Background
Dwight James Baum was born in 1886 in Little Falls, New York, United States.
Dwight James Baum was born in 1886 in Little Falls, New York, United States.
Dwight entered Syracuse University as a student in Architecture, and after he was graduated in 1909.
Dwight continued his training in draftsmanship while employed in successive periods with a number of New York firms. In 1914 Mr. Baum began professional practice with an office in New York City, and early in his career designed a number of buildings at Syracuse University, including the School of Medicine, Hendricks Memorial Chapel (in association with John Russell Pope) and the School for Citizenship, also a number of buildings at smaller colleges. In addition, he was the architect of several public structures, among which were the Memorial Hospital at Syracuse, N. Y., the Court House and Hotel El Verona at Sarasota, Florida; the Federal Building at Flushing, N. Y., and the Westside Y. M. C. A. Building in New York.
In the field of domestic architecture, Mr. Baum won nationwide renown in designing large suburban homes and country estates for a clientele which included many wealthy and prominently known persons. Among the most notable examples of his residential work designed in a variety of styles, American Colonial, Tudor, French and Italian should be named the follow ing: Venetian palace for John Ringling at Sarasota, Florida; estate of Robert Law at Portchester, N. Y„ ‘ Wildflower,” the country home of Arthur Hammerstein at Whitestone, Long Island; "Pippa Passes’’ estate of George Mathews Adams, at Riverdale-on-Hudson, N. Y., Count Alphonso’s Italian Villa at Newport, R. I., country estate of Frank A. Sullivan, Westerly, R. I., residence of the Hon. Ernest E. Rogers, New London, Conn., and his own beautiful summer estate at Riverdale-on-Hudson, N. Y.
At one time he served as Architectural Consultant for "Good Housekeeping" magazine.
Elected to the New York Chapter, A.I.A. in 1918, and advanced to Institute Fellowship in 1932, Mr. Baum was also a member of the Architectural League of New York, the National Sculpture Society, Beaux Arts Institute of Design and American Federation of Arts.