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Henry Frederick Hornbostel

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Henry Frederick Hornbostel Famous memorial Veteran

Birth
Brooklyn, Delaware County, New York, USA
Death
13 Dec 1961 (aged 94)
Melbourne Beach, Brevard County, Florida, USA
Burial
Harwinton, Litchfield County, Connecticut, USA GPS-Latitude: 41.7743073, Longitude: -73.0604791
Memorial ID
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Architect and Educator. He was an American architect and educator who designed more than 225 buildings, bridges, and monuments in the United States. Twenty-two of his designs are listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

He was born on August 15, 1867, in Brooklyn, New York, the son of Edward H. Hornbostel, a stockbroker who had immigrated from Germany, and Johanna Cassebeer Hornbostel of New York. He attended the private Deeghuee's School, where the headmaster observed his talent for drawing and recommended that he attend the Columbia University School of Mines, where the School of Architecture was developing. He went to Columbia University in New York City in 1887 at age 20, graduating in 1891 with a Bachelor's Degree in Architecture.

In the summers, he worked for DeLemos and Cordes, the architectural firm best remembered for Macy's Department Store. From 1890 to 1894, he also helped out at Wood and Palmer, where he was to become a partner in 1897.

In 1891, he graduated from Columbia at the head of his class. A classmate, Lloyd Warren, was so impressed that he urged him to study further in Paris and even offered to pay his expenses. The Parisian Ecole Des Beaux Arts was regarded as the premiere school of architecture in the world. He attend the Ecole from 1893 to 1897. The training there was a mixture of lectures and assigned design problems. Practicing architects inspected the work in progress. His French classmates called him "le premier American." His facility in sketching put him in demand. In Europe, he first met Pittsburgh's Andrew Carnegie.

He returned to New York in 1897 and entered a partnership with George E. Wood and George Carnegie Palmer. At the same time, he freelanced with many architectural firms including McKim, Mead, and White; Carrere and Hastings; and George B. Post. During this time, he was an instructor of design at Columbia, his alma mater, a position he held until 1903. He was given an honorary Master of Arts from Columbia in 1910. In 1902, he was appointed architect to the New York City Department of Bridges, where he worked with engineer Gustav Lindenthal. Between 1903 and 1917, he was responsible for the architecture of the Queensboro, Manhattan, Pelham Park, and Hell Gate bridges, spans for both automobiles and trains. His masterpiece, the Penn Central Hell Gate viaduct, is considered by many to be one of the most beautiful railway bridges in the world.

In 1904, Palmer and Hornbostel won a competition for the design of a new campus for Pittsburgh's Carnegie Institute of Technology (later Carnegie Mellon University), a Beaux-Arts design. He convinced Andrew Carnegie, his patron, to hire him as a professor in a new School of Design at the university, allowing him the time and latitude to perfect his design over decades. The result is a distinctive classical campus. Immediately after he built the first part of Carnegie Technical Institute in Pittsburgh in 1905, he founded its Department of Architecture. He was head of the department from 1905 until 1917 and was associated with the department until 1937. At the same time he was designing Carnegie Tech, he was working on designs for the University of Pittsburgh, Soldiers and Sailors Memorial, and Rodef Shalom Synagogue. He would continue to design apartments and other buildings in the Oakland area of Pittsburgh for the next two decades.

Through 1911, he had won nearly all of his works in competition against nationally-ranked architects. Some of his contemporaries claimed that he won more consecutive competitions than any other architect of his time. He won nearly half of the more than 30 competitions he entered.

A joiner, he was a member of the American Institute of Architects, the Society of Beaux-Arts Architects (which he founded in New York City in 1898), the Duquesne Club (an elite club in Pittsburgh), the Pittsburgh Architectural Club, the Pittsburgh Chamber of Commerce, the American Legion, and the Society of Officers of the World War.

When the United States entered World War I in 1917, he joined the Army and became a "gas officer" in the 26th Division. He took part in the Argonne Offensive, although his role was not recorded. We do know that he won the right to keep his beard, carry a cane, and that, for the rest of his life, he was entitled to call himself Major. From the Pittsburgh Daily Post, December 30, 1918: "Major Henry Horbostel of the chemical warfare service....now on the water and expected to be home shortly."

In 1920, he finally moved to Pittsburgh and, by 1924, he was living in the Schenley Apartments (which he helped design) in the Oakland neighborhood (home to the University of Pittsburgh and Carnegie Tech). He drove a Packard convertible, with his pet Collie often in the front seat. He was also involved in planning with the state of Pennsylvania and was the first chair of Pittsburgh's Art Commission. The Depression led to the decline in his practice, but he and his wife stayed on in the Schenley Apartments. He had met Martha Armitage in New York and married her in 1899. They had two sons, Lloyd (named for his good friend Lloyd Warren) and Caleb, who became a well-known architect. Martha died in Henry's arms in 1931, without knowing that he had lost much of their money in the Depression.

