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For the American politician, see Allen V. Evans.
Allen Evans in 1908.

Allen Evans (December 8, 1849 – February 28, 1925) was an American architect and partner in the Philadelphia firm of Furness & Evans. His best known work may be the Merion Cricket Club.

Biography

He was the son of Dr. Edmund C. Evans (1813–1881) and Mary S. Allen (1816–1861), of Paoli, Pennsylvania. [1] He attended schools in West Chester, [1] followed by Polytechnic College of Pennsylvania, 1866–68. [2] He worked as a draftsman for architect Samuel Sloan, [1] and was working for Furness & Hewitt by 1872. [3]: 83  When that firm was dissolved in 1875, he remained with Furness, rising to chief draftsman, and partner in 1881. [3]: 85  Four other long-term employees were made partners in 1886, and Furness & Evans was renamed Furness, Evans & Company. [4]

Seamen's Church of the Redeemer (1878, burned 1974)
" Dolobran" (1881, altered)

Evans brought social connections to the firm, and initially designed houses for family and friends. He developed a small-scaled but vibrant version of the Shingle Style. Based on stylistic grounds, Furness expert George E. Thomas suggests that Evans made major contributions to the Seamen's Church (1878, burned 1974), " Dolobran" (1881), and "Windon" (1882). [3]: 84  He was a founding member of the Merion Cricket Club, designed its Ardmore clubhouse (1880, burned 1892), [3]: 227  and its clubhouses and other buildings in Haverford. [3]: 315–16, 321 

Following the Civil War, his father purchased more than 100 acres of land northeast of Haverford Station. [3]: 185  This was later sold off in parcels to Alexander Cassatt (to build "Cheswold"), Clement Griscom (to build "Dolobran"), J. Randall Williams (to build "Harleigh"), and the Merion Cricket Club. [3]: 185  Dr. Evans and other relatives built their own country houses (and a rental property) on the land, all designed by the architect in the family.

Like his father, Evans invested in real estate. In Philadelphia, he designed and built a speculative row of four city houses (1883), west of Rittenhouse Square. The house at 237 South 21st Street became his own residence. [3]: 242  In Berwyn, he developed land on a ridge overlooking the Great Valley, and designed "Hillcrest" (ca. 1887) for William Drennan. Now known as the Mary A. Bair house, it once featured a massive three-story porch crowned by a dome. [5]

Evans designed St. Mary's Episcopal Church, Ardmore (1887), [6] where he remained an active member for the next 38 years. [7] In the Kensington section of Philadelphia, he designed St. Luke's Episcopal Church (1904) and its parish house (1905), [8] which were adjacent to Episcopal Hospital.

Girard Trust Company Building (1905-07), Philadelphia. Now the Ritz-Carlton Philadelphia.

The Girard Trust Company Building (1905–07), at Broad & Chestnut Streets, Philadelphia, caused a rift between Evans and Furness. The initial concept for a bank building modeled on the Pantheon in Rome had been Furness's, but the bank's president rejected his participation:

My interest is in you and not in your firm, for while I have the highest respect and esteem for Mr. Furness we do not wish a building design on his well known lines. — Effingham B. Morris to Allen Evans, June 16, 1904. [3]: 89 

The building was completed by Evans in partnership with McKim, Mead & White. [9] Furness had to sue him to recover a share of the architect's fee. [3]: 87 

Furness, Evans & Company continued as the firm's name, even after Furness's 1912 death. [1] Evans worked at the firm until 1923, more than 50 years. [3]: 83 

In retirement, Evans designed the rood screen for St. Mary's Ardmore. It was completed after his 1925 death, and dedicated by his widow. [7]

Personal

On April 25, 1876, Allen Evans married Rebecca Chalkley Lewis (1854–1927). They had six children: [10] [3]: 367 

