William R. Walker & Son
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W. Howard Walker;
William R. Walker II
| William R. Walker & Son | |
|---|---|
| Practice information | |
| Partners | William R. Walker; W. Howard Walker; William R. Walker II |
| Location | Providence, Rhode Island |
William R. Walker & Son was an American architectural firm based in Providence, Rhode Island. From 1881 to 1936 it was led by three successive generations of the Walker family: founder William R. Walker, his son W. Howard Walker and his grandson William R. Walker II.
William R. Walker (1830 – 1905) began his architectural practice in Providence in 1864. From 1876 to 1880 he worked in partnership with Thomas J. Gould, an employee since 1868, under the name Walker & Gould. In January 1881 Walker took his son W. Howard Walker (1856 – 1922) into partnership to form the firm of William R. Walker & Son, Gould having withdrawn.The elder Walker retired in 1903 and died in 1905.[1] W. Howard Walker was sole proprietor of the firm until 1911, when he was joined by his son, William R. Walker II (1884 – 1936). W. Howard Walker died in 1922, at which point his son took charge until his own death in 1936.[2] After the death of the last Walker, the firm was briefly succeeded by Rice & Arnold, the partnership of George H. Rice (1881 – 1945) and Roy F. Arnold (1884 – 1972), both draftsmen in the Walker office. Both retired during the early years of World War II and the firm was finally dissolved.[3][4]
For forty years, the offices of the firm were in the Vaughan Building on Custom House Street, completed by Walker & Gould in 1879. They remained in the building even after it was gutted by fire in 1884, destroying their property.[5] During the year-long reconstruction of the building they were located in the Daniels Building across the street.[6] In 1921 they relocated to Hall's Building on Weybosset Street, where they remained until Arnold dissolved the firm.[7] Throughout the firm's history, it was known for the design of public buildings including state armories, town and city halls and public schools. All of the Walkers had important political connections which enabled them to obtain these commissions. Though never the most important part of their practice, the Walkers also designed churches, private homes, commercial buildings and movie theatres, the latter of which may have grown from their experience with wide-span structures in armories.[2]
Walker family biographies
William Howard Walker | |
|---|---|
 W. Howard Walker, c. 1891 | |
| Born | January 19, 1856 |
| Died | October 19, 1922 (aged 66) |
| Occupation | Architect |
William Russell Walker II | |
|---|---|
| Born | January 28, 1884 Pawtucket, Rhode Island, US |
| Died | September 26, 1936 (aged 52) Providence, Rhode Island, US |
| Occupation | Architect |
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William R. Walker
W. Howard Walker
William Howard Walker (January 19, 1856 – October 19, 1922) was born in Pawtucket, Rhode Island. He was educated in the Pawtucket public schools and at Mowry & Goff's preparatory English and Classical School in Providence before joining his father's office as a student draftsman at the age of 19. After the withdrawal of Thomas J. Gould, his father's partner, he took his place. Between his father's retirement in 1903 and his son's return from Europe in 1911, Walker was sole proprietor of the firm.[8][9]
Walker was married in 1881 to Hattie Boone Newell of Providence. They had three children, including two sons and one daughter. Like his father, Walker was prominent in the Rhode Island militia and in Freemasonry, retiring from the former in 1912 with the rank of Quartermaster General. While a sole proprietor Walker completed the Cranston Street Armory (1907) and designed the Attleboro (1910) and Woonsocket (1912) armories. He was also a member of the American Institute of Architects (AIA), the Rhode Island Philatelic Society, Sons of the American Revolution and the To Kalon Club and served two terms in the Rhode Island House of Representatives. He died at home in Providence at the age of 66 after an illness of ten months.[9][10]
William R. Walker II
William Russell Walker II (January 28, 1884 – September 26, 1936) was born in Pawtucket, Rhode Island. He was educated in the Pawtucket public schools and at Brown University before transferring to the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, from which he graduated in 1910. He then spent a year abroad, studying in a Beaux-Arts atelier in Paris. He returned to Providence in 1911 and joined his father's firm. He became its head after his father's death in 1922. Like his father and grandfather, he continued the firm's focus on institutional work. In 1932 he was chosen by United States Commissioner of Education William John Cooper to be an advisory architect for school construction.[9][11]
Walker was married in 1914 to Jessie Philpott of Providence. They had three children, all daughters. Unlike his father and grandfather, Walker was not affiliated with the state militia, but was prominent in masonic circles. He was also a member of the AIA, the Rhode Island Country Club and the Turks Head Club. He died at home in Providence of a heart attack at the age 52.[11][12][13]
