Frank Russell White (May 2, 1889 – October 24, 1961) was an American architect who designed hotels, apartment buildings, commercial properties, and thousands of homes in
Washington, D.C.
)
, image_skyline =
, image_caption = Clockwise from top left: the Washington Monument and Lincoln Memorial on the National Mall, United States Capitol, Logan Circle, Jefferson Memorial, White House, Adams Morgan, ...
A native of
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 ...
, White's family moved to the nation's capital during his childhood. Although he had no formal training, White was tutored by local architect Albert H. Beers and designed thousands of buildings for developer
Harry Wardman
Harry Wardman (April 11, 1872 – March 18, 1938) was a real estate developer in Washington, D.C. during the early 20th century whose developments included landmark hotels, luxury apartment buildings, and many rowhouses. When he died in 1938, one-t ...
.
White designed buildings in various styles, including
Art Deco
Art Deco, short for the French ''Arts Décoratifs'', and sometimes just called Deco, is a style of visual arts, architecture, and product design, that first appeared in France in the 1910s (just before World War I), and flourished in the Unite ...
,
Classical Revival
Neoclassical architecture is an architectural style produced by the Neoclassical movement that began in the mid-18th century in Italy and France. It became one of the most prominent architectural styles in the Western world. The prevailing style ...
,
Colonial Revival
The Colonial Revival architectural style seeks to revive elements of American colonial architecture.
The beginnings of the Colonial Revival style are often attributed to the Centennial Exhibition of 1876, which reawakened Americans to the archi ...
, and
Mediterranean Revival
Mediterranean Revival is an architectural style introduced in the United States, Canada, and certain other countries in the 19th century. It incorporated references from Spanish Renaissance, Spanish Colonial, Italian Renaissance, French Colonial ...
. One of his most well-known works is the
Wardman Park Hotel
The Washington Marriott Wardman Park was a hotel on Connecticut Avenue adjacent to the Woodley Park station of the Washington Metro in the Woodley Park neighborhood of Washington, D.C. The hotel had 1,152 rooms, of event space, and of exhibit sp ...
, which was demolished in the 1970s and replaced with a modern building. One of his apartment designs,
Clifton Terrace
Clifton Terrace are historic structures located in the Columbia Heights neighborhood in the Northwest Quadrant of Washington, D.C. Frank Russell White and Albert Moreland Schneider designed the three building apartment complex in the Colonial R ...
, is 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 artistic v ...
.
White's personal life was often tumultuous, including his first marriage to an aspiring actress. 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 ...
he experienced financial difficulties and was arrested on
counterfeit
To counterfeit means to imitate something authentic, with the intent to steal, destroy, or replace the original, for use in illegal transactions, or otherwise to deceive individuals into believing that the fake is of equal or greater value tha ...
charges along with his future second wife. After serving a two-year prison sentence, White continued to design buildings until his death in 1961.
Biography
Career
Frank Russell White was born on May 2, 1889, in
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 ...
,
New York
New York most commonly refers to:
* New York City, the most populous city in the United States, located in the state of New York
* New York (state), a state in the northeastern United States
New York may also refer to:
Film and television
* '' ...
. He attended public schools in New York until his family moved to
Washington, D.C.
)
, image_skyline =
, image_caption = Clockwise from top left: the Washington Monument and Lincoln Memorial on the National Mall, United States Capitol, Logan Circle, Jefferson Memorial, White House, Adams Morgan, ...
, when he was ten years old.
White attended the
Valley Forge Military Academy and College
Valley Forge Military Academy and College (VFMAC) is a private boarding school (grades 7–12) and military junior college in Wayne, Pennsylvania. It follows in the traditional military school format with army traditions. Though military in tr ...
from 1903 to 1904 and began apprenticing for architect Albert H. Beers in 1908.
As real estate developer Harry Wardman
Harry Wardman (April 11, 1872 – March 18, 1938) was a real estate developer in Washington, D.C. during the early 20th century whose developments included landmark hotels, luxury apartment buildings, and many rowhouses. When he died in 1938, one-t ...
's chief architect from 1905-1911, Beers designed around 1,000 houses and 70 apartment buildings. Several of these apartment building designs were completed by White after Beers' death in 1911, including the Northumberland Apartments
The Northumberland Apartments is a historic apartment building in the U Street Corridor of Washington, D.C. The Classical Revival building was constructed in 1909-10 by local real estate developer Harry Wardman and Albert H. Beers. In 1980, the b ...
at 2039 New Hampshire Avenue NW, The Dresden at 2126 Connecticut Avenue NW, and The Avondale at 1734 P Street NW.
