George Henri Desmond (commonly known as G. Henri Desmond; February 22, 1874 – July 3, 1965) was an American architect from Watertown, Massachusetts. He designed several notable buildings, including the expanded Maine State House in Augusta, Maine,[1] and the Fidelity Trust Building in Portland, Maine.[2]
George Henri Desmond | |
|---|---|
 Desmond pictured around 1916 | |
| Born | February 22, 1874 Watertown, Massachusetts, U.S. |
| Died | July 3, 1965 (aged 91) Marblehead Neck, Massachusetts, U.S. |
| Nationality | American |
| Occupation | Architect |
| Buildings | Fidelity Trust Building |
Early life
editDesmond was born in Watertown, Massachusetts, in 1874, to Dennis Desmond and Mary Ann Fennell. He was educated in the Boston public schools.[1]
Career
edit
In 1910, Desmond designed the Fidelity Trust Building in Portland, Maine, which was the state's first skyscraper.[2] Hugo Kuehne was a draftsman for Desmond.
Desmond was partner in the firm of Desmond & Lord, which he established with Israel P. Lord in 1912.[3] Their office was at 15 Beacon Street,[3] which was the former home of Codman and Despradelle. The vacancy came about after the death of Désiré Despradelle.[3]
In 1916, he was also working for the Boston Park Department.[1]
The Desmond & Lord office moved to 1 Beacon Street in 1928, then to 6 Beacon Street.[1]
Both Desmond and Lord had retired by 1961, but their business continued into the 1970s.[1]
Notable works
editDesmond was the architect for the below structures:[3]
- Point Shirley Club, Winthrop, Massachusetts (1908)
- Chelsea Trust Company Building, Chelsea, Massachusetts (1908)
- Maine State House (expansion), Augusta, Maine (1909)
- Fidelity Trust Building, Portland, Maine (1909)
- Portland High School, Portland, Maine (in association with Miller & Mayo;[4] 1915)
Personal life
editIn 1903, Desmond married Maud Vasti Hollis, a native of New York, with whom he had one child: son George Henri Desmond Jr. The family lived at the corner of Braemore Road and Commonwealth Avenue in Boston, in a house which Desmond designed.[1] Desmond became a widower in 1938, but it is not known if he remarried.
He was a member of the Boston Art Club, Boston Real Estate Exchange, the Point Shirley Club and the Cumberland Club in Portland, Maine.[1]
Death
editAfter retiring, Desmond moved to Marblehead Neck, Massachusetts. He died in Salem, Massachusetts, in 1965 at the age of 91. He was interred in Mount Auburn Cemetery in Cambridge, Massachusetts.
See also
editReferences
edit- ^ a b c d e f g Bacon, Edwin M. (Edwin Monroe) (1916). The book of Boston : fifty years' recollections of the New England metropolis. Boston Public Library. Boston, Mass. : Book of Boston Co.
- ^ a b "Fidelity Trust Building, Portland, ca. 1910". Maine Memory Network. Retrieved 2024-04-16.
- ^ a b c d "Desmond & Lord". MIT Museum. Retrieved 2024-04-16.
- ^ American Contractor 29 April 1916: 52. Chicago.