  • Mary Allen Evans (1877–1963), married W. Mason Smith
  • John Lewis Evans (1878–1958), never married
  • Margaret Eleanor Evans (1881–1961), never married
  • Cadwalader Evans (1885–1888), died young
  • Rowland Evans II (1889–1975), married Elizabeth Downs
  • Allen Evans Jr. (1891–1960), married Elizabeth Holloway

Edmund Cadwalader Evans (Allen Evan's nephew), worked for Furness, Evans & Company from 1899 to 1906. [11]

Legacy

  • The Allen Evans collection – architectural drawings, photographs, family papers, and a 1938 biographical sketch by his daughter Margaret – is at the Architectural Archives of the University of Pennsylvania. [12]
  • The Rebecca Lewis Evans leger books – household accounts kept by his wife from 1876 to 1927 – are at the Winterthur Museum, Garden and Library.

Selected works

Allen Evans house (1883), 237 S. 21st Street, Philadelphia.

Residences

  • "Penrhyn-y-Coed" (Edmund C. Evans house) (1874, burned 1898, rebuilt 1898), 27 Evans Lane, Haverford. [13] A country house for Evans's father; he later inherited it. [2] Following an 1898 fire, Evans rebuilt it in a Colonial Revival style. [14]
  • "The Breezes" (1878), Evans Lane, Haverford. Rental house owned by Evans and his brother. [3]: 207, cat. 98 
  • "Glyntaff" (John T. Lewis house) (1879, demolished), Booth Road, Haverford. A country house for Evans's father-in-law. [3]: 212, cat. 107 
  • "Harford" (Judge J. Clarke Hare house) (1879–80), 260 Gulph Creek Road, Wayne, Pennsylvania. [3]: 213, cat. 110  The American Architect and Building News listed Evans as the architect. [15] Now the Creutzburg Center (Main Line School Night).
  • Additions to "Cheswold" ( Alexander Cassatt house) (1880, [3]: 214, cat. 112  1910, [3]: 343, cat. 644  burned 1935), Cheswold Lane, Haverford. The original 1872 house is attributed to architect Henry A. Sims. [3]: 344B, cat. 36 
  • "Harleigh" (J. Randall Williams house) (1880, demolished), Grays Lane, Haverford. [3]: 216, cat. 115 
  • "Penrhyn" (Rowland Evans house) (1880, demolished), Evans Lane, Haverford. A country house for Evans's brother. [3]: 216, cat. 116 
  • John T. Lewis house (1882–83), 232 South 13th Street, Philadelphia. A city house for Evans's father-in-law. [3]: 239, cat. 272 
  • Edward S. Beale house (1882–83), 240 South 13th Street, Philadelphia. A city house for Evans's sister-in-law and husband. [3]: 239, cat. 273 
  • Allen Evans house and row (1883), 237-41 South 21st Street and 2049 Locust Street, Philadelphia. [3]: 242, cat. 280  Evans's own city house (#237) and three speculative houses.
  • Alterations to " Pencoyd" ( George Brooke Roberts house) (1883–84, demolished), City Avenue, Bala Cynwyd. [3]: 248, cat. 286A 
  • Thomas DeWitt Cuyler house (1883–84, demolished), Cuyler's Lane, Haverford. A country house for Evans's brother-in-law. [3]: 245, cat. 284 
  • "Hillcrest" (Drennan-Hunter-Bair house) (ca. 1887), 700 Conestoga Road, Berwyn. The porch's upper two stories and dome had been removed by 1971, when HABS surveyed the building. [16]

