Matthew Sullivan (May 7, 1868 – August 11, 1938) was an American architect whose practice specialized in ecclesiastical design.

Life and career

Matthew Sullivan was born May 7, 1868, in

Boston Boston (), officially the City of Boston, is the state capital and most populous city of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, as well as the cultural and financial center of the New England region of the United States. It is the 24th- mo ...

to Daniel Sullivan and Mary (Deasy) Sullivan. He was educated in the Boston public schools, and as a young man worked in the office of architect Edmund M. Wheelwright. Sullivan then lived for several years in St. Louis, working for

Eames & Young Eames and Young was an American architecture firm based in St. Louis, Missouri, active nationally, and responsible for several buildings on the National Register of Historic Places. History The principals were Thomas Crane Young, FAIA and Will ...

."Matthew Sullivan, 70, Boston Architect, Dead," ''Boston Globe'', August 12, 1938, 15. In 1891 Sullivan returned to Boston and joined the office of the City Architect, then under Wheelwright's leadership. By 1893 he was Assistant City Architect under Wheelwright. In 1895, when the office of City Architect was abolished, Sullivan became head of the architect's division of the school-house department, which replaced some of the duties of the old office. In 1898 Sullivan resigned to form a partnership with architects

Charles Donagh Maginnis Charles Donagh Maginnis (January 7, 1867 – February 15, 1955) was an Irish-American architect. He emigrated to Boston at age 18, trained as an architect and went on to form the firm Maginnis & Walsh, designing ecclesiastical and campus building ...

and Timothy Walsh. This firm,

Maginnis, Walsh & Sullivan Maginnis, Walsh and Sullivan, an American architecture firm active from its founding in 1898 to its dissolution in 1905. The principals were Charles Donagh Maginnis Charles Donagh Maginnis (January 7, 1867 – February 15, 1955) was an Iris ...

, became very successful. Sullivan was involved in the design of several of Maginnis, Walsh & Sullivan's influential early works, which included the churches of St. John the Evangelist in

Cambridge Cambridge ( ) is a university city and the county town in Cambridgeshire, England. It is located on the River Cam approximately north of London. As of the 2021 United Kingdom census, the population of Cambridge was 145,700. Cambridge bec ...

and St. Catherine of Genoa in

Somerville Somerville may refer to: *Somerville College, Oxford, a constituent college of the University of Oxford Places *Somerville, Victoria, Australia * Somerville, Western Australia, a suburb of Kalgoorlie, Australia * Somerville, New Zealand, a subur ...

. The partnership was dissolved effective December 31, 1907. It was succeeded on January 1, 1908, by the partnership of

Maginnis & Walsh Maginnis & Walsh was an architecture firm started by Charles Donagh Maginnis and Timothy Walsh in 1905. It was known for its innovative design of churches in Boston in the first half of the twentieth century. Partners Maginnis was born January ...

and of the private practice of Sullivan. Both would maintain their offices at 100 Boylston Street. As a private practitioner Sullivan continued to focus on projects for the Catholic church. His work included parish churches and schools as well as larger projects like Harkins Hall, the main building of

Providence College Providence College is a Private university, private Catholic Church, Catholic university in Providence, Rhode Island. Founded in 1917 by the Dominican Order and the Roman Catholic Diocese of Providence, local diocese, it offers 47 undergradua ...

. Sullivan practiced architecture in Boston until his death in 1938. Sullivan frequently utilized the services of woodcarver

Johannes Kirchmayer Johannes Kirchmayer also known as John Kirchmayer (March 31, 1860 – November 29, 1930) was one of the leading woodcarvers in the United States, active primarily in the Boston area. Kirchmayer was born in Oberammergau, Bavaria. After learn ...

of Irving & Casson in his designs.

Personal life

Sullivan was married to Kathrine Louise Lally, and they had four children: Mary Sullivan (1899-1985), Katharine Sullivan (1901-1976), Matthew Sullivan Jr. (1901-1984) and James C. Sullivan (1909-1996). Sullivan served terms on the Canton School Committee and the Canton Planning Board. He was a member of several fraternal and professional organizations, including the

American Institute of Architects The American Institute of Architects (AIA) is a professional organization for architects in the United States. Headquartered in Washington, D.C., the AIA offers education, government advocacy, community redevelopment, and public outreach to su ...

, which he joined in 1907. Kathrine Sullivan was involved in

anti-suffragist Anti-suffragism was a political movement composed of both men and women that began in the late 19th century in order to campaign against women's suffrage in countries such as Australia, Canada, Ireland, the United Kingdom and the United States. To ...

activism in Massachusetts and later was a trustee of

Westborough State Hospital Westborough State Hospital, originally "Westborough Insane Hospital", was a historic hospital in Westborough, Massachusetts, which sat on more than . The core campus area was located between Lyman Street and Chauncy Lake, north of Massachusetts Ro ...

