George F. Meacham
Introduction South Congregational Church, New Britain, Connecticut (1865-1868)1862 advertisement for Woodcock & Meacham, Architects'''George Frederick Meacham''' (July 1, 1831 - December 4, 1917) was an architect in the Boston, Massachusetts, area in the 19th century. He is notable for designing Boston's Public Garden, the Massachusetts Bicycle Club, and churches, homes, and monuments in greater Boston and elsewhere in New England.
Early life and career George F. Meacham was born in 1831 in Watertown, Massachusetts to Giles A. and Jane A. Meacham. In 1849, after attending schools in Newton, Waltham and Cambridge, he entered Harvard College. He graduated in 1853.After college he trained and worked as a civil engineer, at one point working on the Water Works of Jersey City, New Jersey. In 1855 he entered the office of an unnamed architect in Boston. By 1857 he was associated with architect Shepard S. Woodcock, and by 1858 they had formed a partnership. Meacham established an independent firm in Boston in 1864.Meacham was appointed architect of Boston's new Masonic Temple in 1866, after the health of the original architect, Merrill G. Wheelock, failed. Construction had begun in 1865, and Meacham completed the exterior of the building to Wheelock's design and was responsible for the design of the interior. The building was dedicated in 1867.It has been demolished. In 1867 a set of plans for an apartment house designed by Meacham was published in an overview of charity work in France, though it does not indicate whether it was intended to be built in France or Boston, where the book was printed. Meacham continued in Boston until 1891, when he retired from active practice. He continued to work on a few projects from his home in Newton in the following years.Though most of Meacham's work was architectural, he did his best known work in the capacity of landscape architect. In 1859 his design was adopted for the reconstruction of the Public Garden, his plan for which has remained largely intact. He was also responsible, in 1865, for an extension to the Center Cemetery of Shirley, and for Farlow Park in Newton in 1882.
Personal life In 1859 Meacham married Mary J. Warren of New Boston, New Hampshire. In 1870 they moved from Watertown to Newton. They had two children together, who both died in their youth. Mary J. Meacham died in 1877.Meacham remarried in 1881, to Ellen Louisa Frost, who survived him. Meacham died on December 4, 1917.At the time of his death he was a resident of Boston.
Legacy Following his association with Woodcock, several architects who would become notable trained in his office. These include Henry M. Francis (1864-1865) and George R. Pyne (1870s).Several of his works have been individually listed on the United States National Register of Historic Places.
Architectural works +  Year  Project  Address  City  State  Notes  Image  Reference 1864  House for John A. Wiley  93 Elm St  North Andover  Massachusetts  NRHP-listed as part of the Machine Shop Village District. 1864  South Congregational Church  90 Main St  New Britain  Connecticut  Hammatt Billings may have been associated with Meacham in the earliest phases of the design. Meacham was also responsible for the addition of a parish house in 1889.NRHP-listed. 100px   1865  Reformed Church of Utica  276 Genesee St  Utica  New York  Demolished. 1866  Soldiers' and Sailors' Monument,Common Park  Purchase St  New Bedford  Massachusetts    100px   1866  Soldiers' Monument,Evergreen Cemetery  2060 Commonwealth Ave  Brighton  Massachusetts    100px   1867  Silver Lake Mills  320 Nevada St  Newton  Massachusetts       1867  Soldiers' and Sailors' Monument,Riverside Cemetery  274 Main St  Fairhaven  Massachusetts    100px   1867  Tabernacle Baptist Church  8 Hopper St  Utica  New York  NRHP-listed. 