Background
Peter Bonnett Wight was born in 1838 in New York, United States.
Peter Bonnett Wight was born in 1838 in New York, United States.
He was graduated at the Free Academy (later New York City College) in 1855, and the following year began the study of architecture under the late Thomas R. Jackson.
In 1862 he opened an office for practice in the city, and after winning two competitions, the old National Academy of Design (Fourth Avenue and 23rd Street) and the Mercantile Library in Brooklyn, continued practice until 1871, although work was slack during post-war years.
Following the great fire of 1871 in Chicago, Mr. Wight moved to that city to participate in reconstruction work, at first in association with Asher Carter, and after his death in partnership with William Drake (Drake & Wight). Over a period of years the firm was continuously active in planning and erecting commercial buildings, said to have covered a frontage of more than a mile. At one time Mr. Wight supervised construction of the American Express Company Building for Henry H. Richardson, Architect of the structure, and following its completion, he was employed in charge of the Company's building activities in Chicago.
During the late seventies Mr. Wight became interested in improving construction methods, and devoted much of his time to inventions pertaining to Fireproofing, one of which was for fire proof doors, afterward in general use on freight elevators. After 1885 Mr. Wight retired from work, but only for a few years. In 1890 he was called upon to design a number of private buildings on the grounds of the World’s Columbian Exposition, opened in the city in 1895, also served as Consulting Architect to a number of foreign countries desiring to erect buildings for the Exposition.
An early member of the A.I.A., advanced to Fellowship in 1866, Mr. Wight was active in Institute affairs, serving as national Secretary between 1869 and 1871. He was also one of the members of the New York Chapter, after 1872 transferred to the Chicago Chapter. During his latter years Mr. Wight contributed much of his time to the task of drafting the first Architects’ State License Law (Illinois) in the country, and between 1897 and 1914 served successively as Secretary, Treasurer and Executive Officer of the State Board of Architectural Examiners.
