Edward Sargent

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Edward A. Sargent (1842 - 1914) was an American Architect.

[edit] Biography

Born Ebenezer Alfred Sargent, November 1st 1842 in Hastings, England. He later changed the Ebenezer to Edward. In the 1860's he emigrated to New York. He attended Union Cooper College. He worked as a delineator for Fredrick Olmstead in the designs for Central Park. He made the plans for the 9th Armory, constructed the country home Lindenhurst for John Wanamaker at Philadelphia, he was the architect for four public schools and 800 private houses. He designed many 19th century office buildings, hospitals, schools and residences. He received favourable comments in England for his acting abilities before migrating to the USA in 1866/7. His fondness for acting was carried into his home at Fiedler's Park, Staten Island, NY where he built a small stage for the benefit of his children. Married Mary Doubleday niece of Abner Doubleday. He also worked for George Post (who built the first building to have an elevator). He was the delineator of the Corn Exchange Building and the Protestant Welfare building on Park Avenue.

[edit] Works

Sargent designed and constructed the 9th Regiment Armory on 14th Street Manhattan. He won the competition for the design of the new armory which was held in 1894. The proposal was a joint effort by the firm of WE Cable and EA Sargent and was selected from nineteen bids.

Known as E A Sargent , he design 100s of large and medium sized residences in the metropolitan New York area. He also designed a mansion for John W Wanamaker in Pennsylvania. Also “Anchorage,” a shingle style summer mansion which had been built by one of the Brevoort descendants in the 1880s. The Anchorage was designed by the New York firm of E. A. Sargent & Co., the architects of the original American Yacht Club clubhouse on Milton Point (ref www.ryehistoricalsociety.org).

Designed the 1st THE AMERICAN YACHT CLUB Rye, New York 1888 ,On June 16, 1888, came the Grand Formal Opening of the new clubhouse for men only. Ladies were allowed to come to the informal opening a week later. Soon four-in-hands and their horns were familiar sights and sounds on the road leading to the Club, while large yachts came and went to the blasts of guns in salute and the lowering or raising of the Captains' gigs. Usually members from New York came by train to Harrison or Rye where they hired a public hack for the rest of the trip. But the hack drivers got very "unreasonable'" they wanted 50 cents for the ride. So the Club bought its own white percherons and coaches, and members made the trip for 20 cents, thus saving money to pay expenses on their yachts. On gala weekends it was not uncommon to see 20 coaches along the semi-circular fence on the club grounds, while surreys, dog carts, station wagons, and other equipages were housed in the club shed. On July 27, 1951, the three story frame building burned to the ground, despite the efforts of firemen from four adjoining towns. One brick chimney was all that was left.One of the many churches designed by Sargent is the former Cuyler Presbyterian Church is located in the Boerum Hill neighborhood of northwestern Brooklyn, Kings County, New York. Designed by Staten Island architect Edward A. Sargent, the building is an example of High Victorian Eclectic design with elements of both Gothic and Romanesque styles of architecture.

Other churches designed by Sargent are in West Orange ,NJ, the AME Zion Church in Harlem. Many residential homes still exist. The St George Historic district on Staten Island is also notable for the large number of works from this era designed by Staten Island architect Edward Alfred Sargent. Examples of Sargent's work within the district include the houses at 103, 115, 119, and 125 St. Marks Place, dating from c. 1890, which show the influence of the Shingle style. No. 103 was built for banker Frederick L. Rodewald, while Nos. 115 and 119 were built for Vernon Brown, a shipping agent for Cunard Lines. No. 1-5 St. Marks Place (c. 1887-91) and No. 27 St. Mark's Place (1906) are also documented as having been designed by Sargent. He also designed homes in Norwalk, CT, New Rochelle, NY (large tract development),West Orange, NJ, Nyack, NY, Mamaroneck, NY, Fordam and many other towns.

[edit] References

  • Newspaper articles :,E A Sargent's N.Y Times Obituary 1914, Mrs. Mary Doubleday Sargent's NY Times Obituary 1912
  • http://www.nps.gov/history/nr/feature/indian/2001/cuyler.htm
  • Sargent, E. A., editor In aid of the building fund of Tompkins lodge no. 471 F. & A. M. at the German club rooms, Stapleton, Staten island .../Sargent, E. A., ed. Stapleton [N.Y.] Pub. by Tompkins lodge, 1895. 2 p.l., 3-32 p. illus. (incl. facsim.) 15 x 31 cm. Staten Island. Chamber of commerce. By-laws...adopted July 16, 1895. [1895] 1 v. cm.
  • Year Book of the Architectural League of New York, and Catalogue of the ..., by Architectural League of New York - 1887
  • The American Architect from the Colonial Era to the Present - Page 114, by Cecil D. Elliott - Architecture - 2002 -
  • Staten Island: Isle of the Bay - Page 115, by Margaret Lundrigan - History - 2004 -
  • New York's Historic Armories: An Illustrated History - Page 145, by Nancy L. Todd - History - 2006 -
  • Guide to New York City Landmarks By Matthew A. Postal, Andrew S. Dolkart page 340 Public School 15
  • From Abyssinian to Zion: A Guide to Manhattan's Houses of Worship By David W. Dunlap 2004 page 148
  • Proceedings of the American Metrological Society - Page 44, by American Metrological Society - 1880
  • NY Times March 4, 1894 9th Regiment Armory
  • NY Times August 19 1903 AME Zion Church
  • NY Times may 27 1912 obituary Mrs Edward Sargent
  • NY Tines February 26, 1914, obituary Edward Sargent