Thomas Alexander Tefft (August 2, 1826 – December 12, 1859) 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

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 ...

. Tefft, one of the nation's first professionally trained architects, is considered a master of ''

Rundbogenstil (round-arch style) is a nineteenth-century historic revival style of architecture popular in the German-speaking lands and the German diaspora. It combines elements of Byzantine, Romanesque, and Renaissance architecture with particular ...

'' and a leading American proponent of its use. Prior to his untimely death, Tefft "offered the most advanced designs of isday in America"

Life and career

Early life

Tefft was born in rural

Richmond, Rhode Island Richmond is a town in Washington County, Rhode Island. The population was 8,020 at the United States Census, 2020, 2020 census. It contains the villages of Alton, Rhode Island, Alton, Arcadia, Rhode Island, Arcadia, Barberville, Rhode Island, Barbe ...

, outside of the small village of

Wood River Junction Wood River Junction is a small village in the town of Richmond, Rhode Island, Washington County, Rhode Island, in the United States. It is home to the Chariho school district's main campus and is otherwise largely turf farms. Geography Wood R ...

. He was the fourth child of William C. and Sarah Tefft. His family worshiped at the Richmond Six-Principle Baptist Church. During his childhood, Tefft experienced poor health; unable to exert himself physically, he developed an appreciation of books. At the age of 10, he enrolled at a school kept by Elisha Baggs. During his later adolescence, Tefft taught at a local schoolhouse. During the 1840s the state school commissioner,

Henry Barnard Henry Barnard (January 24, 1811 – July 5, 1900) was an American educationalist and reformer. Biography He was born in Hartford, Connecticut on January 24, 1811 and attended Wilbraham & Monson Academy. He graduated from Yale University in 18 ...

, embarked on an inspection of the state's public schools. Noting Tefft's talents for drawing and the other arts, Barnard convinced him to move to Providence and study architecture. He entered the office of

Tallman & Bucklin James C. Bucklin (1801-1890) was an American architect working in Providence, Rhode Island. Life and career Bucklin was born on 26 July 1801, in a part of Rehoboth that is now part of Pawtucket, Rhode Island, to James and Lorania (Pearce) Buckl ...

–then one of the city's primary offices. By 1846 Tefft played a dominant role in the firm's designs. In 1847 he enrolled at

Brown University Brown University is a private research university in Providence, Rhode Island. Brown is the seventh-oldest institution of higher education in the United States, founded in 1764 as the College in the English Colony of Rhode Island and Providenc ...

, where he studied under

Alexis Caswell Alexis Caswell (January 29, 1799 – January 8, 1877) was an American educator, born in Taunton, Massachusetts. He graduated Brown University in 1822, and entered the Baptist ministry. Career Caswell was professor of mathematics and natural p ...

. At this time, Tefft exhibited a strong grasp of

, amassing a large library of books on the style and advocating for its use.

Later career and death

In 1851, Tefft graduated from Brown. At the same time, the partnership of Tallman & Bucklin was dissolved. Tefft then opened his own office, and ran a notable practice that lasted only five years. In 1856 he decided to embark on a

grand tour The Grand Tour was the principally 17th- to early 19th-century custom of a traditional trip through Europe, with Italy as a key destination, undertaken by upper-class young European men of sufficient means and rank (typically accompanied by a tuto ...

of Europe. Due to the beginning of an economic downturn, the only work that Tefft had in his office were the initial designs of

Vassar College Vassar College ( ) is a private liberal arts college in Poughkeepsie, New York, United States. Founded in 1861 by Matthew Vassar, it was the second degree-granting institution of higher education for women in the United States, closely follo ...

. With that project stagnating, he chose to go. He departed on the steamer Arago on December 13, 1856. He began in England, where he studied the works of

Christopher Wren Sir Christopher Wren PRS FRS (; – ) was one of the most highly acclaimed English architects in history, as well as an anatomist, astronomer, geometer, and mathematician-physicist. He was accorded responsibility for rebuilding 52 churches ...

, among others. He also met and was entertained in the home of noted architect

Charles Barry Sir Charles Barry (23 May 1795 – 12 May 1860) was a British architect, best known for his role in the rebuilding of the Palace of Westminster (also known as the Houses of Parliament) in London during the mid-19th century, but also responsi ...

. During his tour, Tefft visited the cities of Paris, Rome, Geneva, Berlin, Milan, and Florence, among others. In 1857 he was invited to join the new

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 ...

