Francis Augustus Nelson (1878–1950) was an American architect from

Montclair, New Jersey Montclair () is a township in Essex County in the U.S. state of New Jersey. Situated on the cliffs of the Watchung Mountains, Montclair is a wealthy and diverse commuter town and suburb of New York City within the New York metropolitan area. As ...

Early life and education

Francis A. Nelson was born on February 2, 1878, at

Honolulu Honolulu (; ) is the capital and largest city of the U.S. state of Hawaii, which is in the Pacific Ocean. It is an unincorporated county seat of the consolidated City and County of Honolulu, situated along the southeast coast of the island ...

, Hawaii, the son of Dr. Henry Clay Nelson, a US Navy surgeon. In 1893, the year his father died, Nelson was boarding at St. Paul's School,

Concord, New Hampshire Concord () is the capital city of the U.S. state of New Hampshire and the seat of Merrimack County. As of the 2020 census the population was 43,976, making it the third largest city in New Hampshire behind Manchester and Nashua. The village of ...

. On June 5, 1900, he married Helen Ackerman at the Memorial Presbyterian Church,

Park Slope Park Slope is a neighborhood in northwestern Brooklyn, New York City, within the area once known as South Brooklyn. Park Slope is roughly bounded by Prospect Park and Prospect Park West to the east, Fourth Avenue to the west, Flatbush Aven ...

Brooklyn Brooklyn () is a borough of New York City, coextensive with Kings County, in the U.S. state of New York. Kings County is the most populous county in the State of New York, and the second-most densely populated county in the United States, be ...

, and on June 10, he graduated from

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 ...

with a Bachelor of Science in Architecture. In 1903, Nelson won a McKim Fellowship of $900, administered by

, for travel abroad.

Career

Beginning about 1905, Nelson taught architectural design at

, remaining on the faculty until at least 1917. During the same period, he practiced architecture in partnership with Hubert Van Wagenen, a Columbia graduate of the class of 1899. The partnership ended with Wagenen's death in 1915. In 1920, Nelson's office was located at 15 West 38th Street, New York City, but by 1915 he was living in

Upper Montclair, New Jersey Upper Montclair is a census-designated place (CDP), unincorporated community and neighborhood within Montclair in Essex County, New Jersey, United States. As of the 2010 United States Census, the population for the CDP was 11,565.

, where about 1916 he built a house for himself and his family at 303 Highland Avenue. Nelson lived there until his death in March 1950.

Architectural works of Nelson & Van Wagenen

Fort Washington Collegiate Church Fort Washington Collegiate Church is a Collegiate Reformed Protestant Dutch Church located at Magaw Place and 181st Street in the Washington Heights neighborhood of Manhattan, New York City. The congregation's Country Gothic style building ...

, New York City (completed 1909). * Bethany Memorial Church Mission Building, 400 E. 67th Street, New York City (completed 1910; demolished 2002). * Second Congregational Church,

Lynn, Massachusetts Lynn is the eighth-largest municipality in Massachusetts and the largest city in Essex County. Situated on the Atlantic Ocean, north of the Boston city line at Suffolk Downs, Lynn is part of Greater Boston's urban inner core. Settled by E ...

(completed 1911). * Women's University Club, 106 East 52nd Street, New York City (completed 1914). *

Montclair Public Library The Montclair Public Library is the public library for the township of Montclair, New Jersey, Montclair located in Essex County, New Jersey, Essex County, New Jersey, United States. It serves the residents from two buildings, the Main Library an ...

, Bellevue Avenue Branch,

(completed 1914). * Mrs. James P. Olney Residence,

Rome, New York Rome is a city in Oneida County, New York, United States, located in the Central New York, central part of the state. The population was 32,127 at the 2020 United States census, 2020 census. Rome is one of two principal cities in the Utica–Ro ...

(completed about 1916). * John H. J. Stewart Residence,

Cold Spring Harbor, New York Cold Spring Harbor is a hamlet and census-designated place (CDP) in the Town of Huntington, in Suffolk County, on the North Shore of Long Island in New York. As of the 2010 United States census, the CDP population was 5,070. History Cold Spri ...

(completed about 1916). * Mrs. S. J. Chase Residence,

(completed about 1916). * Mrs. Edward Trenchard Residence,

Babylon, New York The Town of Babylon is one of ten towns in Suffolk County, New York, United States. Its population was 218,223 as of the 2020 census. Parts of Jones Beach Island, Captree Island and Fire Island are in the southernmost part of the town. It bord ...

