William Martin Aiken

Infobox Person
name = William Martin Aiken


image_size =
caption =
birth_date = April 1, 1855
birth_place = Charleston, SC, USA
death_date = December 7, 1908
death_place =
occupation = Architect
spouse = Unmarried

William Martin Aiken (April 1, 1855 —December 7, 1908) was an American architect who served as Supervising Architect of the United States Treasury and oversaw and participated in the design and construction of numerous federal buildings during his appointment that now reside on the National Register of Historic Places.

Early life

William Aiken was born in Charleston, SC and educated at The University of the South from 1872-1874. He taught at his alma mater in his last year of attendance and moved to Charleston, SC to teach a special course Architecture. In 1877, he moved to Boston, MA and continued to teach Architecture at MIT until 1879. After leaving MIT, he served under in the office of noted Amercian architect Henry Hobson Richardson and left his office in 1883 to server under other architects until 1886. He left Boston to start his own practice in Cincinnati, OH. cite book
last = Leonard
first = John William
authorlink =
coauthors = Marquis, Albert Nelson
title = Who's Who in America
publisher = A.N. Marquis and Company
edition = 1903-1905
year = 1903
pages = 12
url = http://books.google.com/books?id=4nfOl6a6QSkC&pg=RA1-PA12&dq=William+Martin+Aiken+Architect ]

upervising Architect

Aiken was appointed as Supervising Architect of the United States Treasury and sworn in on April 1, 1895. During his short tenure, he oversaw the design of many notable federal buildings such as the Denver and Philadelphia mints. He resigned his position on June 30, 1897 to practice architecture in New York with Bruce Price and act as a consultant architect to the City of New York. cite journal |last=Taylor
first=James Knox
year=1908
month=December
title=In Memoriam — William Martin Aiken
journal=The American Architect and Building News
volume=XCIV
issue=1722
pages=213 |url=http://books.google.com/books?id=IqoDAAAAYAAJ&dq=William+Martin+Aiken+Architect&pg=RA1-PA213&ots=SLody2jBRM&sig=jyAcuIpy232HnHMSff7-_8QEkBs&sa=X&oi=print&ct=result&cd=2&cad=legacy#PPP14,M1 |accessdate= 2007-11-15
format=reprint] Citation
last = Aiken
first = William Martin
editor-surname = La Follette
editor-first = Robert
title = The Making of America
chapter = The Architecture of our Government Buildings
publisher = The Making of America Co.
year = 1906
url = http://books.google.com/books?id=L5ABAAAAMAAJ&dq=William+Aiken+Martin+Bruce+Price&pg=PA279&ots=_8Qfy1Zro9&sig=nXp59aPcom4SfTOd11U9x8V_qfk&sa=X&oi=print&ct=result&cd=1&cad=legacy#PPA279,M1]

Notable Buildings

* Denver Mint (Initial Design) - Denver, COcite web
date=
work=
url= http://www.treasury.gov/offices/management/curator/exhibitions/mintbldgs/denver.shtml
title= The Federal Presence - U.S. Mint Buildings Across the Nation
publisher= US Treasury
accessdate=2007-11-14]
* Philadelphia Mint - Philadelphia, PA
* Castle Station US Post Office - Saginaw, MIcite web
date=
work= National Register of Historic Places
url= http://www.nr.nps.gov/Red%20Books/72000652.red.pdf
title= Saginaw. CASTLE STATION (SAGINAW POST OFFICE)
publisher= National Park Service
accessdate=2007-11-14]
* Allegheny US Post Office - Pittsburgh, PAcite web
date=
work=
url= http://www.pittsburghkids.org/Templates/CMP_Level3_List.aspx?CID=416&SECID=5&MENUID=154
title= Background Information
publisher= Children's Museum of Pittsburgh
accessdate=2007-11-14]

References