 |
ARCHITECT/BUILDER; CARPENTER
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
|
|
|
|
printer-friendly version
|
|
Born: c. 1807, Died: 1878 The carpenter, builder, and sometime architect Joseph Singerly first appears in Philadelphia when he offers (September 9 and 16, 1835) sample drawings to The Carpenters' Company for consideration by the committee seeking a teacher for The Company's architectural school. Singerly was not hired; the position was given to one James Weer. That same year he entered the competition for the New York City Halls of Justice and House of Detention (the 'Tombs') with a "plain Gothic or Saxon" design that did not place against <3>John Haviland's successful Egyptian proposal. (Interestingly, the British-born architect Isaac Holden was the only other Philadelphia-based architect besides Singerly and Haviland to enter to Tombs competition.)Singerly appears in the Philadelphia city directories listed as a carpenter in 1837, a title he maintains until 1850 when he is listed as an architect and builder. According to the Public Ledger (July 6, 1846), Singerly had produced more than one hundred buildings in the past year. In 1850-51 he was the builder of the Penn Mutual Life Insurance Company Building (northeast corner of Third and Dock Streets; demolished, 1956) designed by G. P. Cummings with an early cast-iron facade. Singerly's eldest son was William M. Singerly (1832-1898) who became publisher of the Philadelphia Record.
Written by Roger W. Moss.
American Architects and Buildings |
About |
Participating Institutions |
Feedback |
Search |
Login
|