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Albert L. Harris
Albert L. Harris (1869 – February 24, 1933) was an American architect who worked primarily in Washington, D.C. He was born in Wales and emigrated to the United States as a young child. He worked for architectural firms in Chicago and Baltimore and then Washington, where he also obtained an architectural degree from George Washington University. He was a part-time professor there while also working for the US Navy and then the city of Washington where he served as the city's Municipal Architect from 1921 until his death in 1933. A number of his works are listed on the National Register of Historic Places (NRHP).
Harris was born in Abergynolwyn, Wales, in 1869. Leaving Wales in 1873 with his father for the United States, Harris was next known to be in the Washington, D.C., area in 1890 when he was enrolled in the Arlington Academy, a private secondary school. He left the academy without graduating in 1893 and moved to Chicago, to design residential buildings under Henry Ives Cobb. He was in charge of drafting for two years at E.T. Harris Ornamental Works. After five years in Chicago, he next worked for Wyatt & Nolting in Baltimore before returning to Washington in 1900.
Harris designed firehouses and apartment buildings with Leon E. Dessez and supervised the interior design of the Baltimore city courthouse. He was employed in Washington as a draftsman with Hornblower & Marshall for twelve years. During this time, he worked on the Baltimore Custom House and the National Museum of Natural History, the National Geographic Building, the US Marine Barracks, and the George Washington University Hospital. He worked another seven years for Hornblower & Marshall as a junior architect and supervised the construction of the Army and Navy Club. He was made a partner in the firm in 1911.
He completed a B.S. degree in architecture at George Washington University (GWU) in 1912. Upon graduation, he became an assistant professor of architecture there, and a full professor in 1915. He remained in that role part-time until 1930.
Just before the US entered World War I, he was tasked to supervise the construction of Washington's central heating plant by the Secretary of the Treasury, which at that time directed the construction of Federal facilities. During the war, he was appointed draftsman at the Bureau of Yards and Docks, a branch of the US Navy, from 1917 to 1919, where he wrote design specifications for Navy aviation, ordnance, and submarine bases. At the end of his war service in October 1919, he continued teaching and entered private practice.
He then went to work for the Office of the Municipal Architect of Washington in 1920, and succeeded Snowden Ashford as the city's second municipal architect in April 1921. He was selected by the city commissioners from six candidates, and was one of two who were endorsed for the position by the Washington chapter of the AIA.
He partnered with Arthur B. Heaton in 1924 on the design of a quadrangular plan for the GWU campus and two academic buildings there, Corcoran Hall and Stockton Hall, both listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
Much of his work with the city involved the design of schools. The Washington Commission of Fine Arts suggested that the Colonial Revival style was appropriate for municipal buildings in the city's residential neighborhoods and the majority of his schools and other buildings, such as firehouses, were done in that style. This contrasted the Federal style of the national government buildings in the city's core. One exception was a 1931 addition to the Park View School, designed in 1916 by Snowden Ashford, where Harris followed the original Gothic Revival style.
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Albert L. Harris
Albert L. Harris (1869 – February 24, 1933) was an American architect who worked primarily in Washington, D.C. He was born in Wales and emigrated to the United States as a young child. He worked for architectural firms in Chicago and Baltimore and then Washington, where he also obtained an architectural degree from George Washington University. He was a part-time professor there while also working for the US Navy and then the city of Washington where he served as the city's Municipal Architect from 1921 until his death in 1933. A number of his works are listed on the National Register of Historic Places (NRHP).
Harris was born in Abergynolwyn, Wales, in 1869. Leaving Wales in 1873 with his father for the United States, Harris was next known to be in the Washington, D.C., area in 1890 when he was enrolled in the Arlington Academy, a private secondary school. He left the academy without graduating in 1893 and moved to Chicago, to design residential buildings under Henry Ives Cobb. He was in charge of drafting for two years at E.T. Harris Ornamental Works. After five years in Chicago, he next worked for Wyatt & Nolting in Baltimore before returning to Washington in 1900.
Harris designed firehouses and apartment buildings with Leon E. Dessez and supervised the interior design of the Baltimore city courthouse. He was employed in Washington as a draftsman with Hornblower & Marshall for twelve years. During this time, he worked on the Baltimore Custom House and the National Museum of Natural History, the National Geographic Building, the US Marine Barracks, and the George Washington University Hospital. He worked another seven years for Hornblower & Marshall as a junior architect and supervised the construction of the Army and Navy Club. He was made a partner in the firm in 1911.
He completed a B.S. degree in architecture at George Washington University (GWU) in 1912. Upon graduation, he became an assistant professor of architecture there, and a full professor in 1915. He remained in that role part-time until 1930.
Just before the US entered World War I, he was tasked to supervise the construction of Washington's central heating plant by the Secretary of the Treasury, which at that time directed the construction of Federal facilities. During the war, he was appointed draftsman at the Bureau of Yards and Docks, a branch of the US Navy, from 1917 to 1919, where he wrote design specifications for Navy aviation, ordnance, and submarine bases. At the end of his war service in October 1919, he continued teaching and entered private practice.
He then went to work for the Office of the Municipal Architect of Washington in 1920, and succeeded Snowden Ashford as the city's second municipal architect in April 1921. He was selected by the city commissioners from six candidates, and was one of two who were endorsed for the position by the Washington chapter of the AIA.
He partnered with Arthur B. Heaton in 1924 on the design of a quadrangular plan for the GWU campus and two academic buildings there, Corcoran Hall and Stockton Hall, both listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
Much of his work with the city involved the design of schools. The Washington Commission of Fine Arts suggested that the Colonial Revival style was appropriate for municipal buildings in the city's residential neighborhoods and the majority of his schools and other buildings, such as firehouses, were done in that style. This contrasted the Federal style of the national government buildings in the city's core. One exception was a 1931 addition to the Park View School, designed in 1916 by Snowden Ashford, where Harris followed the original Gothic Revival style.
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