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On November 9, 1853, powerhouse architect Stanford White was born in New York City to Shakespearian scholar Richard Grant White and his wife Alexina Black Mease. But well before White's notorious exploits and scandal were the stuff of headlines and the indelible drama in E.L. Doctorow's (in)famous novel Ragtime, his reputation was synonymous with the chic designs he contributed to in the burgeoning American metropolis where he was born.
Laying the Foundation
As an architect and designer for the rich and famous during the turn of the 19th century, Stanford White brought an artist's sensibility to the craft of interior and structural design. While his career began under the tutelage of architect Henry Hobson Richardson, it was his partnership with two creative, business-savvy men that laid a sound foundation for White's future.
As an eager, imaginative designer, White joined forces with stern businessman Willliam Mead and the distinguished Charles McKim in 1879. The McKim, Mead & White architectural firm became the most prestigious of its kind and helped to set a high standard for ornamental structures designed during America's gilded age.
Building a Business from the Ground Up
The firm's earliest clients included much of New England's Crème de la Crème. While the firm built private estates such as the mansion of art dealer Robert Goelet, they also created structures for many public libraries and municipalities. It's without a doubt that part of the firm's success was due to the massive number of structures built in the Northeast by McKim, Mead & White in tandem with their impeccable taste for high quality designs and materials used.
One of White's most notable designs was for the original Madison Square Garden in 1890, which served as the meeting place for celebrities of that era. White was also responsible for creating New York's Penn Station and prior to the establishment of today's iconic and Romanesque Washington Square Arch in New York City, White was the original architect who was commissioned to design the arch's wooden predecessor in 1889. The arch was originally intended simply for a centennial celebration of George Washington's inauguration, but a pleased public later demanded there be a permanent fixture of the arch.
An Era Ends in Ruins
Stanford White's career and life would end tragically as his eager spending led to debt, his lust led to fatal jealousy, and yellow journalism tarnished his reputation in the history books. During an evening performance at Madison Square Garden on June 25th, 1906, Pittsburgh millionaire Harry K. Thaw gunned down White in the building's rooftop restaurant in front of countless witnesses. The act was the bloody result of White's romance with America's first celebutante Evelyn Nesbit, Thaw's wife at the time, and White's Murder became what newspapers deemed "The Trial of the Century."
References and Further Reading:
The New-York Historical Society: https://dlib.nyu.edu/findingaids/html/nyhs/white_s.html
The New York Times on Stanford White: https://topics.nytimes.com/top/reference/timestopics/people/w/stanford_white/index.html
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Re: Stanford White: Architectural Renaissance Man
