Thomas Eddy Tallmadge (April 24, 1876 – January 1, 1940) was an American architect, best known for his

Prairie School Prairie School is a late 19th- and early 20th-century architectural style, most common in the Midwestern United States. The style is usually marked by horizontal lines, flat or hipped roofs with broad overhanging eaves, windows grouped in ...

works with Vernon S. Watson as Tallmadge & Watson.

Biography

Thomas Eddy Tallmadge was born in

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on April 24, 1876. He was raised in the

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suburb of Evanston, graduating from

Evanston Township High School Evanston Township High School (ETHS) District 202, is a four-year public high school occupying a campus in Evanston, Illinois, a north suburb of Chicago along the Lake Michigan shore. ETHS was established in 1883 and serves the city of Evanston ...

. He graduated from the

Massachusetts Institute of Technology The Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) is a private land-grant research university in Cambridge, Massachusetts. Established in 1861, MIT has played a key role in the development of modern technology and science, and is one of the ...

in 1898 with a bachelor's degree in Architecture. He returned to Chicago to study under Daniel H. Burnham, one of the city's most prominent architects. While working for Burnham, Tallmadge received a scholarship from the Chicago Architectural Club for his work "A Crèche in a Manufacturing District". He used the scholarship to travel through Europe. Arthur J

Upon his return in 1905, Tallmadge decided to start his own architectural firm with fellow Burnham draftsman Vernon S. Watson. Although Watson was the chief designer, Tallmadge became the face of the firm due to his commitment as a historian and teacher. He taught at the

Armour Institute of Technology Illinois Institute of Technology (IIT) is a private research university in Chicago, Illinois. Tracing its history to 1890, the present name was adopted upon the merger of the Armour Institute and Lewis Institute in 1940. The university has prog ...

from 1906 to 1926. Tallmadge is credited for coining the term " Chicago school" in an article for ''

Architectural Review ''The Architectural Review'' is a monthly international architectural magazine. It has been published in London since 1896. Its articles cover the built environment – which includes landscape, building design, interior design and urbanism � ...

'' to describe the recent trends in architecture pioneered by Burnham,

Louis Sullivan Louis Henry Sullivan (September 3, 1856 – April 14, 1924) was an American architect, and has been called a "father of skyscrapers" and "father of modernism". He was an influential architect of the Chicago School, a mentor to Frank Lloy ...

, and others. Tallmadge took sole control over his firm after Watson retired in 1936. Late in his career, Tallmadge focused on publishing books instead of articles, completing three works. In 1940, Tallmadge was killed in an

Illinois Central The Illinois Central Railroad , sometimes called the Main Line of Mid-America, was a railroad in the Central United States, with its primary routes connecting Chicago, Illinois, with New Orleans, Louisiana, and Mobile, Alabama. A line also co ...

train accident near

Arcola Arcola may refer to: Places ; Australia * Arcola, Grafton, a heritage-listed house in New South Wales ;Canada * Arcola, Saskatchewan, a town in the Province of Saskatchewan * Arcola Airport, an airport in the Province of Saskatchewan ;England * ...

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 ...

. He is buried in

Graceland Cemetery Graceland Cemetery is a large historic garden cemetery located in the north side community area of Uptown, in the city of Chicago, Illinois, United States. Established in 1860, its main entrance is at the intersection of Clark Street and Ir ...

in Chicago along with many other famed Chicago architects.

Bibliography

*''The Story of England's Architecture'' (1934) *''The Story of Architecture in America'' (1936) *''Architecture in Old Chicago'' (1941, published posthumously)

References

Thomas Tallmadge at MIT
{{DEFAULTSORT:Tallmadge, Thomas 1876 births 1940 deaths 20th-century American architects Accidental deaths in Illinois American architecture writers American male non-fiction writers Burials at Graceland Cemetery (Chicago) Illinois Institute of Technology faculty MIT School of Architecture and Planning alumni Artists from Evanston, Illinois People from Washington, D.C. Prairie School architecture Railway accident deaths in the United States Chicago school architects