Samuel J. F. Thayer
Introduction Wilson Hall at Dartmouth College'''Samuel J.F. Thayer''' (1842–1893) was an American architect, notable for designing buildings such as the Providence City Hall and the Cathedral of St. George, as well as the town halls of Brookline, Stoughton, and Methuen, Massachusetts. He was part of the architecture firms, '''Martin & Thayer''' and '''Ropes & Thayer'''.
Biography Thayer studied under John D. Towle. He lived for a time in South Boston, Massachusetts, and enlisted in the 5th Regiment Massachusetts Volunteers during the American Civil War, serving from October 1862 to July 1863.After the war, Thayer collaborated briefly with Boston architect Abel C. Martin, forming the firm Martin & Thayer. This firm designed the Centenary Methodist Church in Stanstead, Quebec, a Gothic Revival structure, in 1866–1869.In 1867 they designed a large summer hotel on Lake Memphremagog, Quebec near the American border.By 1869 the partnership with Martin had ended, and both opened separate offices. In 1875, African American William Augustus Hazel worked as a draftsman for Thayer, Hazel went on to later be a prominent architect in his own right. Thayer then designed the Town Hall of Brookline, Massachusetts, Providence City Hall in 1878, and the Dartmouth College library in 1885.Thayer shot himself in a fit of despondency, dying on February 28, 1893.He had been "in ill health for some time," and reportedly had money troubles. He left behind a suicide note, along with a wife and son.
Notable works +  Year  Project  Address  City  State  Notes  Image  Reference 1864  Broadway Orthodox Congregational Church  404 Broadway  Somerville  Massachusetts  Burned in 1866.The church was rebuilt in 1871, which building now forms part of the Broadway Winter Hill Congregational Church. 1864  Emmanuel Episcopal Church  147 Summer St  Somerville  Massachusetts  Demolished. 100px   1865  House for Samuel J. F. Thayer  170 Dorchester St  South Boston, Boston  Massachusetts  Designed by Thayer has his own residence. A contributing property to the Dorchester Heights Historic District, listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2001.1869  Centenary Methodist Church  430 W Broadway  South Boston, Boston  Massachusetts  Demolished. 1870  Arlington House  125 Causeway St  Boston  Massachusetts       1870  Brookline Town Hall  333 Washington St  Brookline  Massachusetts  Demolished. 1870  Charlestown High School (former)  30 Monument Sq  Charlestown, Boston  Massachusetts  Demolished. 1870  Damon School  Readville St  Hyde Park, Boston  Massachusetts  Demolished. 1870  Morse School  Summer and Craigie Sts  Somerville  Massachusetts  Demolished. 1870  New Church of Yarmouth  266 Main St  Yarmouth Port  Massachusetts    100px   1870  Trinity Methodist Church  Main and Chandler Sts  Worcester  Massachusetts  Demolished. 100px   1871  Fairmount School (former)  85 Williams Ave  Hyde Park, Boston  Massachusetts  Demolished. 1871  Henry Grew School (former)  40 Gordon Ave  Hyde Park, Boston  Massachusetts  Demolished. 1871  Somerville High School (former)  81 Highland Ave  Somerville  Massachusetts  Demolished. 100px   1871  Windsor Avenue Congregational Church (former)  2030 Main St  Hartford  Connecticut  Presently the Faith Congregational Church. Listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1993.100px   1872  Chapel for the First Congregational Church of Canandaigua  58 N Main St  Canandaigua  New York  Built as an annex to the original 1812 church. A contributing property to the North Main Street Historic District, listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1973.1872  Harvard School (former)  20 Devens St  Charlestown, Boston  Massachusetts    100px   1872  Second Hawes Congregational Church, Unitarian (former)  523 E Broadway  South Boston, Boston  Massachusetts  Presently the St. George Albanian Orthodox Cathedral. The church anchors the Cathedral of St. George Historic District, listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1998.100px   1872  Springfield High School (former)  State St  Springfield  Massachusetts  Later the State Street Grammar School. Demolished. 