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William Bunker Tubby
William Bunker Tubby
Born1858
Des Moines, Iowa
Died1944
OccupationArchitect
Known forPratt family residences, Pratt Institute Library, Old Nassau County Courthouse
Old Nassau County Courthouse
House designed by Tubby for William H. Childs (inventor of Bon Ami Cleaning Powder) on Prospect Park West in Brooklyn New York. Now an Ethical Culture Society building.
Pratt Institute's Library

William Bunker Tubby (21 August 1858 – 1944) was an American architect who was particularly notable for his work in New York City.

Tubby was born in Des Moines, Iowa, and graduated from Brooklyn Polytechnic Institute in 1875.[1] He worked in the architectural offices of Ebenezer L. Roberts until beginning his own firm in 1883. Continuing this practice until his retirement in 1942, Tubby became a major New York architect. He created important buildings in a variety of styles, and was especially known for his Romanesque and Dutch Revival-style designs.

The house that Tubby designed for Charles Millard Pratt at 241 Clinton Avenue (1893, located in Brooklyn's Clinton Hill Historic District) is one of the city's finest examples of Romanesque Revival architecture. His creativity and expertise can also be seen in several other Brooklyn homes: the neo-Jacobean Brooklyn Society for Ethical Culture Meeting House, the Romanesque Revival style home at 234 Lincoln Place, the Queen Anne style row at 864-872 Carroll Street, the residences of Brooklyn mayors at 405 Clinton Avenue, and the Dutch Revival house at 43 Willow Street, which Tubby himself occupied.

His institutional designs include Pratt Institute's Student Union from 1887, the Romanesque Revival style South Hall for Pratt Institute in 1892 (designated New York City Landmark), the Renaissance Revival style library building for the Pratt Institute (1896, a designated New York City Landmark), the Romanesque Revival style 83rd Police Precinct House in Brooklyn (1894–95), a designated New York Landmark) and the Flemish Revival style Wallabout Market (demolished) which was once the second-largest market in the world. As a member of the Architects' Advisory Commission for the Brooklyn Carnegie Libraries, Tubby designed five library buildings.

Outside of New York City, Tubby created designs for banks, churches, libraries, hospitals and large estates throughout the Northeast, including Waveny House in New Canaan, Connecticut, and Dunnellen Hall in Greenwich, Connecticut.[2] The Roslyn National Bank and Trust Company Building at Roslyn, New York, was built in 1931.[3]

Tubby lived in Brooklyn Heights at 43 Willow Street before retiring to Greenwich in his later life. A member of the Brooklyn Guild Association, he taught architecture at the Brooklyn Polytechnic Institute.

List of works

The following table presents an incomplete list of buildings designed by William Tubby, focusing on those that are extant or for which there is adequate documentation of their style. Note that most addresses link to Google Street View images of the buildings.