. The Sullivan family moved to Canton around 1899, after the formation of Maginnis, Walsh & Sullivan. In 1906 Sullivan designed and built a large suburban house on upper Washington Street north of the town center in what was then a relatively undeveloped part of the town. Sullivan's house was designed in the

Arts and Crafts A handicraft, sometimes more precisely expressed as artisanal handicraft or handmade, is any of a wide variety of types of work where useful and decorative objects are made completely by one’s hand or by using only simple, non-automated re ...

style and was structurally unique. It was built using a structural system of specially designed terra cotta blocks which offered protection from fire as well as insulation. Located at 1973 Washington Street, the house was sold out of the family and demolished in the 1980s. The property is now the location of a small residential development called Sullivan Way. Matthew Sullivan died unexpectedly in his Boston office on August 11, 1938. His wife died August 23, 1947, in Canton."Mrs. Katherine Sullivan," ''Boston Globe'', August 23, 1947, c39. Both Sullivan and his wife were parishioners of the church of St. John the Evangelist in Canton. They and their children were buried in the parish cemetery.

Architectural works

Parish churches

* St. Agnes,

Reading, Massachusetts Reading ( ) is a town in Middlesex County, Massachusetts, United States, north of central Boston. The population was 25,518 at the 2020 census. History Settlement and American independence Many of the Massachusetts Bay Colony's original settler ...

(1908–09) * St. John the Baptist,

New Bedford, Massachusetts New Bedford (Massachusett language, Massachusett: ) is a city in Bristol County, Massachusetts, Bristol County, Massachusetts. It is located on the Acushnet River in what is known as the South Coast (Massachusetts), South Coast region. Up throug ...

(1909–13) * St. Joseph,

Taunton, Massachusetts Taunton is a city in Bristol County, Massachusetts, Bristol County, Massachusetts, United States. It is the county seat, seat of Bristol County. Taunton is situated on the Taunton River which winds its way through the city on its way to Mount ...

(1909–10) * Sacred Heart,

(1911–12) * St. Augustin,

Newport, Rhode Island Newport is an American seaside city on Aquidneck Island in Newport County, Rhode Island. It is located in Narragansett Bay, approximately southeast of Providence, Rhode Island, Providence, south of Fall River, Massachusetts, south of Boston, ...

(1911–12) * Blessed Sacrament,

Walpole, Massachusetts Walpole is a town in Norfolk County, Massachusetts, United States. Walpole Town, as the Census refers to it, is located about south of downtown Boston and north of Providence, Rhode Island. The population of Walpole was 26,383 at the 2020 censu ...

(1912) * Our Lady of Lourdes (former),

Wellfleet, Massachusetts Wellfleet is a New England town, town in Barnstable County, Massachusetts, Barnstable County, Massachusetts, United States, and is located halfway between the "tip" and "elbow" of Cape Cod. The town had a population of 3,566 at the 2020 United S ...

(1912) * Our Lady of Hope,

West Barnstable, Massachusetts West Barnstable is a seaside village in the northwest part of the town of Barnstable, Massachusetts. Once devoted to agricultural pursuits, West Barnstable now is largely residential and historic. Originally founded in 1639 as part of its neighbori ...

(1915) * St. Benedict,

Warwick, Rhode Island Warwick ( or ) is a city in Kent County, Rhode Island, the third largest city in the state with a population of 82,823 at the 2020 United States Census, 2020 census. It is located approximately south of downtown Providence, Rhode Island, sout ...

(1915, demolished) * St. Joseph (upper church),

Holbrook, Massachusetts Holbrook is a town in Norfolk County, Massachusetts, Norfolk County, Massachusetts, United States. , the town's population was 11,405. History Holbrook was first settled by Europeans (mostly British colonists) in 1710 as the southern part of ...

(1916, altered 1972) * St. Leo the Great,

Pawtucket, Rhode Island Pawtucket is a city in Providence County, Rhode Island, United States. The population was 75,604 at the 2020 census, making the city the fourth-largest in the state. Pawtucket borders Providence and East Providence to the south, Central Falls ...

(1916–17) * St. Rita,

Marion, Massachusetts Marion is a town in Plymouth County, Massachusetts, United States. The population was 5,347 at the 2020 census. For geographic and demographic information on the village of Marion Center, please see the article Marion Center, Massachusetts. His ...

(1916) *

Our Lady of Mount Carmel Our Lady of Mount Carmel, or Virgin of Carmel, is the title given to the Blessed Virgin Mary in her role as patroness of the Carmelite Order, particularly within the Catholic Church. The first Carmelites were Christian hermits living on Mount Ca ...

(upper church),

East Boston, Boston, Massachusetts East Boston, nicknamed Eastie, is a neighborhood of Boston, Massachusetts annexed by the city of Boston in 1637. Neighboring communities include Winthrop, Revere, and Chelsea. It is separated from the Boston neighborhood of Charlestown and d ...

(1917–20) * St. Lazarus,

(1922–23) * St. Mary,

Franklin, Massachusetts The Town of Franklin is a city in Norfolk County, Massachusetts, United States. Franklin is one of thirteen Massachusetts municipalities that have applied for, and been granted, city forms of government but wish to retain "The town of" in their o ...