Other buildings

  • Merion Cricket Club [17]
    • Third clubhouse (1880, burned 1892), Cricket Avenue, Ardmore. [3]: 227, cat. 252 
    • Training quarters and locker room (1892, demolished), Montgomery Avenue & Grays Lane, Haverford. [3]: 315, cat. 436A 
    • Fourth clubhouse (1892, burned 1896), Montgomery Avenue & Grays Lane, Haverford. Evans infilled a central section between two houses fronting on Montgomery Avenue, then spanned the whole with a vast gambrel-roofed third story. [3]: 316, cat. 437 
    • Fifth clubhouse (1896, burned before completion), Montgomery Avenue & Grays Lane, Haverford. [3]: 319, cat. 470 
    • Sixth (and current) clubhouse (1896–97), Montgomery Avenue & Grays Lane, Haverford. [3]: 321, cat. 483 
  • Haverford Grammar School (1885), Railroad Avenue, Haverford. [3]: 253, cat. 301 
  • St. Mary's Protestant Episcopal Church (1887), Ardmore Avenue, Ardmore. [3]: 276, cat. 341  [18]
  • St. Luke's Episcopal Church and Parish House (1904–05), East Huntington & B Streets at Kensington Avenue, Kensington, Philadelphia. The parish closed in 1987. The former parish house is now a daycare center.
  • Girard Trust Company Building (1905–07), Broad & Chestnut Streets, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The commission was shared between Furness, Evans & Company and McKim, Mead & White. Now the part of the Ritz-Carlton Philadelphia.
  • John Stewart Memorial Library (1923), Wilson College, Chambersburg, Pennsylvania. [19]
  • 2049 Locust Street (1883), Philadelphia.
    2049 Locust Street (1883), Philadelphia.
  • Additions to Pencoyd, Bala Cynwyd, Pennsylvania (1883–84).
    Additions to Pencoyd, Bala Cynwyd, Pennsylvania (1883–84).
  • "Hillcrest" (Drennan-Hunter-Bair house) (ca. 1887), Berwyn, Pennsylvania.
    "Hillcrest" (Drennan-Hunter-Bair house) (ca. 1887), Berwyn, Pennsylvania.
  • Fourth clubhouse, Merion Cricket Club (1892, burned 1896).
    Fourth clubhouse, Merion Cricket Club (1892, burned 1896).
  • Sixth clubhouse, Merion Cricket Club (1896–97).
    Sixth clubhouse, Merion Cricket Club (1896–97).

References

  1. ^ a b c d Sandra L. Tatman, Allen Evans (1849-1925) data from the Philadelphia Architects and Buildings (PAB) project of the Athenaeum of Philadelphia
  2. ^ a b Elizabeth Werbe, "Allen Evans," Victorian Life in Haverford, Pennsylvania, 1997, from Bryn Mawr College.
  3. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t u v w x y z aa ab ac ad ae af George E. Thomas, et al., Frank Furness: The Complete Works, (New York: Princeton Architectural Press, revised 1996).
  4. ^ James F. O'Gorman, George E. Thomas & Hyman Myers, The Architecture of Frank Furness, (Philadelphia Museum of Art, 1973), pp. 200-03.
  5. ^ Bair Estate data from PAB
  6. ^ St. Mary Church data from PAB
  7. ^ a b A Tour of St. Mary's Historic Ardmore Church, Around Ardmore, December 4, 2012.
  8. ^ St. Luke Church data from PAB
  9. ^ Girard Trust Bank data from PAB
  10. ^ Louis Henry Carpenter, Samuel Carpenter and His Descendants, (privately printed, 1912), p. 192. [1]
  11. ^ Edmund Cadwalader Evans data from PAB
  12. ^ Allen Evans collection, from WorldCat.
  13. ^ 27 Evans Lane, Haverford, from Zillow.
  14. ^ 27 Evans Lane[ dead link], from Lower Merion Township.
  15. ^ The American Architect and Building News, vol. 7, no. 219 (March 6, 1880), p. 100.
  16. ^ Historic American Buildings Survey (HABS) No. PA-117, " Mary A. Bair House", 20 photos, 1 data page, 2 photo caption pages, supplemental material
  17. ^ HABS No. PA-6037, " Merion Cricket Club", 19 photos, 2 data pages, 1 photo caption page
  18. ^ History, from St. Mary's Ardmore.
  19. ^ John Stewart Memorial Library data from PAB
Wikimedia Commons has media related to Allen Evans.
Retrieved from " https://en.wikipedia.org/?title=Allen_Evans&oldid=1205668341"
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
For the American politician, see Allen V. Evans.
Allen Evans in 1908.