In 1932, he married Mabelle Weston, a teacher at Peabody High School in Pittsburgh. From 1936-1939, he was the Allegheny County Director of Parks. In 1939, at 72 years of age, he retired with Mabel to a 150-acre farm in Harwinton, Connecticut. They purchased a 1819 Greek Revival house called "The Elms." He took up vegetable gardening. He and Mabelle became members of the Harwinton Congregational Church, located on the square across from their house. Around 1952, they moved to Melbourne Beach, Florida, where they lived in a Modern house, his last design. He continued to be active.

Toward the end of his life, his birthdays were held in a country club to allow enough room for guests. Many people visited his Florida home and he took pride in showing them his "Treasure House," a garage-type building filled with artwork from his world travels plus his architectural drawings and photographs. He died on December 14, 1961, in Melbourne Beach.

He had a New York residence for more than 50 years, but he constructed far more buildings in Pittsburgh than in New York or any of the other cities where he built. Out of 228 designs nationwide that are associated with him, 110 were for Pittsburgh. Not all of his designs were realized. As of 2002, 51 of his buildings remained in the Pittsburgh area. His buildings form the main campus of Carnegie Mellon University, which is committed to their restoration. Nationwide, he designed significant structures in New York City (Hell Gate and Queensboro Bridges) and Albany, New York; Hartford (Municipal Building), Connecticut; Atlanta, Georgia; Evanston, Illinois; Cedar Rapids, Iowa; and Oakland (Oakland City Hall) and Santa Barbara, California. In 2000, 13 buildings at Carnegie Mellon University were awarded Historic Landmark plaques by the Pittsburgh History and Landmarks Foundation. Seven other of his Pittsburgh buildings were also awarded plaques, including Rodef Shalom Synagogue, Smithfield United Church, and Soldiers and Sailors Memorial Hall. In 2002, the first, and perhaps only, book on his life and works, "Henry Hornbostel, An Architect's Master Touch," was written by Walter C. Kidney, architectural historian for the Pittsburgh History and Landmarks Foundation.
Architect and Educator. He was an American architect and educator who designed more than 225 buildings, bridges, and monuments in the United States. Twenty-two of his designs are listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

He was born on August 15, 1867, in Brooklyn, New York, the son of Edward H. Hornbostel, a stockbroker who had immigrated from Germany, and Johanna Cassebeer Hornbostel of New York. He attended the private Deeghuee's School, where the headmaster observed his talent for drawing and recommended that he attend the Columbia University School of Mines, where the School of Architecture was developing. He went to Columbia University in New York City in 1887 at age 20, graduating in 1891 with a Bachelor's Degree in Architecture.

In the summers, he worked for DeLemos and Cordes, the architectural firm best remembered for Macy's Department Store. From 1890 to 1894, he also helped out at Wood and Palmer, where he was to become a partner in 1897.

In 1891, he graduated from Columbia at the head of his class. A classmate, Lloyd Warren, was so impressed that he urged him to study further in Paris and even offered to pay his expenses. The Parisian Ecole Des Beaux Arts was regarded as the premiere school of architecture in the world. He attend the Ecole from 1893 to 1897. The training there was a mixture of lectures and assigned design problems. Practicing architects inspected the work in progress. His French classmates called him "le premier American." His facility in sketching put him in demand. In Europe, he first met Pittsburgh's Andrew Carnegie.

He returned to New York in 1897 and entered a partnership with George E. Wood and George Carnegie Palmer. At the same time, he freelanced with many architectural firms including McKim, Mead, and White; Carrere and Hastings; and George B. Post. During this time, he was an instructor of design at Columbia, his alma mater, a position he held until 1903. He was given an honorary Master of Arts from Columbia in 1910. In 1902, he was appointed architect to the New York City Department of Bridges, where he worked with engineer Gustav Lindenthal. Between 1903 and 1917, he was responsible for the architecture of the Queensboro, Manhattan, Pelham Park, and Hell Gate bridges, spans for both automobiles and trains. His masterpiece, the Penn Central Hell Gate viaduct, is considered by many to be one of the most beautiful railway bridges in the world.