(1923–27) * All Saints,

Haverhill, Massachusetts Haverhill ( ) is a city in Essex County, Massachusetts, United States. Haverhill is located 35 miles north of Boston on the New Hampshire border and about 17 miles from the Atlantic Ocean. The population was 67,787 at the 2020 United States Cen ...

(1925) * St. Therese,

Everett, Massachusetts Everett is a city in Middlesex County, Massachusetts, United States, directly north of Boston, bordering the neighborhood of Charlestown. The population was 49,075 at the time of the 2020 United States Census. Everett was the last city in the Un ...

(1928–29, demolished 2020) * St. Mary,

(1929–31) * Holy Family,

Lynn, Massachusetts Lynn is the eighth-largest municipality in Massachusetts and the largest city in Essex County. Situated on the Atlantic Ocean, north of the Boston city line at Suffolk Downs, Lynn is part of Greater Boston's urban inner core. Settled by E ...

(no date)

Other parish buildings

* Parochial school, St. Rose of Lima,

Chelsea, Massachusetts Chelsea is a city in Suffolk County, Massachusetts, Suffolk County, Massachusetts, United States, directly across the Mystic River from the city of Boston. As of the 2020 census, Chelsea had a population of 40,787. With a total area of just 2.46 s ...

(1911) * Rectory, St. John the Baptist,

(1913) * Rectory, St. Lazarus,

(1916) * Rectory, Our Lady of Lourdes,

Jamaica Plain, Boston, Massachusetts Jamaica Plain is a neighborhood of in the City of Boston, Massachusetts, United States. Settled by Puritans seeking farmland to the south, it was originally part of the former Town of Roxbury, now also a part of the City of Boston. The comm ...

(1920) * Parochial school, St. Mark the Evangelist,

Dorchester, Boston, Massachusetts Dorchester (colloquially referred to as Dot) is a Boston neighborhood comprising more than in the City of Boston, Massachusetts, United States. Originally, Dorchester was a separate town, founded by Puritans who emigrated in 1630 from Dorcheste ...

(1922–23) * Parochial school (former), St. Mary,

North Attleborough, Massachusetts North Attleborough, alternatively spelled North Attleboro, is a town in Bristol County, Massachusetts, United States. The population was 30,834 at the 2020 United States Census. The villages of Attleboro Falls and North Attleborough Center are ...

(1924) * Convent, St. John the Evangelist,

Swampscott, Massachusetts Swampscott () is a town in Essex County, Massachusetts, United States, located up the coast from Boston in an area known as the North Shore. The population was 15,111 as of the 2020 United States Census. A former summer resort on Massachusetts Ba ...

(1926) * Convent, St. Leonard of Port Maurice, Boston, Massachusetts (1926) * Rectory (former), St. Joseph,

(1926–27) * Parochial high school (former), St. Thomas Aquinas,

(1927)''American School and University'' 1 (New York: American School Publishing Corporation, 1928) * Parochial school, Our Lady of Grace,

(1927) * Rectory, St. Mary,

(1932)

Institutional projects

* Mount St. Mary Academy (former),

Fall River, Massachusetts Fall River is a city in Bristol County, Massachusetts, United States. The City of Fall River's population was 94,000 at the 2020 United States Census, making it the tenth-largest city in the state. Located along the eastern shore of Mount H ...

(1909) * Bishop Stang Day Nursery,

(1910, demolished) * Harkins Hall,

Providence, Rhode Island Providence is the capital and most populous city of the U.S. state of Rhode Island. One of the oldest cities in New England, it was founded in 1636 by Roger Williams, a Reformed Baptist theologian and religious exile from the Massachusetts Bay ...

(1918–19)William McKenzie Woodward and Edward F. Sanderson, ''Providence: A Citywide Survey of Historic Resources'', ed. David Chase (Providence: Rhode Island Historical Preservation Commission, 1986) * Memorial Dining Hall, St. John's Preparatory School,

Danvers, Massachusetts Danvers is a town in Essex County, Massachusetts, United States, located on the Danvers River near the northeastern coast of Massachusetts. The suburb is a fairly short ride from Boston and is also in close proximity to the renowned beaches of Glo ...

(1926) * Italian Home for Children,

(1927)

Secular buildings

* House for Roger Williams,

Canton, Massachusetts Canton is a town in Norfolk County, Massachusetts, Norfolk County, Massachusetts, United States. The population was 24,370 at the 2020 census. Canton is part of Greater Boston, about 15 miles (24 kilometers) southwest of downtown Boston. Hist ...

(1915) * Canton Police Station (former),

(1931)CAN.96
" mhc-macris.net. Massachusetts Historical Commission, n. d. Accessed October 13, 2021.

Gallery of architectural works

Notes

References

Bibliography

Hayman, Robert W. (1995). ''Catholicism in Rhode Island and the Diocese of Providence Volume Two'', Providence: Diocese of Providence. Library of Congress Number: 94-69200 page 410, 419, 445, 586–587, 598, 592 {{DEFAULTSORT:Sullivan, Matthew 1868 births 1948 deaths Architects of Roman Catholic churches Architects from Boston People from Canton, Massachusetts