C. C. Kemble
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Charles C. Kemble (b. 1831) was a prominent architect in West Virginia during the mid-to-late 1800s.
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[edit] Biography
Kemble was born in New York around 1831, but little is known about his early life. In 1870, he was living in Wheeling, West Virginia with his wife and two children, running an architectural business under the name of C. C. Kemble.[1] Kemble had apparently left West Virginia by 1880; however he continued to design buildings in the state for several years. There is also evidence that he may have worked out of Philadelphia for a time.
[edit] Attributions
Kemble designed a few of West Virginia's most beautiful buildings, including:
- 1870 - Fourth Street Methodist, Wheeling, West Virginia. (demolished)
- 1874 - Woodburn Hall, West Virginia University Campus, Morgantown, West Virginia.
- 1874 - St. Alphonsus Catholic School, Wheeling, West Virginia.
- 1875 - West Virginia State Building, Centennial Exposition, Philadelphia.
- 1875 - Marshall County Courthouse, Moundsville, West Virginia.
- 1880 - Grand Theatre, Wheeling, West Virginia. (also known as Washington Hall)
- 1882 - Braxton County Courthouse, Sutton, West Virginia.
- 1885 - West Virginia State Capitol, Charleston, West Virginia. (burned & demolished, 1921)
Additionally, it is likely Kemble designed other buildings in the state which have not yet been attributed to him.
Kemble's buildings were designed in a variety of styles, from sedate to elaborately fanciful. The most common architectural style he used was Second Empire, but overall his buildings were eclectic.
Woodburn Hall is the centerpiece of West Virginia University's downtown campus, and is probably Kemble's most memorable structure. It is a stunning example of the Second Empire style. [2]
[edit] References
- ^ 1870 Census of West Virginia
- ^ Chambers, S. Allen, Jr.: "Buildings of West Virginia", Oxford University Press, 2004.