100px   1868  Melrose High School (former)  69 W Emerson St  Melrose  Massachusetts  Demolished. 1868  Soldiers' Monument,Waltham Common  610 Main St  Waltham  Massachusetts    100px   1869  Engine House No. 19  128 Babson St  Dorchester  Massachusetts  Demolished. 1869  First Baptist Church of Lewiston  240 Bates St  Lewiston  Maine  Demolished. 1869  Gate,Newton Cemetery  791 Walnut St  Newton  Massachusetts  Demolished. 1870  Green School (former)  408 Merrimack St  Lowell  Massachusetts       1871  Houses for Newton Talbot  234-236 Clarendon St  Boston  Massachusetts  Extant but altered. 1871  Lewiston City Hall  27 Pine St  Lewiston  Maine  Burned in 1890.1872  Cary Avenue Baptist Church (former)  60 Tudor St  Chelsea  Massachusetts  Later the First Methodist Church of Chelsea, and now Temple Emmanuel. 1872  House for Uriah H. Coffin  232 Clarendon St  Boston  Massachusetts       1872  Mechanics Savings Bank Building  200 Merrimack St  Lowell  Massachusetts  Burned in 1962.1873  House for James W. Tobey  119 Marlborough St  Boston  Massachusetts       1873  Mercantile building for Charles Duane  91 Water St  Boston  Massachusetts  Demolished. 1873  Underwood School  101 Vernon St  Newton  Massachusetts  Demolished. 1873  Walnut Avenue Congregational Church (former)  120 Walnut Ave  Roxbury  Massachusetts  Now known as the Eliot Congregational Church. NRHP-listed. 100px   1874  House for Charles B. Fillebrown  219 Bellevue St  Newton  Massachusetts    100px   1874  Newton City Hall  Washington and Cherry Sts  Newton  Massachusetts  A smaller existing building was incorporated into the new City Hall. Demolished. 1875  Curb and fence,Tremont Mall, Boston Common  Tremont St  Boston  Massachusetts  Removed and replaced. 1877  Central Fire Station  51 Main St  Plymouth  Massachusetts  Demolished. 1877  Hotel Huntington  25 Commonwealth Ave  Boston  Massachusetts  Demolished. 100px   1877  House for Edwin Morey  338 Beacon St  Boston  Massachusetts       1877  Whitford Block  663 Main St  Waltham  Massachusetts       1878  House for Daniel Chamberlin  338 Commonwealth Ave  Boston  Massachusetts       1879  House for Frank N. Thayer  325 Commonwealth Ave  Boston  Massachusetts       1880  House for John W. Field  10 Melville Ave  Dorchester  Massachusetts       1881  Channing Church (former)  75 Vernon St  Newton  Massachusetts  Now the Newton Presbyterian Church. 1881  House for George C. Lord  259 Waverley Ave  Newton  Massachusetts       1883  Hollis Street Church  28 Exeter St  Boston  Massachusetts  Later the South Congregational Church. Demolished. 1884  House for Hartley Lord  26 Summer St  Kennebunk  Maine       1884  Y. W. C. A. Building  40 Berkeley St  Boston  Massachusetts  Demolished. 1885  Massachusetts Bicycle Club (former)  152 Newbury St  Boston  Massachusetts  Incorporated into the former Boston Art Club building after the club was disbanded. 100px   1886  Tomb for Hartley Lord,Hope Cemetery  Barnard Ln  Kennebunk  Maine       1887  Eliot Church  474 Centre St  Newton  Massachusetts  Burned. 1887  House for Levi B. Gay  303 Franklin St  Newton  Massachusetts       1889  Home for Little Wanderers  202 W Newton St  Boston  Massachusetts  Demolished. 1890  "Irwinton" for Charles I. Travelli  Highland and Chestnut Sts  Newton  Massachusetts  Burned in 1898.The former stable still stands at 22 Burnham Rd. 1893  House for William F. Bacon  52 Hyde Ave  Newton  Massachusetts       1894  Dickson Memorial Chapel,Greenlawn Cemetery  57 Orne St  Salem  Massachusetts  NRHP-listed as part of Greenlawn Cemetery. 100px
References
Further reading * Curb, stone or fence: what is the best plan for enclosing the Common? Hearing on the Subject in the City Hall, Yesterday. Boston Daily Globe, May 26, 1875.p. 8. *