Allen Evans (December 8, 1849 – February 28, 1925) was an American architect and partner in the Philadelphia firm of Furness & Evans. His best known work may be the Merion Cricket Club.

Biography

He was the son of Dr. Edmund C. Evans (1813–1881) and Mary S. Allen (1816–1861), of Paoli, Pennsylvania. [1] He attended schools in West Chester, [1] followed by Polytechnic College of Pennsylvania, 1866–68. [2] He worked as a draftsman for architect Samuel Sloan, [1] and was working for Furness & Hewitt by 1872. [3]: 83  When that firm was dissolved in 1875, he remained with Furness, rising to chief draftsman, and partner in 1881. [3]: 85  Four other long-term employees were made partners in 1886, and Furness & Evans was renamed Furness, Evans & Company. [4]

Seamen's Church of the Redeemer (1878, burned 1974)
" Dolobran" (1881, altered)

Evans brought social connections to the firm, and initially designed houses for family and friends. He developed a small-scaled but vibrant version of the Shingle Style. Based on stylistic grounds, Furness expert George E. Thomas suggests that Evans made major contributions to the Seamen's Church (1878, burned 1974), " Dolobran" (1881), and "Windon" (1882). [3]: 84  He was a founding member of the Merion Cricket Club, designed its Ardmore clubhouse (1880, burned 1892), [3]: 227  and its clubhouses and other buildings in Haverford. [3]: 315–16, 321 

Following the Civil War, his father purchased more than 100 acres of land northeast of Haverford Station. [3]: 185  This was later sold off in parcels to Alexander Cassatt (to build "Cheswold"), Clement Griscom (to build "Dolobran"), J. Randall Williams (to build "Harleigh"), and the Merion Cricket Club. [3]: 185  Dr. Evans and other relatives built their own country houses (and a rental property) on the land, all designed by the architect in the family.

Like his father, Evans invested in real estate. In Philadelphia, he designed and built a speculative row of four city houses (1883), west of Rittenhouse Square. The house at 237 South 21st Street became his own residence. [3]: 242  In Berwyn, he developed land on a ridge overlooking the Great Valley, and designed "Hillcrest" (ca. 1887) for William Drennan. Now known as the Mary A. Bair house, it once featured a massive three-story porch crowned by a dome. [5]

Evans designed St. Mary's Episcopal Church, Ardmore (1887), [6] where he remained an active member for the next 38 years. [7] In the Kensington section of Philadelphia, he designed St. Luke's Episcopal Church (1904) and its parish house (1905), [8] which were adjacent to Episcopal Hospital.

Girard Trust Company Building (1905-07), Philadelphia. Now the Ritz-Carlton Philadelphia.

The Girard Trust Company Building (1905–07), at Broad & Chestnut Streets, Philadelphia, caused a rift between Evans and Furness. The initial concept for a bank building modeled on the Pantheon in Rome had been Furness's, but the bank's president rejected his participation:

My interest is in you and not in your firm, for while I have the highest respect and esteem for Mr. Furness we do not wish a building design on his well known lines. — Effingham B. Morris to Allen Evans, June 16, 1904. [3]: 89 

The building was completed by Evans in partnership with McKim, Mead & White. [9] Furness had to sue him to recover a share of the architect's fee. [3]: 87 

Furness, Evans & Company continued as the firm's name, even after Furness's 1912 death. [1] Evans worked at the firm until 1923, more than 50 years. [3]: 83 

In retirement, Evans designed the rood screen for St. Mary's Ardmore. It was completed after his 1925 death, and dedicated by his widow. [7]

Personal

On April 25, 1876, Allen Evans married Rebecca Chalkley Lewis (1854–1927). They had six children: [10] [3]: 367 

