, Providence County, Rhode Island. The official population of the city in the 2020 United States Census was 82,934, making it the second largest in the state. The cente ...

(1969)

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Russillo, D. Thomas 1902 births 1978 deaths American people of Italian descent People from Cranston, Rhode Island Architects from Providence, Rhode Island Rhode Island School of Design alumni Massachusetts Institute of Technology alumni 20th-century American architects