Early Life On this day in 1806, James Harrison Dakin Jr., was born in the Township of Northeast, New York. His parents were James Dakin Sr. and Lucy Dakin.  After his father passed away in 1819, James was sent to his aunt’s house in Hudson New York, where he learned the trade of carpentry from her husband. New York In 1829 James moved to New York City to pursue architecture. As luck would have it, he managed to secure an apprenticeship with the firm of Town and Davis, two of the most renowned architects in New York in this era.[…]

William Freret, Jr. was born on this day in 1833 to New Orleans mayor William Freret and Fanny Salkeld. He studied engineering in England, and soon after his return to the United States, he started practicing architecture. His architectural career spanned over 40 years and culminated in an appointment to a Federal position as Head of the Office of the Supervising Architect. Let’s take a look at a few of his most celebrated buildings. New Orleans Buildings Garden District In this wealthy American neighborhood, William created some of the finest mansions still admired by visitors today. A row of speculation[…]

Happy Birthday Benjamin Latrobe! On this day in 1764, Benjamin Henry Boneval Latrobe was born, near Leeds, England. He was educated as an architect and opened his own firm, creating such works as Ashdown House, and Hammerwood Park, both in the Greek Revival style that was swiftly gaining popularity in England. In 1796, he arrived in America, briefly settling in Norfolk and Richmond Virginia where he was commissioned to design homes and public buildings. It is during this period that he won the bid to design the Richmond Penitentiary, which has since been demolished. In 1798, Latrobe’s work brought him[…]

Today we continue with the second part of post about free people of color and their contributions to architecture in New Orleans. If you missed Part One, please see: Free People of Color in Architecture (Part 1) Louis Nelson Fouché Another prominent home builder of African descent, Louis Nelson Fouché, was an immigrant from Jamaica. He had been trained in architecture and mathematics. He taught mathematics to students at the Bernard Couvent Institution, also referred to as the Institute Catholique, a school dedicated to the education of orphans in the area. One of his buildings that is still standing is[…]