Samuel Alexander Bullard (March 25, 1853 – December 5, 1926) was an American architect, politician, and university trustee from

Illinois Illinois ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Midwestern United States, Midwestern United States. Its largest metropolitan areas include the Chicago metropolitan area, and the Metro East section, of Greater St. Louis. Other smaller metropolita ...

. A graduate of the

University of Illinois The University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign (U of I, Illinois, University of Illinois, or UIUC) is a public land-grant research university in Illinois in the twin cities of Champaign and Urbana. It is the flagship institution of the University ...

, Bullard established an architectural practice in

Springfield Springfield may refer to: * Springfield (toponym), the place name in general Places and locations Australia * Springfield, New South Wales (Central Coast) * Springfield, New South Wales (Snowy Monaro Regional Council) * Springfield, Queenslan ...

, where he remained for the rest of his life. He was named a trustee of the university in 1889 and served twice as its chairman. Bullard designed several

Richardsonian Romanesque Richardsonian Romanesque is a style of Romanesque Revival architecture named after the American architect Henry Hobson Richardson (1838–1886). The revival style incorporates 11th and 12th century southern French, Spanish, and Italian Romanesque ...

buildings, often with family members as Bullard & Bullard. In 1923, he was elected Mayor of Springfield, but died before completing his term.

Biography

Samuel Alexander Bullard was born on a farm in

Sangamon County, Illinois Sangamon County is located in the center of the U.S. state of Illinois. According to the 2010 United States Census, 2010 census, it had a population of 197,465. Its county seat and largest city is Springfield, Illinois, Springfield, the List ...

, on March 25, 1853. He attended public schools and then matriculated at the

. While there, he edited the '' Daily Illini'' and was president of his class (1878). After teaching for a year, Bullard opened an architectural office in

Springfield, Illinois Springfield is the capital of the U.S. state of Illinois and the county seat and largest city of Sangamon County. The city's population was 114,394 at the 2020 census, which makes it the state's seventh most-populous city, the second largest o ...

. He frequently operated in partnership with his relatives as Bullard & Bullard, first with Robert A., then with George. Bullard & Bullard specialized in

architecture. In 1888, the firm designed the Christ Episcopal Church, considered the finest Romanesque building in Springfield. Bullard was named a trustee of the University of Illinois in 1889. Two years later, he became president of that board, serving through 1893. From 1890 to 1894, he edited ''Reports of the Illinois Society of Engineers and Surveyors''. In 1899, Bullard was tasked with elevating and adding a third floor to the former

State Capitol This is a list of state and territorial capitols in the United States, the building or complex of buildings from which the government of each U.S. state, the District of Columbia and the organized territories of the United States, exercise its ...

, which was then being used as a courthouse. In 1904, he was again named president of the Illinois board. From 1923 until his death, he was Mayor of Springfield. Bullard died of a heart attack on December 5, 1926. Family members continued the Bullard & Bullard office in Springfield through the 1950s. He was a member of the

Methodist Episcopalian The Methodist Episcopal Church (MEC) was the oldest and largest Methodist denomination in the United States from its founding in 1784 until 1939. It was also the first religious denomination in the US to organize itself on a national basis. In ...

church. He married Elsie Cornelia Elliott on April 19, 1882. They had four children: Helen Elizabeth, Edwin Elliott, Clark Wesley, and Elsie.

Works

All works in Springfield unless otherwise noted * Christ Episcopal Church (1888) *Grace Evangelical Lutheran Church (1892) *Kumler United Methodist Church (1887) *Illinois National Bank Building (1894) *Enos School (1898) * Old State Capitol expansion (1899) *

Lincoln Tomb The Lincoln Tomb is the final resting place of Abraham Lincoln, the List of Presidents of the United States, 16th President of the United States; his wife Mary Todd Lincoln; and three of their four sons: Edward Baker Lincoln, Edward, William Wa ...

restoration (1899) * First United Methodist Church (1899–1900), Chariton, Iowa, NRHP-listed *Illinois State Arsenal (1901) * First Methodist Episcopal Church of Delta (1910),

Delta, Colorado Delta is a home rule municipality that is the county seat and the most populous municipality of Delta County, Colorado, United States. The town population was 9,035 at the 2020 United States Census. The United States Forest Service headquarter ...

, NRHP-listed

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Bullard, Samuel A. 1853 births 1926 deaths 19th-century American architects Mayors of Springfield, Illinois People from Sangamon County, Illinois University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign alumni 20th-century American architects 20th-century American politicians