James Addison Johnson (October 7, 1865 – April 5, 1939) was an American architect known for his design of various architectural landmarks in

Buffalo, New York Buffalo is the second-largest city in the U.S. state of New York (behind only New York City) and the seat of Erie County. It is at the eastern end of Lake Erie, at the head of the Niagara River, and is across the Canadian border from Sou ...

, and his use of decorative work that many consider a foreshadowing of

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 ...

design.

Early life

John Addison Johnson was born October 7, 1865 in

Brewerton, New York Brewerton is a census-designated place (CDP) in the town of Cicero in Onondaga County and the town of Hastings in Oswego County in the U.S. state of New York. It lies at the west end of Oneida Lake at its outlet into the Oneida River. The popula ...

, near Syracuse, New York, the son of Garrison Barrett Johnson and Katherine Eliza ( née Beckwith) Johnson.

Career

Johnson apprenticed and partnered with prominent

Western New York Western New York (WNY) is the westernmost region of the U.S. state of New York. The eastern boundary of the region is not consistently defined by state agencies or those who call themselves "Western New Yorkers". Almost all sources agree WNY i ...

architect Edward Kent and later with

Central New York Central New York is the central region of New York State, including the following counties and cities: With a population of about 773,606 (2009) and an area of , the region includes the Syracuse metropolitan area. Definitions The New York ...

architect Silsbee & Marling. He also worked for Richard Morris Hunt firm and in 1890, he joined the firm of

McKim, Mead and White McKim, Mead & White was an American architectural firm that came to define architectural practice, urbanism, and the ideals of the American Renaissance in fin de siècle New York. The firm's founding partners Charles Follen McKim (1847–1909), ...

New York City New York, often called New York City or NYC, is the most populous city in the United States. With a 2020 population of 8,804,190 distributed over , New York City is also the most densely populated major city in the Un ...

as an assistant. In 1892, Johnson came to Buffalo and continue his architectural practice. Significant projects from this period include the Alexander Main Curtiss House designed with partner James Marling. Johnson partnered with James Marling after Marling's previous partner,

Herbert C Burdett Herbert Channing Burdett (1855–1891) was an American architect trained in the office of Henry Hobson Richardson who, in a brief career, established himself as a successful designer of Shingle Style and Richardsonian Romanesque buildings in we ...

died. After Marling's death, Johnson, at the age of 32, formed a partnership with the

German German(s) may refer to: * Germany (of or related to) ** Germania (historical use) * Germans, citizens of Germany, people of German ancestry, or native speakers of the German language ** For citizens of Germany, see also German nationality law **Ge ...

born and trained architect August Esenwein. From its inception in 1897, Esenwein & Johnson was one of the most successful architectural firms of the time and is credited with the design of many buildings that have become

landmarks. These include the Niagara Mohawk Building, the

United Office Building United Office Building, now known as the ''Giacomo'', is a historic Mayan Revival, a subset of art deco, skyscraper in Niagara Falls, New York, US. History The United Office Building was designed by architect James A. Johnson of Esenwein & Joh ...

in Niagara Falls, New York, the Ellicott Square Building and various buildings for the

Pan-American Exposition The Pan-American Exposition was a World's Fair held in Buffalo, New York, United States, from May 1 through November 2, 1901. The fair occupied of land on the western edge of what is now Delaware Park, extending from Delaware Avenue to Elmwood A ...

notably the

Temple of Music The Temple of Music was a concert hall and auditorium built for the Pan-American Exposition which was held in Buffalo, New York, Buffalo, New York (state), New York in 1901. President of the United States, United States President William McKinley ...

(infamous as the site where President

William McKinley William McKinley (January 29, 1843September 14, 1901) was the 25th president of the United States, serving from 1897 until his assassination in 1901. As a politician he led a realignment that made his Republican Party largely dominant in ...

was assassinated). Esenwein & Johnson designed many buildings for the United Hotels Company, which was the largest hotel chain in the country at the time. Esenwein & Johnson's work was known for its diverse styles through a sixty-year history of designs, executing projects in

Georgian Revival Georgian architecture is the name given in most English-speaking countries to the set of architectural styles current between 1714 and 1830. It is named after the first four British monarchs of the House of Hanover— George I, George II, Ge ...

