Harry Ellingwood Donnell (May 2, 1867 – February 25, 1959) was an American Beaux-Arts architect, who designed many commercial and residential structures in New York City and

Long Island Long Island is a densely populated island in the southeastern region of the U.S. state of New York (state), New York, part of the New York metropolitan area. With over 8 million people, Long Island is the most populous island in the United Sta ...

between 1894 and 1915.

Biography

Donnell (don-Nell) was born in

Portland, Maine Portland is the largest city in the U.S. state of Maine and the seat of Cumberland County. Portland's population was 68,408 in April 2020. The Greater Portland metropolitan area is home to over half a million people, the 104th-largest metropol ...

. The Donnell family moved to New York City in 1875. Donnell graduated from

City College of New York The City College of the City University of New York (also known as the City College of New York, or simply City College or CCNY) is a public university within the City University of New York (CUNY) system in New York City. Founded in 1847, Cit ...

in 1886 and the

Columbia School of Mines 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 t ...

in 1887. In 1890 he was hired by architect

Richard Morris Hunt Richard Morris Hunt (October 31, 1827 – July 31, 1895) was an American architect of the nineteenth century and an eminent figure in the history of American architecture. He helped shape New York City with his designs for the 1902 entrance fa� ...

to serve as the superintending architect for the construction of the

U.S. Naval Observatory United States Naval Observatory (USNO) is a scientific and military facility that produces geopositioning, navigation and timekeeping data for the United States Navy and the United States Department of Defense. Established in 1830 as the Depo ...

in Washington, D.C. Today, this includes buildings such as the one housing the "master clock" for U.S timekeeping, and the U.S. Vice President's residence. Donnell attended the Ecole des Beaux-Arts in Paris, entering in 1893 and returning to the United States in 1894. He entered into partnership with another Beaux-Arts architect, Francis Kimball in 1895. Their firm designed many buildings in lower Manhattan including 111 Fifth Avenue, and the Brunswick Building at 225 Fifth Avenue. From 1900 to 1915, Donnell designed numerous residential homes on the North Shore of Long Island including community libraries such as the Carnegie Library in

Northport, New York Northport is a historic maritime Administrative divisions of New York#Village, village on the northern shore of Long Island in Suffolk County, New York, United States. Initially designated Great Cow Harbour by 17th-century English colonists, the ...

. In 1915, his father-in-law offered Donnell the opportunity to own and manage one of the family's Long Island companies, the S.S. Hepworth Machine Company, the largest manufacturer of rotating milling machines for the sugar cane industry. Donnell spent the remainder of his life as the Chief Executive Officer of Hepworth, utilizing his architectural skills only as a pastime. Donnell married Ruth Attmore Robinson (1870–1949). They lived in New York City and also maintained a country home on on Eatons Neck, NY known as "The Hill." In 1927 the estate was subdivided into 3- and 4-acre parcels, and the Eaton Harbors Corporation was formed to own and maintain the private roads and bathing beaches for the common use of new owners. Donnell was the corporation's president from 1927 to 1950. From 1907 to 1921 Donnell served as sole trustee of the Eaton's Neck School District. The District was merged with other surrounding school districts to form the

Northport-East Northport Union Free School District Northport-East Northport Union Free School District is a school district in New York. History In 1922 the East Northport and Eatons Neck districts united with Northport, forming the Northport-East Northport Union Free School District, and in ...

in 1922. Donnell died in New York City on 25 February 1959.

References

External links

National Register listing for H.E. Donnell House Carr Bed and Breakfast website with photos
{{DEFAULTSORT:Donnell, Harry E. 1867 births 1959 deaths 19th-century American architects People from Huntington, New York Columbia School of Mines alumni City College of New York alumni 20th-century American architects Architects from Portland, Maine Architects from New York City American alumni of the École des Beaux-Arts

Biography

See also

References

External links