, and was among that organization's first Fellows. In December 1859 he fell ill with a fever in Florence at the home of his friend, the sculptor

Hiram Powers Hiram Powers (July 29, 1805 – June 27, 1873) was an American neoclassical sculptor. He was one of the first 19th-century American artists to gain an international reputation, largely based on his famous marble sculpture ''The Greek Slave''. ...

. He died there on the 12th. Tefft was first buried in the English Cemetery in Florence; in February 1860 his body was shipped back to Rhode Island, where it was re-interred in

Swan Point Cemetery Swan Point Cemetery is a historic rural cemetery located in Providence, Rhode Island, United States. Established in 1846 on a 60-acre (0.24 km2) plot of land, it has approximately 40,000 interments. History The cemetery was first organi ...

Works

With Tallman & Bucklin, 1846–1851

* ''Barrington School'', 351 Nayatt Road, Barrington, RI (1840) – Now a private home * Lawrence_Hall,_Williams_College

''Lawrence Hall'',

Williams College Williams College is a Private college, private liberal arts colleges in the United States, liberal arts college in Williamstown, Massachusetts. It was established as a men's college in 1793 with funds from the estate of Ephraim Williams, a col ...

Williamstown, MA Williamstown is a town in the northern part of Berkshire County, in the northwest corner of Massachusetts, United States. It shares a border with Vermont to the north and New York to the west. It is part of the Pittsfield, Massachusetts Metropo ...

(1846–47) – Built as the library, now part of the

Williams College Museum of Art The Williams College Museum of Art (WCMA) is a college-affiliated art museum in Williamstown, Massachusetts. It is located on the campus of Williams College, and is close to the Massachusetts Museum of Contemporary Art (MASS MoCA) and the Clark Ar ...

* ''

Butler Hospital Butler Hospital is a private, non-profit, psychiatric and substance abuse hospital for adolescents, adults, and seniors, located at 345 Blackstone Boulevard in Providence, Rhode Island. The hospital is affiliated with the Warren Alpert Medical Sch ...

'', 345 Blackstone Blvd., Providence, RI (1847) – Significantly altered. *

Elisha Dyer Elisha Dyer (July 20, 1811 – May 17, 1890) was an American politician and the 25th Governor of Rhode Island. Early life Dyer was born in Providence, Rhode Island on July 20, 1811 to an old New England family which traced its Dyer ancestry ba ...

House, 11 Greene St., Providence, RI (1847) – Demolished * ''Freight House No. 1'', Canal St. at Elizabeth, Providence, RI (1847–48) – Served as the passenger station until Union Station was completed. Demolished. * Gatehouse,

, 585 Blackstone Blvd., Providence, RI (1847) – Demolished. * Receiving Vault, Swan Point Cemetery, 585 Blackstone Blvd., Providence, RI (1847) * ''Second Universalist Church'', 151 Weybosset St., Providence, RI (1847–49) – Burned in 2006. * '' St. Paul's Episcopal Church'', 55 Main St., Wickford, RI (1847) * ''Liberty Street School'', 10 Liberty St.,

Warren, RI Warren is a town in Bristol County, Rhode Island, United States. The population was 11,147 at the 2020 census. History Warren was the site of the Pokanoket Indian settlement of Sowams located on a peninsula within the Pokanoket region. The reg ...

(1847) * ''Allendale School'', 545 Woonasquatucket Ave., Allendale, RI (1848)Page 99, Proceedings of the Rhode Island Historical Society, 1873–74 (1874) * ''Centerdale School'', Thomas St., Centerdale, RI (1848) – Demolished. * ''Howard's Block'', 171 Westminster St., Providence, RI (1848) – Burned in 1853. * '' Providence Union Station'', Kennedy Plz., Providence, RI (1848) – Burned in 1896. * Remodeling of House for Richard James Arnold, 124 S. Main St., Providence, RI (1848) – This house was once the Sabin Tavern. Demolished in 1891. * ''Union High and Grammar School'', 60 High School St., Woonsocket, RI (1848–49) – Burned in 1875. * ''Young Ladies' High School'', 235 Benefit St., Providence, RI (1848). * '' Indiana Cotton Mills'', 310 Washington St., Cannelton, IN (1849–50) – Now the Cotton Mill Apartments. * Menzies Sweet House, 12 Arnold St., Providence, RI (1850) * ''

Narragansett Baptist Church Narragansett Baptist Church (also known as South Ferry Church) is an historic Baptist church building located at 170 South Ferry Road, in Narragansett, Rhode Island. History The wooden church was designed by Thomas A. Tefft in the Carpenter G ...