, Art Nouveau,

Mayan Revival Mayan Revival is a modern architectural style popular in the Americas during the 1920s and 1930s that drew inspiration from the architecture and iconography of pre-Columbian Mesoamerican cultures. History Origins Though the name of the s ...

, and

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 ...

styles. Of special note is the decorative features of Johnson's design for the 1912 Niagara Mohawk Building which foreshadowed

ornamentation. After the death of Esenwein in 1926, Johnson, in retirement, became advisory architect to the restoration of Old Fort Niagara.

Personal life

Johnson later married Mary Edith Carter (who was born in Vermont in 1869) and together they were the parents of two daughters, both of whom were born in Buffalo: * Katherine Carter Johnson (b. 1900), who married Barclay. * Mary Edith Johnson (b. 1905), who married Judson Weldon Welch. Johnson died in 1939 in

, at

Buffalo General Hospital John R. Oishei Children's Hospital (viewed from Ellicott Street in 2017) Kaleida Health, founded in 1998, is a not-for-profit healthcare network that manages five hospitals in the Buffalo-Niagara Falls metropolitan area. Prior to the merger of ...

at the age of 73; funeral services were held in his home at 731 West Delavan and he was buried in Oswego, New York.

Significance

A number of Johnson's

buildings are 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 ...

including The Calumet,

Hotel Lafayette Hotel Lafayette, also known as the Lafayette Hotel, is a historic hotel building located at Buffalo in Erie County, New York. History and features It is a seven-story steel frame and concrete building designed in the French Renaissance style. I ...

M. Wile and Company Factory Building M. Wile and Company Factory Building is a historic garment factory located at Buffalo in Erie County, New York. It is an early and significant example of the "Daylight Factory." The four-story building, erected in 1924, is constructed of reinfo ...

, Fosdick-Masten Park High School and Lafayette High School.

Gallery

Image:Temple_of_Music_CD_Arnold_1901.jpg, Nighttime photo of electrified

. Image:Unitedofficebldg-niagarafallsny1.jpg,

, Niagara Falls, NY. Although abandoned in this photo, it has since been renovated and re-opened. Image:20080305 Ellicott Square Building interior court (3).JPG, Inlaid floor of Ellicott Square Building, Buffalo, NY File:The Niagara Jun 09.JPG, The Niagara, Niagara Falls, New York File:Calumet Bldg Buffalo NY Oct 10.jpg, The Calumet, October 2010

Selected works

Johnson & Marling

* 1894 - Harlow C. Curtiss Residence (with Marling) - Buffalo, NY * 1985 - Alexander Main Curtiss House / ( Ronald McDonald House) - 780 West Ferry Street - Buffalo, NY * 1896 - Colonial Apartments - Buffalo, NY * 1899 - Mayer & Weill Building - Demolished in 1977 - Buffalo, NY * 1898 - Curtiss House / International Institute - 864 Delaware Avenue - Buffalo, NY

Esenwein & Johnson

* 1899 - Clarence L. Bryant House - 591 Delaware Avenue - Damaged by Arson - Buffalo, NY * 1901 -

Lafayette High School (Buffalo) Lafayette High School was a public high school in Buffalo, New York. It was the oldest public school in Buffalo that remained in its original building, a stone, brick and terra-cotta structure in the French Renaissance Revival style by architects ...

