Lewis Colt Albro

Background

Lewis Colt Albro was born on February 6, 1876 in Pittsfield, Massachussets, United States. He was the son of Lewis Kinley Albro and Mary Lewis (Colt) Albro. While still a boy, Albro became deeply interested in architecture.

Education

At the age of eighteen Albro was sent by his parents to New York, where he studied for a year in the Metropolitan Art School. He then entered the office of McKim, Mead & White as student draftsman.

Career

Albro entered the office of McKim, Mead & White as draftsman and designer, remaining with the firm for nine years. He was closely associated with the design for the Columbia Library, and other Columbia work, and toward the end was in charge of such important commissions as the New York house of Charles Dana Gibson. It was through this connection that he decided to enter independent practise, his first commission being the Gibson house at Newport.

In 1906 Albro and another graduate from the McKim, Mead & White office, Harrie T. Lindeberg, formed a partnership that lasted until 1914. They rapidly gained reputation as designers of the highest type of residential work, their houses being generally of English or Colonial inspiration, but never strictly archeological.

In 1914 the partnership of Albro and Lindeberg was dissolved by mutual consent, and from then until his death Albro practised independently, producing a series of houses of marked distinction, in which his restraint, his delicacy of invention, and his inherent classicism received a continually growing expression. The most characteristic were those for George Arents, Jr. , Rye, New York; Jerome Mendleson, Albany, New York; Dr. M. E. Johnston, Lexington, Kentucky; John L. Bushnell, Springfield, Ohio; and that which was his favorite work, the group of Farm Buildings for Ernest Fahnestock, Putnam County, New York. In this group of houses Albro's genius attained a synthesis of originality, sensitiveness to tradition, simplicity and directness of plan, restraint sometimes almost austere, grace, and honesty of expression that rank him among the very best of modern American domestic architects.

For the greater portion of his life he lived in New York City, but in his later years owned a small estate in Wingdale, New York, on which he lavished much affection.

Achievements

• Albro was a well known architect of his era. He worked with numerous important commissions while staying at the office of McKim, Mead & White. As for his original buildings, they were of marked distinction, and were always characterized by freshness of conception, picturesqueness of outline, and a sensitive feeling for materials.

Works

More photos

• book

  • **REPRINT** Albro, Lewis Colt Domestic architecture, published for privated distribution by Lewis Colt Albro and Harrie T. Lindeberg, New York. Cambridge, Presswork by the University press 1912.**REPRINT**

Membership

Albro was a member of the American Institute of Architects.

Personality

As an architect Albro knew styles, but was never a slave to stylism; without being fantastic or self-conscious, he infused freshness and personality into all of his designs.

Connections

In 1914 Albro married Mary Pace of Richmond, Virginia.

Father:

Lewis Kinley Albro

Mother:

Mary Lewis (Colt) Albro

Wife:

Mary (Pace) Albro