100px   1872  State Street Methodist Church  319 State St  Springfield  Massachusetts  Demolished. 1872  Winchester Home for Aged Women  10 Eden St  Charlestown, Boston  Massachusetts  Demolished. 1873  Mercantile building for George T. Bigelow  77 Bedford St  Boston  Massachusetts  Built by Bigelow in his role as trustee of the Miller estate. Destroyed by fire in 1879, and rebuilt in 1880 by Anna Smith (Miller) Bigelow, again to a design by Thayer. 100px   1873  Nashua High School (former)  30 Spring St  Nashua  New Hampshire  Later the Spring Street School. Demolished. 1874  Engine House No. 25  High St and Fort Hill Sq  Boston  Massachusetts  Demolished. 100px   1875  Providence City Hall  25 Dorrance St  Providence  Rhode Island  Listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1975.100x100px  1876  House for J. Warren Merrill  6 Smiths Point Rd  Manchester  Massachusetts  Demolished. 1877  Atlantic House  37 Oceanside Dr  Hull  Massachusetts  Burned in 1927.100px   1880  House for Mary F. Mallon  Mount Bowdoin Green  Dorchester, Boston  Massachusetts  Demolished. 1880  Jordan, Marsh & Company Department Store  450 Washington St  Boston  Massachusetts  Demolished. 100px   1880  Stoughton Town Hall  10 Pearl St  Stoughton  Massachusetts    100px   1881  House for Edward H. Gilman  Elm St  Exeter  New Hampshire  Moved from Court Street in 1924 to serve as faculty housing for the Phillips Exeter Academy. Now known as Cushwa House. 1881  House for Daniel H. Lane  291 Beacon St  Boston  Massachusetts  A contributing property to the Back Bay Historic District, listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1973.1881  House for John G. Phinney  81 Summer St  Stoughton  Massachusetts       1881  House for Nathaniel L. Ripley  618 Centre St  Newton  Massachusetts       1881  Jordan Building  77 Bedford St  Boston  Massachusetts  Destroyed in the "Thanksgiving Day Fire" in 1889.1881  Lyceum Hall  206 Main St  Yarmouth Port  Massachusetts  Altered. 1881  Nevins Building  78 Chauncy St  Boston  Massachusetts  Gutted in the "Thanksgiving Day Fire" in 1889.In  1890 the granite facades were reused for a new Nevins Building on site, also designed by Thayer. 1882  Farragut Hotel  Ocean Blvd  Rye  New Hampshire  Demolished in 1975.1882  House for Isaac P. T. Edmands  28 Atlantic Ave  Swampscott  Massachusetts  Demolished. 1883  Nevins Memorial Hall and Library  305 Broadway  Methuen  Massachusetts  Listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1984.100px   1884  Wilson Hall,Dartmouth College    Hanover  New Hampshire  Built as the college library, and more recently part of the Hood Museum of Art. 100px   1885  The Tudor  34 1/2 Beacon St  Boston  Massachusetts    100px   1885  Remodeling of the Quincy House  Brattle St and Brattle Sq  Boston  Massachusetts  In addition to an interior remodeling, Thayer added several floors and a turret to the existing structure, as well as a new wing along Brattle Square. Demolished in 1935.100px   1885  Wauban Building  184 Boylston St  Boston  Massachusetts  Demolished. 100px   1886  Chadwick Building  7 Tremont St  Boston  Massachusetts  Demolished. 100px   1886  Potter Building  202-212 Boylston St  Boston  Massachusetts  Demolished. 100px   1886  The Thorndike  240 Boylston St  Boston  Massachusetts  Demolished. 100px   1887  Boston Tavern  14-16 Province Ct  Boston  Massachusetts  Demolished. 1887  House for John D. Long  107 Washington Ave  Cambridge  Massachusetts       1891  Remodeling of the Norwood Hotel  37 Bridge St  Northampton  Massachusetts  Mostly demolished, but a fragment was moved to 11 Bridge Street, which is a contributing property to the Pomeroy Terrace Historic District, listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2018.
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