Name Completed Style Image Address (Google Maps link) Location Original use Present use Designations and references
124 Willow Street House 1885 Eclectic-Flemish Renaissance Revival 124 Willow St. Brooklyn, NY 1831 townhouse remodeled by Tubby[4] Private residence Brooklyn Heights Historic District[5]
864-872 Carroll Street houses 1887 Queen Anne 864-872 Carroll Street Brooklyn, NY Private residence Private residence Park Slope Historic District[6]
286A-290 Vanderbilt Ave. houses 1889 Romanesque Revival 286A-290 Vanderbilt Ave. Brooklyn, NY Private residence Private residence Fort Greene Historic District[7]
234 Lincoln Place House 1889 Romanesque Revival 234 Lincoln Place Brooklyn, NY Private residence Private residence Park Slope Historic District[6]
Charles A. Schieren House 1889 Romanesque Revival/Queen Anne 405 Clinton Ave. Brooklyn, NY Private residence Private residence Clinton Hill Historic District[8]
William B. Tubby House 1890? Dutch Colonial Revival 43 Willow St. Brooklyn, NY Private residence Private residence Brooklyn Heights Historic District[5][9]
Pratt Institute South Hall 1891 Renaissance Revival 215 Ryerson Street Brooklyn, NY High school University NYC Landmark[10]
1-15 Adams Street Factory 1891 Romanesque Revival 2 John St. Brooklyn, NY Factory Industrial DUMBO Historic District[11]
179-183 St. James Place houses 1892 Romanesque Revival/Queen Anne 179-183 St. James Place Brooklyn, NY Private residence Private residence Clinton Hill Historic District[8]
Charles Millard Pratt House 1893 Romanesque Revival 241 Clinton Ave. Brooklyn, NY Private residence Brooklyn RC archbishop's residence Clinton Hill Historic District[8]
Charles Millard Pratt's Carriage House 1893? Romanesque Revival 261 Vanderbilt Avenue Brooklyn, NY Carriage house Apartments None[8]
John Thatcher House 1894 French Renaissance Revival 674 10th St. Brooklyn, NY Private residence Private residence Park Slope Historic District[6]
129-135 Cambridge Place houses 1894 Queen Anne 129-135 Cambridge Place Brooklyn, NY Private residence Private residence Clinton Hill Historic District[8]
83rd Precinct Police Station and Stable 1894 Romanesque Revival 179 Wilson Avenue Brooklyn, NY Police precinct Police precinct NYC Landmark,[12] National Register of Historic Places[13]
50-52 Bridge Street Factory 1895 American Round Arch 50 Bridge Street Brooklyn, NY Factory Residential/commercial DUMBO Historic District[11]
Wallabout Market 1896 Dutch Colonial Revival 219 Flushing Avenue Brooklyn, NY Wholesale market Demolished 1941 to build Navy Yard None[14]
Pratt Institute Library 1896 Renaissance Revival 224-228 Ryerson Street Brooklyn, NY University University NYC Landmark[15]
American Thread Building 1896 Renaissance Revival 260 West Broadway New York, NY Warehouse Residential lofts National Register of Historic Places[16]
Old Jamaica High School 1897 Dutch Colonial Revival 162-02 Hillside Ave. Jamaica, NY Public school Public school NYC Landmark[17]
194-200 Court Street apartment houses 1898 Renaissance Revival 194-200 Court Street Brooklyn, NY Apartments & Retail Apartments/retail Cobble Hill Historic District[18]
Maxwelton (estate) 1898? Water tower 3 Whitney Circle Glen Cove, NY Stable for estate Only water tower from stable designed by Tubby is extant on residential property None[19]
Old Nassau County Courthouse 1901 Classical Revival 1550 Franklin Ave. Garden City, NY Government Government National Register of Historic Places[20]
William H. Childs House 1901 Neo-Jacobean 53 Prospect Park West Brooklyn, NY Private residence Brooklyn Society for Ethical Culture Park Slope Historic District[6]
Old Brooklyn Friends School 1902 Classical Revival 112 Schermerhorn St. Brooklyn, NY Private school Public school National Register of Historic Places[21]
187-195 Waverly Ave. garages 1904 187-195 Waverly Ave. Brooklyn, NY Garages Private residence None[22]
DeKalb Library 1905 Classical Revival 790 Bushwick Avenue Brooklyn, NY Library Library NYC Landmark[23]
Leonard Library 1908 Classical Revival 81 Devoe St. Brooklyn, NY Library Library None[24]
231-233 Front Street Factory 1908 Commercial 231 Front Street Brooklyn, NY Factory Commercial Vinegar Hill Historic District[25]
Ernest G. Draper House 1910 Italian Provincial Revival 61 Prospect Park West Brooklyn, NY Private residence Private residence Park Slope Historic District[6]
Waveny House 1912 Tudor Revival 677 South Avenue New Canaan, CT Private residence Municipally-owned event venue None[26]
Stone Avenue Library 1914 Neo-Jacobean 581 Mother Gaston Boulevard Brooklyn, NY Public library Public library None[27]
Dunnellen Hall 1918 Neo-Jacobean 521 Round Hill Road Greenwich, CT Private residence Private residence None[28]
William Tubby Jr. Residence 1918? Greenwich, CT Private residence Precise location and status of this work is not known None[29]
Wexford Hall 1929 Tudor Revival 521 Round Hill Road New Canaan, CT Private residence Private residence None[30]
Roslyn National Bank and Trust Company Building 1931 Classical Revival Roslyn, NY Bank Retail National Register of Historic Places[31]