'', 170 S. Ferry Rd., South Ferry, RI (1850) * ''Pastors' Rest Monument'', Swan Point Cemetery, 585 Blackstone Blvd., Providence, RI (1850) * Remodeling of the ''

Rhode Island State House The Rhode Island State House, the capitol of the state of Rhode Island, is located at 900 Smith Street just below the crest of Smith Hill, on the border of downtown in Providence. It is a neoclassical building designed by McKim, Mead & White wh ...

'', 150 Benefit St., Providence, RI (1850)

In private practice, 1851–1856

* ''New England Screw Co.'', 1 Henderson St., Providence, RI (c.1851) – Demolished. * Paris Hill House, 201 Washington St., Providence, RI (1851) – Later the home of the Union Club of Providence. Demolished in 1915. * '' St. Thomas Episcopal Church'', 1 Smith Ave., Greenville, RI (1851) – Tower added in 1891. * ''American Antiquarian Society'', 185 Salisbury St.,

Worcester, MA Worcester ( , ) is a city and county seat of Worcester County, Massachusetts, United States. Named after Worcester, England, the city's population was 206,518 at the 2020 census, making it the second-most populous city in New England after Bo ...

(1852) – Demolished in 1909. * Gatehouse, ''Butler Hospital'', 345 Blackstone Blvd., Providence, RI (1852) – Demolished. * ''Taunton Bank Building'', 9 Taunton Green,

Taunton, MA 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 ...

(1852) – Altered. * ''Wakefield Baptist Church'', 236 Main St.,

Wakefield, RI Wakefield-Peacedale (listed as "Wakefield-Peace Dale" by the United States Census Bureau) is a census-designated place (CDP) in the town of South Kingstown in Washington County, Rhode Island, United States that includes the villages of Peace Dale ...

(1852) * ''Weeden Block'', 41 Westminster St., Providence, RI (c.1852) – Demolished. * Edward Pearce House, 2 Benevolent St., Providence, RI (1853) – Demolished by the Hope Club for a parking lot in 1960. * Emily Harper House, 80 Ocean Ave.,

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

(1853) – Greatly expanded in the 1870s, Demolished in 1966. * ''Howard Block'', 171 Westminster St., Providence, RI (1853) – Burned in 1858. * John B. Palmer House, 151 Waterman St., Providence, RI (1853) – Demolished in 1961. * Joseph B. Tompkins House, 38 Catherine St., Newport, RI (1853) * ''Oakwoods'', Oakwoods Dr., Peace Dale, RI (1853) – The home of Rowland Hazard. Demolished. * ''Quatrel'', 669 Bellevue Ave., Newport, RI (1853–54) – For Earl P. Mason. * ''South Baptist Church'', 125 Main St.,

Hartford, CT Hartford is the List of capitals in the United States, capital city of the U.S. state of Connecticut. It was the seat of Hartford County, Connecticut, Hartford County until Connecticut disbanded County (United States), county government in 19 ...

(1853–54) – Demolished in 1926. Central_Congregational_Church_(1853),_Providence

*'' Central Congregational Church'', 226 Benefit Street, Providence, RI (1853–56) – purchased and remodeled by RISD * Tully D. Bowen House, 389 Benefit St., Providence, RI (1853) * ''First Baptist Church'', 212 S. Washington St.,

Alexandria, VA Alexandria is an independent city in the northern region of the Commonwealth of Virginia, United States. It lies on the western bank of the Potomac River approximately south of downtown Washington, D.C. In 2020, the population was 159,467. T ...

(1854) – Significantly altered. * Henry E. Russell House, Lake St. & Grove Hill,

New Britain, CT New Britain is a city in Hartford County, Connecticut, United States. It is located approximately southwest of Hartford. According to 2020 Census, the population of the city is 74,135. Among the southernmost of the communities encompassed wi ...

(1854) – Demolished. * '' Richmond College'', Grace St.,

Richmond, VA (Thus do we reach the stars) , image_map = , mapsize = 250 px , map_caption = Location within Virginia , pushpin_map = Virginia#USA , pushpin_label = Richmond , pushpin_m ...

(1854–55) – Only one wing was ever built to Tefft's design, the rest deviated from his plan. Demolished. * '' Richmond Female Institute'', N. 10th & E. Marshall Sts., Richmond, VA (1854) – Demolished in 1924. * Robert Lippitt House, 193 Hope St., Providence, RI (1854) * William Slater House, Halliwell Blvd., Slatersville, RI (1854) – Demolished. * Charles Potter House, 154 Waterman St., Providence, RI (1855) – Remodeled c.1900. * Charles S. Bradley House, 249 Eaton St., Providence, RI (1855) – Now

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 ...