- 370 Lafayette Avenue - Buffalo, NY * 1901 - Pan-American Exposition

- Demolished - Buffalo, NY * 1901 - Pan-American Exposition Administration Building - Demolished - Buffalo, NY * 1901 - Pan-American Exposition Alt Nurnberg - Demolished - Buffalo, NY * 1901 - Pan-American Exposition Brick Art Gallery - Demolished - Buffalo, NY * 1901 - Public School No. 43 Building - 161 Benzinger Street - Buffalo, NY * 1903 - Myron G. Farmer Residence - 46 Summit Avenue - Buffalo, NY * 1905 - Ethel Mann Curtiss House - 100 Lincoln Parkway, Buffalo, NY * 1905 - Ansonia Building - 712-726 Main Street - Buffalo, NY * 1905 - Charles Mosier Residence - 96 Bidwell Parkway - Buffalo, NY * 1906 - Calumet Building - 46-58 West Chippewa Street - Buffalo NY * 1907 - Asa Silverthorne House - 877 Delaware Avenue - Buffalo, NY * 1907 - Louis Kurtzman Residence - 24 Lincoln Parkway - Buffalo, NY * 1908 - Barker Square Condominiums - 172 Linwood Avenue - Buffalo, NY * 1908 - Emily H. Swift House - 21 Colonial Circle - Buffalo, NY * 1908 - Buffalo Hotel (The first

Statler Hotel The Statler Hotel company was one of the United States' early chains of hotels catering to traveling businessmen and tourists. It was founded by Ellsworth Milton (E. M.) Statler in Buffalo, New York. Early ventures In 1901, Buffalo hosted the ...

) - Washington & Swan Streets - Buffalo, NY * 1910 - William H. and Essie Barr Statler House - 177 Bidwell Parkway, Buffalo, NY * 1911 - J. N. Adam & Company Building - 371 Washington Street - Buffalo, NY * 1911 - Automobile Club of Buffalo - 10405 Main Street - Clarence, NY * 1911 - John Sinclair House - 94 Jewett Parkway - Buffalo, NY * 1912 -

AM&A's Adam, Meldrum & Anderson Company (AM&A's) was a chain of department stores based in Buffalo, New York. It was an institution to generations of shoppers in the Buffalo area. The company remained family owned until its sale to The Bon-Ton in 1995. ...

Department Store (Corner of Washington and Eagle Street - Buffalo, NY * 1912 -

Niagara Mohawk Niagara Mohawk Power Corporation was a New York State utility company, which was acquired in 2000 by National Grid plc. The Niagara Mohawk Power Corporation designation was retired, using variations of NationalGridUS (such as National Grid Buffa ...

Building / The

Electric Tower __NOTOC__ Electric Tower (or General Electric Tower) is a historic office building and skyscraper located at the corner of Washington and Genesee Streets in Buffalo. It is the seventh tallest building in Buffalo. It stands and 14 stories tall ...

- Buffalo, NY * 1912 - Root Building - 70-86 West Chippewa Street - Buffalo, NY * 1912 - Schoellkopf-Vom Berge Manor - 121 Chapin Parkway - Buffalo, NY * 1913 -

Ellsworth Milton Statler Ellsworth Milton (E. M.) Statler (October 26, 1863 – April 16, 1928) was an American hotel businessman, founder of the Statler Hotels chain, born in Somerset County, Pennsylvania. Biography Statler built his first permanent hotel in 1907, in ...

Residence - 154 Soldier's Circle - Demolished in 1938 - Buffalo, NY * 1914 - Fosdick-Masten Park High School - Buffalo, NY * 1919 - Dickinson Jewelry Store - 620 Main Street - Buffalo, NY * 1922 - Prince Edward Hotel - Ouellette and Park Streets - Demolished in 1976 - Windsor, Ontario * 1923 - The Niagara (Fallsview Travelodge Hotel) - Niagara Falls, NY * 1924 - Curtiss Building / Pleu Building - 357-363 Delaware Avenue - Buffalo, NY * 1924 - M. Wile Factory - 77 Goodell Street - Buffalo, NY ''See also:'' * 1926 - Frank A. Dudley Residence - 551 Mountain View Drive - Lewiston, NY * 1926 - Niagara Share Building - 70 Niagara Street - Buffalo, NY * 1927 - Thomas J. McKinney House - 35 Lincoln Parkway - Buffalo, NY

After Esenwein's death

* 1929 - Buffalo Museum of Science - 1020 Humboldt Parkway - Buffalo, NY * 1929 - Inlaid marble floors of Ellicott Square Building - Buffalo, NY * 1929 -

- Niagara Falls, NY ''See also:''

References

External links

James A. Johnson biography
{{DEFAULTSORT:Johnson, James A. 1865 births 1939 deaths Architects from Buffalo, New York Architects from New York (state) Art Nouveau architects