References

  1. ^ Christopher Gray, "On Speed-Dial Before Speed-Dial", New York Times, March 28, 2013.
  2. ^ Waveny ca. 1925-2000. Garden Club of America Collection.
  3. ^ Mark Peckham (February 1986). "National Register of Historic Places Registration: Roslyn National Bank and Trust Company Building". New York State Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation. Retrieved 2010-10-30.
  4. ^ "Qfwfq Reports: BHA House Tour 2011". Brooklyn Heights Blog. Retrieved 5 January 2015.
  5. ^ a b "Brooklyn Heights Historic District Designation Report" (PDF). New York City Landmarks Preservation Commission. Retrieved 5 January 2015.
  6. ^ a b c d e "Park Slope Historic District Designation Report" (PDF). New York City Landmarks Preservation Commission. Retrieved 5 January 2015.
  7. ^ "Fort Greene Historic District Designation Report" (PDF). New York City Landmarks Preservation Commission. Retrieved 5 January 2015.
  8. ^ a b c d e "Clinton Hill Historic District Designation Report" (PDF). New York City Landmarks Preservation Commission. Retrieved 5 January 2015.
  9. ^ "Walkabout: William B. Tubby, part 2". Brownstoner.com. Brownstoner Media LLC.
  10. ^ "Pratt Institute Main Building including attached South Hall and Memorial Hall (designation report)" (PDF). New York City Landmarks Preservation Commission. Retrieved 5 January 2015.
  11. ^ a b "DUMBO Historic District Designation Report" (PDF). New York City Landmarks Preservation Commission. Retrieved 5 January 2015.
  12. ^ "83rd Precinct Police Station and Stable (designation report)" (PDF). New York City Landmarks Preservation Commission. Retrieved 5 January 2015.
  13. ^ "83rd Precinct Police Station (nomination form)". US Dept. of the Interior, National Park Service.
  14. ^ "Wallabout Market". Retrieved 5 January 2015.
  15. ^ "Pratt Institute Library (designation report)" (PDF). New York City Landmarks Preservation Commission. Retrieved 5 January 2015.
  16. ^ "American Thread Building (National Register of Historic Places registration form)". U.S. Department of the Interior, National Park Service. Retrieved 5 January 2015.
  17. ^ "Jamaica High School (Now Jamaica Learning Center) (designation report)" (PDF). New York City Landmarks Preservation Commission. Retrieved 5 January 2015.
  18. ^ "Cobble Hill Historic District Designation Report" (PDF). New York City Landmarks Preservation Commission. Retrieved 5 January 2015.
  19. ^ "Maxwelton (estate)". Retrieved 5 January 2015.
  20. ^ "Old Nassau County Courthouse (National Register of Historic Places registration form)". U.S. Department of the Interior, National Park Service. Retrieved 5 January 2015.
  21. ^ "Friends Meeting House and School (National Register of Historic Places registration form)". U.S. Department of the Interior, National Park Service. Archived from the original on 19 October 2012. Retrieved 5 January 2015.
  22. ^ Gray, Christopher (28 March 2013). "William Bunker Tubby, the Pratt family's architect". The New York Times. Retrieved 5 January 2015.
  23. ^ "Brooklyn Public Library, DeKalb Branch (designation report)" (PDF). New York City Landmarks Preservation Commission. Retrieved 5 January 2015.
  24. ^ "Leonard Library History and Photos". 22 August 2011. Retrieved 5 January 2015.
  25. ^ "Vinegar Hill Historic District Designation Report" (PDF). New York City Landmarks Preservation Commission. Retrieved 5 January 2015.
  26. ^ "Waveny House". Retrieved 5 January 2015.
  27. ^ "Stone Avenue Library". Retrieved 5 January 2015.
  28. ^ "Extraordinary Round Hill Estate". 18 July 2014. Retrieved 5 January 2015.
  29. ^ "William Tubby Jr. Residence". Retrieved 5 January 2015.
  30. ^ "A William Tubby Masterwork in New Canaan". Retrieved 5 January 2015.
  31. ^ "Roslyn National Bank & Trust Company Building (National Register of Historic Places registration form)". U.S. Department of the Interior, National Park Service. Retrieved 5 January 2015.
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