White continued working for Wardman, becoming one of his master architects at a time Wardman was building thousands of homes and apartment buildings in Washington, D.C. The combination of Beers' tutoring and working with prolific developer Wardman resulted in White becoming a skilled architect, designing a variety of building types. White's professional relationship with Wardman continued for 25 years, although he began working with other developers in 1917 including Victor Cahill, Anita Eckles, Zachariah T. Goldsmith, Fred Gore, Joseph A. Howar, Karla King, and Ernest G. Walker.[
The buildings White designed demonstrate a variety of architectural styles. Examples of this include three ]Clifton Terrace
Clifton Terrace are historic structures located in the Columbia Heights neighborhood in the Northwest Quadrant of Washington, D.C. Frank Russell White and Albert Moreland Schneider designed the three building apartment complex in the Colonial R ...
buildings in the Colonial Revival
The Colonial Revival architectural style seeks to revive elements of American colonial architecture.
The beginnings of the Colonial Revival style are often attributed to the Centennial Exhibition of 1876, which reawakened Americans to the archi ...
style, The Lealand on 16th Street NW in the Mediterranean Revival
Mediterranean Revival is an architectural style introduced in the United States, Canada, and certain other countries in the 19th century. It incorporated references from Spanish Renaissance, Spanish Colonial, Italian Renaissance, French Colonial ...
style, the Northbrook Courts on 16th Street in the Classical Revival
Neoclassical architecture is an architectural style produced by the Neoclassical movement that began in the mid-18th century in Italy and France. It became one of the most prominent architectural styles in the Western world. The prevailing style ...
style, and the Heurich Building (demolished) on K Street in the Art Deco
Art Deco, short for the French ''Arts Décoratifs'', and sometimes just called Deco, is a style of visual arts, architecture, and product design, that first appeared in France in the 1910s (just before World War I), and flourished in the Unite ...
style. In addition to designing, White also developed buildings later in his career, including the Schuyler Arms on Columbia Road NW and Parkway Apartments on Connecticut Avenue NW.[
During his career White designed over 5,000 houses, 51 apartment buildings, hotels, commercial properties, and even an affordable bomb shelter meant to hold 30 people.] In addition to Clifton Terrace, which is 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 artistic v ...
, White's most well known work is the original 1200-room Wardman Park Hotel
The Washington Marriott Wardman Park was a hotel on Connecticut Avenue adjacent to the Woodley Park station of the Washington Metro in the Woodley Park neighborhood of Washington, D.C. The hotel had 1,152 rooms, of event space, and of exhibit sp ...
, built in 1917 and modeled after The Homestead resort in Virginia
Virginia, officially the Commonwealth of Virginia, is a state in the Mid-Atlantic and Southeastern regions of the United States, between the Atlantic Coast and the Appalachian Mountains. The geography and climate of the Commonwealth ar ...
. The hotel was torn down in the late 1970s and replaced with a modern facility.[
]
Personal life
First marriage
When he was 18, White married Eula Griffin, an aspiring actress.[ The couple had one child, Dorothy, but their tumultuous relationship and bitter divorce were the subjects of local newspaper reports. Griffin filed for divorce in 1923, two years after the couple first separated, and told the court White had left their home at The Ambassador and was living in an apartment on G Street NW where "misconduct with several women" took place.] A few months later White told the court his wife had been staying out all night the month he left and claimed she had been dating a Navy lieutenant for the past year, the same man she was arrested with for disorderly conduct while at the Wardman Park Hotel pool in 1922. During one visit to his wife, White said he found her "very lightly clad, the bedroom poorly lighted and a man sitting in the bedroom." They continued accusing each other of improper behavior and the divorce was later finalized.
Arrest
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 ...
White experienced severe financial difficulties. He was known to be bad at dealing with finances, including giving loans to unethical friends and being involved in projects that were not financially sound.[ One of these projects included White taking out a $340,000 loan (over $5 million in 2020 dollars]) to build the Parkway Apartments. When the project did not live up to expectations, White had to move to Bowie, Maryland
Bowie () is a city in Prince George's County, Maryland, United States. Per the 2020 census, the population was 58,329. Bowie has grown from a small railroad stop to the largest municipality in Prince George's County, and the fifth most populous c ...
, to live with his mother, where the two were unable to afford coal to heat the house.[
During this time White had very few projects and in 1930 he resorted to crudely making 21 ]counterfeit
To counterfeit means to imitate something authentic, with the intent to steal, destroy, or replace the original, for use in illegal transactions, or otherwise to deceive individuals into believing that the fake is of equal or greater value tha ...
