by Ben Nadire, Martha Bangs and Elizabeth Daigle
The Castle
by Ben Nadire, Martha Bangs and Elizabeth Daigle
“The Castle at Noble and Greenough School is an architectual treasure...”
-Guy Altree, former N&G student
Join us to see what Guy is talking about!
Castle History, Guy Altree
Henry Hobson Richardson, Architect
Tour of the Castle, Summercore ‘97 Project
John Paine, N & G History Teacher took the Summercore group on a walking tour of the castle. We listened to him for over 33 minutes!
THE CASTLE: A GREAT HOUSE OF THE GILDED AGE
The Castle at Noble and Greenough School is an architectural treasure, which does not receive the attention it deserves. This building is a magnificent left-over of the Gilded Age. By considering the luxury, size, and design of The Castle, we gain an insight into some of the values which shaped our civilization in a critical stage of its development.
The Castle is an important example of the work, philosophy and achievement of the greatest American architect of the 19th century perhaps the greatest of our history Henry Hobson Richardson. The actual design of The Castle was the work of Richardson's architectural office, specifically the work of his students Shepley, Rutan, and Coolidge, since Richardson died in 1886 just before the preliminary plans were drawn. Nonetheless, Richardsonian ideals and values inspired the building of The Castle, and we can truly say it is his creation.
Russell Sturgis, a distinguished architect and historian of 19th century building, says of The Castle in the Architectural Record, (July 1896):
"In the whole of this large mansion of unusual plan and varied character of design, there are details demanding most careful study. No private dwellings is more worthy to form the subject of a detailed monograph than this.”
This paper is a discussion of a great house of the Gilded
Age and the men who made it and of what it can tell us of the history of our country.
The post-Civil War period was a time of transition in America. The nation was moving from the countryside into the cities. With the development of new technologies, the agrarian method of pro-
duction was taken over by cheaper, more efficient machine-age production. New industries were born, such as steel, oil, communications, and railroads. A great deal of money was made. Many fortunes were established. This was the time of the great "robber barons".
At this time there was much building to be done, and architecture became a vital field. Economic activities demanded new kinds of architecture, new materials and new forms of building. Warehouses, railroad stations and factories were suddenly needed. Few architects were able to get a grasp of the situation, because of their lack of training and experience. When they could invent no style of their own, they borrowed models from Europe.
At first Greek Revival was used, then Gothic, Renaissance and Second Empire revivals were tried out. American traditional architecture gradually disintegrated. American architects copied in a confused way without a clear understanding of the styles they were using or the needs of the times. Sometimes they put opposite styles into the same building. American architecture was in an incoherent state at the time Richardson began his career. The opportunity was great, and he was prepared by training, class background , and talent to seize the opportunity of the times.
Unlike his fellow architects, Richardson was superbly trained. From, Harvard University, he had gone to Paris where he attended L'Ecole des Beaux Arts for a six-year apprenticeship, a unique experience then for an American. Because the Civil War cut off funds from his parents, Richardson also worked for prominent French architects as a paid assistant. He was employed by the French government in such projects as the renovation of the Tuileries. This work gave him much practical experience. From his French experience he learned the importance of industry, discipline, tradition, respect for order and logic.
Richardson's personality and temperament suited the times. He was a vivacious and energetic man. He had the ability to find the center of a problem and solve it. He was a do-er and not a theorist. He always said, “Patience makes draughtsmen--not architects." This attitude appealed to industrialists. Practical men respected his "know-how". He had a love for the good life. He was famous for his bright yellow vests and his capacity for champagne. He always did things in a big way. His personality gave Richardson an instinctive liking, for the grand and the massive.