(completed about 1916 with Theodore Crane, Associate). * Congregational Church of the Evangel, Bedford Avenue,

Brooklyn, New York Brooklyn () is a borough of New York City, coextensive with Kings County, in the U.S. state of New York. Kings County is the most populous county in the State of New York, and the second-most densely populated county in the United States, be ...

(completed 1917).

Architectural works of Francis A. Nelson

* 303 Highland Avenue (Francis A. Nelson Residence),

(completed about 1916). * 310 Highland Avenue (Residence), Montclair, New Jersey (completed 1929) * 301 Highland Avenue (Residence),

(completed 1916). * Music Studio, Northview Avenue,

(completed about 1918). * Post Office Building,

(completed 1918). * The Huguenot Memorial Church,

Pelham Manor, New York Pelham Manor is an affluent village located in Westchester County, New York. As of the 2020 census, the village had a total population of 5,752. It is located in the town of Pelham. History The Bolton Priory, Edgewood House, and Pelhamdale are ...

(completed 1919). * Tower, St. James Church,

(dedicated December 1919). * 159 Upper Mountain Avenue (Residence),

(completed 1919). * 162 Upper Mountain Avenue (Residence),

. * Chevy Chase Presbyterian Church, Washington DC (completed 1922), winner of Architecture League of America's 1921 gold medal. * L. Bamberger & Co. Model Home, Vassar Ave. at Elizabeth Ave.,

Newark, New Jersey Newark ( , ) is the most populous city in the U.S. state of New Jersey and the seat of Essex County and the second largest city within the New York metropolitan area.Upper Montclair Upper Montclair is a census-designated place (CDP), unincorporated community and neighborhood within Montclair in Essex County, New Jersey, United States. As of the 2010 United States Census, the population for the CDP was 11,565.

, Clubhouse (completed 1924). * 117 Bellevue Avenue (Residence),

(completed about 1924). * 273 Upper Mountain Avenue (Residence),

(completed 1927). * 320 Upper Mountain Avenue (Residence),

, (completed about 1927). * The Anchorage (Residence),

(completed 1930). * Hayfield Farm (Residence), Lehman Twp., Pennsylvania (completed 1934), with interior decoration by Oscar Widmann. * 88 Upper Mountain Avenue (Residence),

(completed 1946).

Gallery

File:Fort Wash Collegiate Ch jeh.JPG, Fort Washington Collegiate Church, built 1909, as Nelson & Van Wagenen. File:185_Bellevue_Ave_Montclair_NJ-SWM-TLW-_2012-09-23.jpg, Montclair Public Library, Bellevue Avenue Branch, completed in 1914, as Nelson & Van Wagenen. File:Post_Office_Building,_Upper_Montclair,_New_Jersey.jpg, Post Office Building, Upper Montclair, New Jersey, completed in 1918. File:Chevy Chase Presbyterian DC.JPG, Chevy Chase Presbyterian Church, Washington DC, completed in 1922. File:200 Cooper Avenue Montclair NJ-SWM-TLW- 2012-09-23.jpg, Woman's Club of

Upper Montclair Upper Montclair is a census-designated place (CDP), unincorporated community and neighborhood within Montclair in Essex County, New Jersey, United States. As of the 2010 United States Census, the population for the CDP was 11,565.

, Clubhouse, completed in 1924.Elizabeth Shepard and Royal F. Shepard, Jr, ''Images of America - Montclair'' (Arcadia Publishing, 2003). File:The_Anchorage,_Montclair,_New_Jersey.jpg, The Anchorage,

, completed in 1930. File:Hayfield_House,_Penn_State_Wilkes-Barre,_August_2012.jpg, Hayfield Farm, Lehman Twp., Pennsylvania, completed in 1934.

References

External links

* Images of Hayfield Farm are held in th
Gottscho-Schleisner collection
at the U.S.

Library of Congress The Library of Congress (LOC) is the research library that officially serves the United States Congress and is the ''de facto'' national library of the United States. It is the oldest federal cultural institution in the country. The library is ...

. {{DEFAULTSORT:Nelson, Francis Augustus 1878 births Architects from New Jersey People from Montclair, New Jersey 20th-century American architects 1950 deaths American neoclassical architects