$100 bills by changing the numbers in the corners of $1 bills. A year later his girlfriend Carolyn Wildman of Washington, D.C. attempted to make a purchase at a Baltimore
Baltimore ( , locally: or ) is the List of municipalities in Maryland, most populous city in the U.S. state of Maryland, fourth most populous city in the Mid-Atlantic (United States), Mid-Atlantic, and List of United States cities by popula ...
jewelry store with one of the counterfeit bills and was arrested. On October 26, White turned himself into the Secret Service
A secret service is a government agency, intelligence agency, or the activities of a government agency, concerned with the gathering of intelligence data. The tasks and powers of a secret service can vary greatly from one country to another. For ...
, and the couple plead guilty. White served two years in prison and Wildman served one year and a day.[
]
Later years
After having served their sentences, White and Wildman married and had a son, Frank Russell White Jr. White continued his architectural practice a few years later, working on mostly smaller projects, and Carolyn, a former teacher who had attended the University of Maryland
The University of Maryland, College Park (University of Maryland, UMD, or simply Maryland) is a public land-grant research university in College Park, Maryland. Founded in 1856, UMD is the flagship institution of the University System of M ...
and Hood College
, motto_lang = la
, mottoeng = With Heart and Mind and Hand
, established =
, type = Private college
, religious_affiliation = United Church of Christ
, endowment = $104.5 million (2020)
, president = Andrea E. Chapd ...
, worked for the Department of Agriculture and was an active member of the National Society of the Daughters of the American Revolution
The Daughters of the American Revolution (DAR) is a lineage-based membership service organization for women who are directly descended from a person involved in the United States' efforts towards independence.
A non-profit group, they promote ...
. The couple lived at 4645 Alton Place NW.[
White died of a blood disorder on October 24, 1961, at ]George Washington University Hospital
The George Washington University Hospital is a for-profit hospital, located in Washington, D.C. in the United States. It is affiliated with the George Washington University School of Medicine and Health Sciences. The current facility opened on ...
. White was still designing buildings when he died, including a hotel and motel.[ Carolyn retired in 1964 and died at ]Sibley Memorial Hospital
Sibley Memorial Hospital is a non-profit hospital located in The Palisades neighborhood of Washington, D.C. It is fully accredited by the Joint Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations, and is licensed by the District of Columbia De ...
in 1977.[
]
Selected works
* The Howard (1842 16th Street NW, 1913)
* The Avondale (1734 P Street NW, 1913)[
* ]Clifton Terrace
Clifton Terrace are historic structures located in the Columbia Heights neighborhood in the Northwest Quadrant of Washington, D.C. Frank Russell White and Albert Moreland Schneider designed the three building apartment complex in the Colonial R ...
(1312-1350 Clifton Street NW; 1914)[
* The Lealand (1830 16th Street NW, 1914)][
* Willard Courts (1916 17th Street NW, 1915)][
* The Farnsboro (2129 Florida Avenue NW, 1915)][
* Somerset House (1801 16th Street NW, 1916)][
* Rutland Courts (1725 17th Street NW, 1916)][
* Copley Courts (1514 17th Street NW, 1916)][
* 1915 I Street NW (1917; 1982 addition by Kerns Group Architects)]
* Northbrook Courts (3420-26 16th Street NW, 1917)[
* ]Wardman Park Hotel
The Washington Marriott Wardman Park was a hotel on Connecticut Avenue adjacent to the Woodley Park station of the Washington Metro in the Woodley Park neighborhood of Washington, D.C. The hotel had 1,152 rooms, of event space, and of exhibit sp ...
(2660 Woodley Road NW, 1917; demolished)[
* Arthur D. Stanley House (2320 Massachusetts Avenue NW, 1918; Embassy of South Korea Consular Section)]
* Chateau Thierry (1920 S Street NW, 1919)[
* The Rochelle (2800 Connecticut Avenue NW, 1919)][
* The Saint Mihiel (1720 16th Street NW, 1920)][
* The Ambassador (1750 16th Street NW, 1920)]
* The Montello (1901 Columbia Road NW, 1921)
* The Shelburne (1631 S Street NW, 1922)
* The Tiffany (1925 16th Street NW, 1922)[
* Hampton Courts (2013 New Hampshire Avenue NW, 1925)][
* Maryland Courts (518 9th Street and 816 E Street NE, 1926)][
* Schuyler Arms (1954 Columbia Road NW, 1926)][
* Parkway Apartments (3220 Connecticut Avenue NW; 1927)][
* Heurich Building (1627 K Street NW, 1938; demolished)][
* York Apartments (532 20th Street NW, 1940)]
References
{{DEFAULTSORT:White, Frank Russell
1889 births
1961 deaths
20th-century American architects
American counterfeiters
Architects from Washington, D.C.
People from Brooklyn
Valley Forge Military Academy and College alumni