With Olmsted and Vaux’ dismissal as the architects of Central Park in the spring of 1870, Thomas Wisedell also ended his tenure in that park and was given much greater design responsibilities in the creation of Brooklyn’s Prospect Park. Prospect Park had originally been planned in 1861 by Egbert Viele, but due to the Civil … More Part 2(b) – Prospect Park and the Concert Grove
In the fall of 1868, Thomas Wisedell was presented with an opportunity to move from London to New York City to be part of a group of British designers, engineers and craftsmen who had previously immigrated to the United States and were not only creating the modern park movement but also transforming American design. The … More Part 2(a) – From London to New York: Calvert Vaux, Jacob Wrey Mould and Central Park
Churches and Chapels 1863-1865 – Restoration and addition to St. Llwchaiarn’s Church, Llanllwchaiarn, Newtown, Montgomeryshire, Wales (Extant) 1863 — At the behest of the Earl of Pembroke, five different architects were asked to send drawings completed churches to the Archdiocese of Dublin, Ireland, in consideration for the building of St. Bartholomew’s Church. The final decision … More Part 1(b) – Projects by Robert Jewell Withers 1863-1868
One of the challenges that countless historians have faced is that of attribution. Since it was uncommon for draftsmen to sign the renderings or to be given credit, we very rarely know who actually created specific drawings or actually designed specific details. This is definitely the case when researching Robert Withers. Since we may never … More Part 1(a) – Apprenticeship with Robert Jewell Withers 1863-1868
The exact date which Thomas Wisedell began working for R. J. Withers is unknown, though he was working there at least by 1865, however, 1862 or 63 is quite probable. By that time, Withers was already a well-respected architect who specialized in restoring and rebuilding Saxon, Norman and gothic churches throughout England and Wales. Before … More Part 1 – Robert Jewell Withers
The Architecture of Thomas Wisedell 