User:JPRiley/Washburn

William Washburn (1808-1890) was an American architect practicing in Boston, Massachusetts.

Life and career
William Washburn was born October 7, 1808 in Lyme, New Hampshire, and moved to Boston when he was quite young.

Washburn's education and training is unknown, though he may have received some instruction from the architect from the architect Isaiah Rogers. Regardless, in 1830 he was Rogers' assistant in that architects' conversion of the old State House into the Boston City Hall.

He first appears in the Boston directories in 1831, as a housewright, at the same address as his brothers, Jeremiah and Theodore. By 1833 the brothers had formed a partnership, J. Washburn & Brothers, housewrights. In this capacity Washburn was designer of some of the buildings built by that firm, including Grace Episcopal Church in 1835 and the National Theatre in 1836. After his older brothers' insolvency broke up the Washburn partnership sometime in 1843, Washburn joined fellow carpenter Charles W. Brown, as Charles W. Brown & Company. From 1839, Washburn was a member of the Massachusetts Charitable Mechanic Association. In 1846 the Association initiated the Revere House project, and Washburn was appointed building committeemember, designer and superintendent. At this time his partnership with Brown was dissolved.

The Boston directories first note Washburn as an Architect in 1849, at which time he was in partnership with Charles A. Alexander. Washburn & Alexander was dissolved in 1851, when Alexander relocated to Portland, Maine. Washburn was again alone until about 1854, when he was joined by Edwin Lee Brown and Washburn & Brown. By 1856 Brown had been replaced by Frederick H. Moore. Washburn & Moore was dissolved the following year, when Moore relocated to Keokuk, Iowa. Washburn again practiced alone until 1860, when he was joined by his son Moses Washburn in the firm of William Washburn & Son. Father and son were together until at least 1872. From 1873 directories place them at the same business address, but no formal partnership is noted. Washburn continued to practice until his death, but few projects are noted after 1880.

William Washburn died October 31, 1890 in Boston. Obituaries were published in the American Architect and Building News and Engineering News.

Political life
Washburn was active in City politics during the buildup to the Civil War. He would run for office a number of times in the 1840s and 1850s on several party tickets. He lost all of these until 1853, when he was chosen to represent Ward 6 in the Common Council of Boston as a Free Soiler. In 1854 he was elected to the Board of Alderman, now on the Know Nothing ticket. In January he was elected chairman of the board. Later that year he became a member of the emerging Republican Party, and resigned his Alderman's seat soon after. He remained a vocal supporter of the Republicans, and at his death was noted as a vocal opponent of slavery.

Jeremiah Washburn dies 1847, aged 50.

Theodore Washburn dies 1848, age 43