  • Mary Allen Evans (1877–1963), married W. Mason Smith
  • John Lewis Evans (1878–1958), never married
  • Margaret Eleanor Evans (1881–1961), never married
  • Cadwalader Evans (1885–1888), died young
  • Rowland Evans II (1889–1975), married Elizabeth Downs
  • Allen Evans Jr. (1891–1960), married Elizabeth Holloway

Edmund Cadwalader Evans (Allen Evan's nephew), worked for Furness, Evans & Company from 1899 to 1906. [11]

Legacy

  • The Allen Evans collection – architectural drawings, photographs, family papers, and a 1938 biographical sketch by his daughter Margaret – is at the Architectural Archives of the University of Pennsylvania. [12]
  • The Rebecca Lewis Evans leger books – household accounts kept by his wife from 1876 to 1927 – are at the Winterthur Museum, Garden and Library.

Selected works

Allen Evans house (1883), 237 S. 21st Street, Philadelphia.

Residences

  • "Penrhyn-y-Coed" (Edmund C. Evans house) (1874, burned 1898, rebuilt 1898), 27 Evans Lane, Haverford. [13] A country house for Evans's father; he later inherited it. [2] Following an 1898 fire, Evans rebuilt it in a Colonial Revival style. [14]
  • "The Breezes" (1878), Evans Lane, Haverford. Rental house owned by Evans and his brother. [3]: 207, cat. 98 
  • "Glyntaff" (John T. Lewis house) (1879, demolished), Booth Road, Haverford. A country house for Evans's father-in-law. [3]: 212, cat. 107 
  • "Harford" (Judge J. Clarke Hare house) (1879–80), 260 Gulph Creek Road, Wayne, Pennsylvania. [3]: 213, cat. 110  The American Architect and Building News listed Evans as the architect. [15] Now the Creutzburg Center (Main Line School Night).
  • Additions to "Cheswold" ( Alexander Cassatt house) (1880, [3]: 214, cat. 112  1910, [3]: 343, cat. 644  burned 1935), Cheswold Lane, Haverford. The original 1872 house is attributed to architect Henry A. Sims. [3]: 344B, cat. 36 
  • "Harleigh" (J. Randall Williams house) (1880, demolished), Grays Lane, Haverford. [3]: 216, cat. 115 
  • "Penrhyn" (Rowland Evans house) (1880, demolished), Evans Lane, Haverford. A country house for Evans's brother. [3]: 216, cat. 116 
  • John T. Lewis house (1882–83), 232 South 13th Street, Philadelphia. A city house for Evans's father-in-law. [3]: 239, cat. 272 
  • Edward S. Beale house (1882–83), 240 South 13th Street, Philadelphia. A city house for Evans's sister-in-law and husband. [3]: 239, cat. 273 
  • Allen Evans house and row (1883), 237-41 South 21st Street and 2049 Locust Street, Philadelphia. [3]: 242, cat. 280  Evans's own city house (#237) and three speculative houses.
  • Alterations to " Pencoyd" ( George Brooke Roberts house) (1883–84, demolished), City Avenue, Bala Cynwyd. [3]: 248, cat. 286A 
  • Thomas DeWitt Cuyler house (1883–84, demolished), Cuyler's Lane, Haverford. A country house for Evans's brother-in-law. [3]: 245, cat. 284 
  • "Hillcrest" (Drennan-Hunter-Bair house) (ca. 1887), 700 Conestoga Road, Berwyn. The porch's upper two stories and dome had been removed by 1971, when HABS surveyed the building. [16]

