Morris B. Payne (1885-1961) was an American

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 ...

from

New London, Connecticut New London is a seaport city and a port of entry on the northeast coast of the United States, located at the mouth of the Thames River in New London County, Connecticut. It was one of the world's three busiest whaling ports for several decades ...

. He was also major general in the

Connecticut National Guard The Connecticut Military Department is a state agency of the government of Connecticut. Its primary components are the Connecticut Army National Guard, the Connecticut Air National Guard, and four companies of the state militia. The Military Depa ...

and commanded 43rd Infantry Division at the beginning of

World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...

Life and career

Morris Benham Payne was born in

Waterford, Connecticut Waterford is a town in New London County, Connecticut, United States. It is named after Waterford, Ireland. The population was 19,571 at the 2020 census. The town center is listed as a census-designated place (CDP) and had a population of 3,074 ...

, on January 19, 1885. He attended the public schools. Wishing to become a civil engineer, he entered the offices of Daball & Crandall, a New London engineering firm. from 1906 to 1912 he was employed by the United States engineering department. When he left government work in 1912, he established a partnership with architect James S. Duffy as Duffy & Payne, architects and engineers. They went separate ways in 1913, and Payne worked alone for the next two years. In late 1915, he established a partnership with B. Bouis Adams, an architect from

Washington, DC ) , 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 ...

. Payne went abroad to

France France (), officially the French Republic ( ), is a country primarily located in Western Europe. It also comprises of Overseas France, overseas regions and territories in the Americas and the Atlantic Ocean, Atlantic, Pacific Ocean, Pac ...

in 1917 with the Coast Artillery Corps, at which point Adams managed the office alone. Due to his declining health in Payne's absence, he closed the office in late 1918, and died in February 1919. Payne returned in January of that year, and after Adams' death, established a new partnership, Payne & Griswold, with Harry Todd Griswold. Edward R. Keefe joined the partnership in 1920, which became Payne, Griswold & Keefe. Griswold withdrew in 1922, after which point the firm existed as Payne & Keefe. Payne & Keefe existed at least through the early 1950s.

Military career

Payne enlisted in the

in 1902 and was commissioned as a second lieutenant in the

Coast Artillery Corps The U.S. Army Coast Artillery Corps (CAC) was an Corps#Administrative corps, administrative corps responsible for coastal defence and fortification, coastal, harbor, and anti-aircraft Seacoast defense in the United States, defense of the United S ...

in 1906. He was promoted to major in 1912 and was mobilized for service on the Mexican border in 1916. He was remobilized in 1917 and served on active duty during

World War I World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, the United States, and the Ottoman Empire, with fightin ...

. After the war, he was promoted to colonel in 1921 and brigadier general in 1923 when he was appointed Quartermaster General of the Connecticut National Guard. On July 18, 1927, he was promoted to major general and placed in command of the 43rd Division. In February 1941 the division was mobilized and Payne served as its commander until he was relieved of command in August of that year. Payne's relief was, apparently, not due to any misconduct on his part but because of an Army policy to replace National Guard division commanders with Regular Army officers.

Death and burial

Payne died on January 31, 1961, and was buried in

Arlington National Cemetery Arlington National Cemetery is one of two national cemeteries run by the United States Army. Nearly 400,000 people are buried in its 639 acres (259 ha) in Arlington, Virginia. There are about 30 funerals conducted on weekdays and 7 held on Sa ...

. He was an active

Freemason Freemasonry or Masonry refers to fraternal organisations that trace their origins to the local guilds of stonemasons that, from the end of the 13th century, regulated the qualifications of stonemasons and their interaction with authorities ...

Legacy

One of Payne's buildings, the

U. S. Post Office The United States Postal Service (USPS), also known as the Post Office, U.S. Mail, or Postal Service, is an independent agency of the executive branch of the United States federal government responsible for providing postal service in the U ...

in New London, has been 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 ...

. In addition, many of his works in New London, Old Lyme, and Groton contribute to listed historic districts. In a 1921 publication detailing Connecticut domestic architecture, the work of Payne's firm was described as "...in the style so highly esteemed by the Founders. The people here seem to revere the architectural traditions of their old homes, but it appears to be a reverence thoroughly intermixed with discriminatory appreciation which counts for a clientele that stimulates because of its intelligent enthusiasm"."Perpetuating Colonial Traditions". ''Modern Connecticut Homes and Homecrafts''. New York: American Homecrafts Co., 1921.

Architectural works

Payne & Adams, 1915-1918

Payne & Griswold, 1919-1920

Payne, Griswold & Keefe, 1920-1922

Payne & Keefe, from 1922

References

External links

Generals of World War II
{{DEFAULTSORT:Payne, Morris B. 1885 births 1961 deaths Architects from Connecticut People from New London, Connecticut American Freemasons United States Army generals United States Army personnel of World War I United States Army generals of World War II Military personnel from Connecticut United States Army Coast Artillery Corps personnel