Background
Wison Eyre was born in 1858 in Italy. A son of American parents, he was brought to the United States when a boy.
Wison Eyre was born in 1858 in Italy. A son of American parents, he was brought to the United States when a boy.
He received a formal education in schools at Newport, R.I. and other cities. In 1876 he took up the study of architecture, and got a two-year course at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.
He began his career as draftsman in the Philadelphia office of James P. Sims. Acquiring skill and experience in the latter’s employ, Mr. Eyre remained there until 1881 when Mr. Sims died, subsequently succeeded to his practice. In 1912 he joined J. Gilbert Mcllvaine in forming a partnership, and under the name of Eyre & Mcllvaine won recognition specializing in residential work of distinguished character. Independently Mr. Eyre designed other types of buildings in Philadelphia, notable examples of which were: the T-Square Club; Mask and Wig Club; Borie Building at 29th and Chestnut Streets; City Safe and Deposit Building, and in association with Cope & Stewardson and Frank Miles Day the Archaeological Museum at the University of Pennsylvania. He also planned buildings elsewhere, including the City Club in Detroit; Farrell Memorial Chapel in Massachusetts and several units of the Newcomb College at New Orleans, La.
He was unmarried.