Other buildings

  • Merion Cricket Club [17]
    • Third clubhouse (1880, burned 1892), Cricket Avenue, Ardmore. [3]: 227, cat. 252 
    • Training quarters and locker room (1892, demolished), Montgomery Avenue & Grays Lane, Haverford. [3]: 315, cat. 436A 
    • Fourth clubhouse (1892, burned 1896), Montgomery Avenue & Grays Lane, Haverford. Evans infilled a central section between two houses fronting on Montgomery Avenue, then spanned the whole with a vast gambrel-roofed third story. [3]: 316, cat. 437 
    • Fifth clubhouse (1896, burned before completion), Montgomery Avenue & Grays Lane, Haverford. [3]: 319, cat. 470 
    • Sixth (and current) clubhouse (1896–97), Montgomery Avenue & Grays Lane, Haverford. [3]: 321, cat. 483 
  • Haverford Grammar School (1885), Railroad Avenue, Haverford. [3]: 253, cat. 301 
  • St. Mary's Protestant Episcopal Church (1887), Ardmore Avenue, Ardmore. [3]: 276, cat. 341  [18]
  • St. Luke's Episcopal Church and Parish House (1904–05), East Huntington & B Streets at Kensington Avenue, Kensington, Philadelphia. The parish closed in 1987. The former parish house is now a daycare center.
  • Girard Trust Company Building (1905–07), Broad & Chestnut Streets, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The commission was shared between Furness, Evans & Company and McKim, Mead & White. Now the part of the Ritz-Carlton Philadelphia.
  • John Stewart Memorial Library (1923), Wilson College, Chambersburg, Pennsylvania. [19]
  • 2049 Locust Street (1883), Philadelphia.
    2049 Locust Street (1883), Philadelphia.
  • Additions to Pencoyd, Bala Cynwyd, Pennsylvania (1883–84).
    Additions to Pencoyd, Bala Cynwyd, Pennsylvania (1883–84).
  • "Hillcrest" (Drennan-Hunter-Bair house) (ca. 1887), Berwyn, Pennsylvania.
    "Hillcrest" (Drennan-Hunter-Bair house) (ca. 1887), Berwyn, Pennsylvania.
  • Fourth clubhouse, Merion Cricket Club (1892, burned 1896).
    Fourth clubhouse, Merion Cricket Club (1892, burned 1896).
  • Sixth clubhouse, Merion Cricket Club (1896–97).
    Sixth clubhouse, Merion Cricket Club (1896–97).

References

  1. ^ a b c d Sandra L. Tatman, Allen Evans (1849-1925) data from the Philadelphia Architects and Buildings (PAB) project of the Athenaeum of Philadelphia
  2. ^ a b Elizabeth Werbe, "Allen Evans," Victorian Life in Haverford, Pennsylvania, 1997, from Bryn Mawr College.
  3. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t u v w x y z aa ab ac ad ae af George E. Thomas, et al., Frank Furness: The Complete Works, (New York: Princeton Architectural Press, revised 1996).
  4. ^ James F. O'Gorman, George E. Thomas & Hyman Myers, The Architecture of Frank Furness, (Philadelphia Museum of Art, 1973), pp. 200-03.
  5. ^ Bair Estate data from PAB
  6. ^ St. Mary Church data from PAB
  7. ^ a b A Tour of St. Mary's Historic Ardmore Church, Around Ardmore, December 4, 2012.
  8. ^ St. Luke Church data from PAB
  9. ^ Girard Trust Bank data from PAB
  10. ^ Louis Henry Carpenter, Samuel Carpenter and His Descendants, (privately printed, 1912), p. 192. [1]
  11. ^ Edmund Cadwalader Evans data from PAB
  12. ^ Allen Evans collection, from WorldCat.
  13. ^ 27 Evans Lane, Haverford, from Zillow.
  14. ^ 27 Evans Lane[ dead link], from Lower Merion Township.
  15. ^ The American Architect and Building News, vol. 7, no. 219 (March 6, 1880), p. 100.
  16. ^ Historic American Buildings Survey (HABS) No. PA-117, " Mary A. Bair House", 20 photos, 1 data page, 2 photo caption pages, supplemental material
  17. ^ HABS No. PA-6037, " Merion Cricket Club", 19 photos, 2 data pages, 1 photo caption page
  18. ^ History, from St. Mary's Ardmore.
  19. ^ John Stewart Memorial Library data from PAB
Wikimedia Commons has media related to Allen Evans.
Retrieved from " https://en.wikipedia.org/?title=Allen_Evans&oldid=1205668341"

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