In 1904, Palmer and Hornbostel won a competition for the design of a new campus for Pittsburgh's Carnegie Institute of Technology (later Carnegie Mellon University), a Beaux-Arts design. He convinced Andrew Carnegie, his patron, to hire him as a professor in a new School of Design at the university, allowing him the time and latitude to perfect his design over decades. The result is a distinctive classical campus. Immediately after he built the first part of Carnegie Technical Institute in Pittsburgh in 1905, he founded its Department of Architecture. He was head of the department from 1905 until 1917 and was associated with the department until 1937. At the same time he was designing Carnegie Tech, he was working on designs for the University of Pittsburgh, Soldiers and Sailors Memorial, and Rodef Shalom Synagogue. He would continue to design apartments and other buildings in the Oakland area of Pittsburgh for the next two decades.

Through 1911, he had won nearly all of his works in competition against nationally-ranked architects. Some of his contemporaries claimed that he won more consecutive competitions than any other architect of his time. He won nearly half of the more than 30 competitions he entered.

A joiner, he was a member of the American Institute of Architects, the Society of Beaux-Arts Architects (which he founded in New York City in 1898), the Duquesne Club (an elite club in Pittsburgh), the Pittsburgh Architectural Club, the Pittsburgh Chamber of Commerce, the American Legion, and the Society of Officers of the World War.

When the United States entered World War I in 1917, he joined the Army and became a "gas officer" in the 26th Division. He took part in the Argonne Offensive, although his role was not recorded. We do know that he won the right to keep his beard, carry a cane, and that, for the rest of his life, he was entitled to call himself Major. From the Pittsburgh Daily Post, December 30, 1918: "Major Henry Horbostel of the chemical warfare service....now on the water and expected to be home shortly."

In 1920, he finally moved to Pittsburgh and, by 1924, he was living in the Schenley Apartments (which he helped design) in the Oakland neighborhood (home to the University of Pittsburgh and Carnegie Tech). He drove a Packard convertible, with his pet Collie often in the front seat. He was also involved in planning with the state of Pennsylvania and was the first chair of Pittsburgh's Art Commission. The Depression led to the decline in his practice, but he and his wife stayed on in the Schenley Apartments. He had met Martha Armitage in New York and married her in 1899. They had two sons, Lloyd (named for his good friend Lloyd Warren) and Caleb, who became a well-known architect. Martha died in Henry's arms in 1931, without knowing that he had lost much of their money in the Depression.

In 1932, he married Mabelle Weston, a teacher at Peabody High School in Pittsburgh. From 1936-1939, he was the Allegheny County Director of Parks. In 1939, at 72 years of age, he retired with Mabel to a 150-acre farm in Harwinton, Connecticut. They purchased a 1819 Greek Revival house called "The Elms." He took up vegetable gardening. He and Mabelle became members of the Harwinton Congregational Church, located on the square across from their house. Around 1952, they moved to Melbourne Beach, Florida, where they lived in a Modern house, his last design. He continued to be active.

Toward the end of his life, his birthdays were held in a country club to allow enough room for guests. Many people visited his Florida home and he took pride in showing them his "Treasure House," a garage-type building filled with artwork from his world travels plus his architectural drawings and photographs. He died on December 14, 1961, in Melbourne Beach.

He had a New York residence for more than 50 years, but he constructed far more buildings in Pittsburgh than in New York or any of the other cities where he built. Out of 228 designs nationwide that are associated with him, 110 were for Pittsburgh. Not all of his designs were realized. As of 2002, 51 of his buildings remained in the Pittsburgh area. His buildings form the main campus of Carnegie Mellon University, which is committed to their restoration. Nationwide, he designed significant structures in New York City (Hell Gate and Queensboro Bridges) and Albany, New York; Hartford (Municipal Building), Connecticut; Atlanta, Georgia; Evanston, Illinois; Cedar Rapids, Iowa; and Oakland (Oakland City Hall) and Santa Barbara, California. In 2000, 13 buildings at Carnegie Mellon University were awarded Historic Landmark plaques by the Pittsburgh History and Landmarks Foundation. Seven other of his Pittsburgh buildings were also awarded plaques, including Rodef Shalom Synagogue, Smithfield United Church, and Soldiers and Sailors Memorial Hall. In 2002, the first, and perhaps only, book on his life and works, "Henry Hornbostel, An Architect's Master Touch," was written by Walter C. Kidney, architectural historian for the Pittsburgh History and Landmarks Foundation.

Bio by: Angela



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  • Maintained by: Find a Grave
  • Originally Created by: C Greer
  • Added: Jul 30, 2010
  • Find a Grave Memorial ID:
  • Find a Grave, database and images (https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/55640840/henry_frederick-hornbostel: accessed ), memorial page for Henry Frederick Hornbostel (15 Aug 1867–13 Dec 1961), Find a Grave Memorial ID 55640840, citing North Cemetery, Harwinton, Litchfield County, Connecticut, USA; Maintained by Find a Grave.