Edmund Sharpe
Edmund Sharpe (31 October 1809 – 8 May 1877) was an English architect, architectural historian, railway engineer, and sanitary reformer. Born in Knutsford, Cheshire, he was educated first by his parents and then at schools locally and in ...
(1809–1877) was an English
architect
An architect is a person who plans, designs and oversees the construction of buildings. To practice architecture means to provide services in connection with the design of buildings and the space within the site surrounding the buildings that h ...
,
architectural historian
An architectural historian is a person who studies and writes about the history of architecture, and is regarded as an authority on it.
Professional requirements
As many architectural historians are employed at universities and other facilities ...
, railway
engineer
Engineers, as practitioners of engineering, are professionals who invent, design, analyze, build and test machines, complex systems, structures, gadgets and materials to fulfill functional objectives and requirements while considering the l ...
, and
sanitary
Sanitation refers to public health conditions related to clean drinking water and treatment and disposal of human excreta and sewage. Preventing human contact with feces is part of sanitation, as is hand washing with soap. Sanitation systems a ...
reformer. Between 1832 and 1835, in receipt of a travelling fellowship, he studied architecture in Germany and southern France. He started his career as an architect in
Lancashire
Lancashire ( , ; abbreviated Lancs) is the name of a historic county, ceremonial county, and non-metropolitan county in North West England. The boundaries of these three areas differ significantly.
The non-metropolitan county of Lancashi ...
in 1835, initially on his own, then from 1845 in partnership with
Edward Paley
Edward Graham Paley, usually known as E. G. Paley (3 September 1823 – 23 January 1895), was an English architect who practised in Lancaster, Lancashire, in the second half of the 19th century. After leaving school in 1838, he went to La ...
. He mainly designed churches but also some secular buildings, including domestic properties and schools. Sharpe pioneered the use of
terracotta
Terracotta, terra cotta, or terra-cotta (; ; ), in its material sense as an earthenware substrate, is a clay-based ceramic glaze, unglazed or glazed ceramic where the pottery firing, fired body is porous.
In applied art, craft, construction, a ...
as a structural material in church construction, designing what were known as "pot" churches. During this time he also worked on the development of railways in Northwest England, including the design of bridges and the planning of new lines. In 1851, he resigned from his architectural practice, and in 1856 he moved from Lancaster and spent the rest of his career mainly as a railway engineer, first in North Wales, then in Switzerland and southern France. He returned to England in 1866 to live in
Scotforth
Scotforth is a suburb in the south of the city of Lancaster, Lancashire, Lancaster in Lancashire, England. It is home to Scotforth St Paul's Church of England Primary School and St Paul's Church, Scotforth, St Paul's Church. The civil parish, ...
near Lancaster, where he designed a final church near to his home.
[O'Donoghue, F. M., rev. Geoffrey K. Brandwood, (2004]
Sharpe, Edmund (1809-1877)
''Oxford Dictionary of National Biography
The ''Dictionary of National Biography'' (''DNB'') is a standard work of reference on notable figures from British history, published since 1885. The updated ''Oxford Dictionary of National Biography'' (''ODNB'') was published on 23 September ...
'', Oxford University Press
Oxford University Press (OUP) is the university press of the University of Oxford. It is the largest university press in the world, and its printing history dates back to the 1480s. Having been officially granted the legal right to print books ...
, Retrieved on 18 February 2012 ()
Sharpe achieved national recognition as an architectural historian. He devised a new scheme for classifying the styles of
English Gothic architecture
English Gothic is an architectural style that flourished from the late 12th until the mid-17th century. The style was most prominently used in the construction of cathedrals and churches. Gothic architecture's defining features are pointed ar ...
, published books of detailed architectural drawings, and towards the end of his career organized expeditions to study and draw buildings in England and France. In 1875, he was awarded the
Royal Gold Medal
The Royal Gold Medal for architecture is awarded annually by the Royal Institute of British Architects on behalf of the British monarch, in recognition of an individual's or group's substantial contribution to international architecture. It is g ...
of the
Royal Institute of British Architects
The Royal Institute of British Architects (RIBA) is a professional body for architects primarily in the United Kingdom, but also internationally, founded for the advancement of architecture under its royal charter granted in 1837, three suppl ...
. He wrote a number of articles on architecture, and was very critical of much of the
restoration
Restoration is the act of restoring something to its original state and may refer to:
* Conservation and restoration of cultural heritage
** Audio restoration
** Film restoration
** Image restoration
** Textile restoration
* Restoration ecology
...
of
medieval
In the history of Europe, the Middle Ages or medieval period lasted approximately from the late 5th to the late 15th centuries, similar to the Post-classical, post-classical period of World history (field), global history. It began with t ...
churches that had become a major occupation of contemporary architects.
[
This list contains the architectural works designed by Sharpe before Paley joined him as a partner, plus his last church.
]
Key
Works
See also
*Sharpe, Paley and Austin
Sharpe, Paley and Austin are the surnames of architects who practised in Lancaster, Lancashire, England, between 1835 and 1946, working either alone or in partnership. The full names of the principals in their practice, which went under vario ...
*List of works by Sharpe and Paley
Sharpe and Paley was a partnership of two architects who practised from an office in Lancaster, Lancashire, England, between 1845 and 1856. Founded by Edmund Sharpe in 1835, the practice flourished for more than a century, until 1946. It ha ...
References
Citations
Sources
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* (Although this is self-published, it is a scholarly work and fully referenced throughout. As of 2011 it is available only as a CD.)
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{{DEFAULTSORT:Sharpe, Edmund
Lists of buildings and structures by architect