's Martin Hall. * ''Elmhurst'', 700 Smith St., Providence, RI (1855) – A house for William Grosvenor that lent the neighborhood its name. Burned in 1967. * John Carter Brown II Stable, 357 Benevolent St., Providence, RI (1855) * Proposal for ''

Providence City Hall Providence City Hall is the center of the municipal government in Providence, Rhode Island, and is located at the southwest end of Kennedy Plaza at 25 Dorrance Street. The building was constructed between 1875 and 1878 and designed by Samuel J. ...

'', 25 Dorrance St., Providence, RI (1855) – Not built. * ''Roger Williams Free Baptist Church'', 1076 Westminster St., Providence, RI (1855) – Demolished. * ''Bank of North America Building'', 48 Weybosset St., Providence, RI (1856) – Ground floor altered. * ''Central Baptist Church'', Weybosset St. at Empire, Providence, RI (1856) – Demolished in 1915 for the new Empire Street. * Proposal for ''Providence Merchants Exchange Building'', 76 Westminster St., Providence, RI (1856) – An unusual circular building, not built. * Proposal for ''Vassar College'',

Poughkeepsie, NY Poughkeepsie ( ), officially the City of Poughkeepsie, separate from the Town of Poughkeepsie around it) is a city in the U.S. state of New York. It is the county seat of Dutchess County, with a 2020 census population of 31,577. Poughkeepsie ...

– Not built due to economic troubles. The commission would later go to Renwick, Auchmuty & Sands of

New York New York most commonly refers to: * New York City, the most populous city in the United States, located in the state of New York * New York (state), a state in the northeastern United States New York may also refer to: Film and television * '' ...

.Page 31, Alma Mater: Design and Experience in the Women's Colleges (Helen Lefkowitz Horowitz, 1984) * Seth Padelford Stable, 17 Benevolent St., Providence, RI (1856) – Demolished in 1955.

Gallery

File:351 Nayatt 01.jpg, School House (1840), Barrington RI File:Railroad Depot, by E. & H.T. Anthony (Firm) (cropped).png, Providence Union Station (1847) File:Central pavillion on east elevation - Providence and Worcester Railroad, Freight House, Canal Street, Providence, Providence County, RI HAER RI,4-PROV,176A-10.tif, Freight House (1848), Providence File:Indiana Cotton Mill 2.JPG, Cannelton Cotton Mill (1851), Cannelton, I.N. File:Narragansett Baptist Church (South Ferry Church) side.jpg, Narragansett Baptist Church (1850), Narraganset, R.I. File:Historic American Buildings Survey, Laurence E. Tilley, Photographer April, 1958 WEST (FRONT) ELEVATION. - Tully Bowen House, 389 Benefit Street, Providence, Providence County, RI HABS RI,4-PROV,67-1.tif, Tully Bowen House (1853), Providence File:Edward Pearce House Providence RI.jpg, Edward Pearce House (1853), Providence File:Female Institute, 10th Street, Richmond, Va., occupied as Army Headquarters LCCN2014645796.tif, Richmond Female Institute (1854), Richmond, V.A. File:Historic Building on College Hill, Providence, RI.jpg, Robert Lippitt House (1854), Providence File:Martin Hall Providence College.jpg, Martin Hall, Providence College (1855), Providence File:Charles Potter House Providence RI.jpg, Charles Potter House (1855), Providence File:Design for City Hall, Providence, R.I.jpg, Proposal for

(1855) File:Central Baptist Church, Providence.jpg, Central Baptist Church (1856), Providence File:Merchants Exchange, Providence.jpg, Proposal for ''Providence Merchants Exchange Building'' (1856)

References

External links

''The Architect and Monetarian: A Brief Memoir of Thomas Alexander Tefft'' by Edward Martin Stone (1869)
Full text. Retrieved 9 December 2014.
Thomas Alexander Tefft: Architect Extraordinaire
Retrieved 9 December 2014. * {{DEFAULTSORT:Tefft, Thomas A. 1826 births 1859 deaths Brown University alumni People from Richmond, Rhode Island Architects from Rhode Island Architects from Providence, Rhode Island 19th-century American architects Burials at Swan Point Cemetery Fellows of the American Institute of Architects