LaPierre, Litchfield & Partners was a major 20th-century architectural firm headquartered in Manhattan, New York, United States. The firm was best known for designing modernist civic institutions & facilities throughout the United States and abroad. It was especially active within the New York metropolitan area.
| LaPierre, Litchfield & Partners | |
|---|---|
| Practice information | |
| Founded | 1954 |
| Dissolved | 1970s |
| Location | New York City |
| Significant works and honors | |
| Buildings | Drew University Great Neck South High School Lebanon Correctional Institution The Wheatley School |
Description
editThe firm was founded in 1954 by architects Frank Bower, Gannett Herwig, Lester S. LaPierre, Clarence B. Litchfield, and Ben John Small – all five of whom were formerly associates with the firm of Alfred Hopkins & Associates.[1][2] Following Alfred Hopkins' death in 1941, LaPierre and Litchfield took over, with the firm continuing to operate under the Hopkins & Associates name until 1954 – at which time LaPierre, Litchfield & Partners was founded as its successor.[1][3]
Throughout the firm's existence, it designed scores of schools, hospitals, prisons, and other major institutions & facilities – in addition to commercial buildings and over 2,000 public housing units.[1][4][5][6] The firm also designed numerous federal facilities – including multiple VA hospitals.[1][2] It was known for being a pioneer in modernist architecture, as well as for its civic & military buildings – including for work at the United States Merchant Marine Academy in Kings Point, New York.[2][5][7] It was also known for its prison designs, with Litchfield being regarded as one of the nation's leading prison architects.[7]
In 1966, Gannett Herwig, one of the firm's founding partners, died.[2] At the time, the firm was headquartered at 8 West 40th Street in Manhattan.[2]
The firm dissolved in the 1970s, in the midst of an economic downturn.[1]
Notable works
edit- Drew University (Madison, New Jersey, 1955)[1][8][9]
- Great Neck South Middle–High School (Lake Success, New York, 1956)[10]
- The Wheatley School (Old Westbury, New York, c. 1956)[11]
- Lebanon Correctional Institution (Lebanon, Ohio, 1957)[1]
- James T. Vaughn Correctional Center (Smyrna, Delaware, 1970)[1]
See also
editReferences
edit- ^ a b c d e f g h "LaPierre, Litchfield and Partners". Queens Modern. Retrieved 2024-08-17.
- ^ a b c d e "GANNETT HERWIG, 69, ARCHITECT, IS DEAD". The New York Times. 1966-04-21. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2024-08-17.
- ^ "LaPierre, Litchfield & Partners - AIA Historical Directory of American Architects - Confluence". aiahistoricaldirectory.atlassian.net. Retrieved 2024-08-17.
- ^ Ennis, Thomas W. (1956-12-16). "'FORTRESS' BANKS GET MODERN LOOK; Light and Airy Structures Replace Old Buildings-- Customers Increase NEW DESIGNS CUT COSTS Outmoded Classical Buildings Waste Space and Cause Heating Problems Costs Have Risen 'FORTRESS' BANKS GET MODERN LOOK". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2024-08-17.
- ^ a b Buder, Leonard (1956-12-16). "New Schools of Thought: Modern Trend in Education Is Reflected in Buildings Themselves; SOMBER SCHOOLS ARE DISAPPEARING Modern Building Replacing Institutions That Looked More Like Prisons An Emergency Situation SOMBER SCHOOLS ARE DISAPPEARING". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2024-08-17.
- ^ Forgeron, Harry V. (1966-01-30). "New Prisons Bar Aura of Punishment; PRISON DESIGNS TAKE ON NEW LOOK Architects Are Trying New Methods and Layouts PRISON DESIGNS TAKE ON NEW LOOK". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2024-08-17.
- ^ a b Goodwin, Michael (1981-05-17). "C.B. LITCHFIELD DIES; ARCHITECT RENOWNED AS DESIGNER OF PRISONS". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2024-08-17.
- ^ Times, Special to The New York (1957-04-15). "BEN JOHN SMALL, ARCHITECT, DIES; Authority on Specifications and Materials Worked on Installations at Thule Studied at Beaux Arts". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2024-08-17.
- ^ "LaPierre, Litchfield and Partners – Drew University, Madison NJ". Queens Modern. Retrieved 2024-08-17.
- ^ "L. I. SCHOOLS DEDICATED; 2 Buildings at Great Neck Cost Total of $9,205,000". The New York Times. 1958-11-03. Retrieved 2024-08-19.
- ^ Buder, Leonard (1956-12-23). "Modern Schools Are Built to Fit Child Emotionally and Physcially; 'Candy Stick School' Increases the Youngsters' Appetite for Learning". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2024-08-17.