Josiah Brown | |
|---|---|
| Born | July 10, 1816 |
| Died | July 30, 1875 |
| Occupation | Architect |
Josiah Brown (1816–1875) was an American architect and civil and mill engineer of Fall River, Massachusetts. Among his major surviving projects are the Union Mill No. 1 (1859) and Border City Mill No. 2 (1873), both in Fall River.
Josiah Brown was born July 10, 1816, in Smithfield, Rhode Island, to Parley and Lucy (Southwick) Brown. [1] Parley Brown was a methodist minister and was later a resident of East Douglas.
Brown received some education from his father, but he was mostly self-taught. He was a resident of Fall River by 1847, [lower-alpha 1] and was noted as an "Architect" in the first Fall River directory of 1853. In some of his early mill projects, Brown was assisted by the prominent machinist and mill superintendent William C. Davol. [3] Brown was also the first employer of William C. Davol Jr., [4] who would later establish the Davol Mills. [lower-alpha 2] From 1870 to 1875 William T. Henry, a graduate of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, was in his office. Brown died July 30, 1875, [5] at which point Henry succeeded to his practice. [6]
The cause of death was Bright's disease. [7]
In addition to his architectural and mill engineering work, Brown was involved in the Hoosac Tunnel project, serving as Chief Assistant Engineer under Thomas Doane, Chief Engineer from 1863 to 1867. [8] He was also involved financially in several of his manufacturing projects. He was both organizer and initial president of the Montaup Mills, incorporated in 1871, and a director of the Robeson Mills, incorporated in 1866. [9] At the time of his death, he was also a director of the Davol Mills, [10] though it is not known if he was the architect.
He was the designer of several works listed on the United States National Register of Historic Places. [11] [12]
| Year | Building | Address | City | State | Notes | Image | Reference |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1850 | First Baptist Church | 228 N Main St | Fall River | Massachusetts | Listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1983. [11] |  | [13] |
| 1855 | Plan of Oak Grove Cemetery | 765 Prospect St | Fall River | Massachusetts | Designed on the model of Mount Auburn Cemetery, the archetypical garden cemetery. Listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1983. [11] |  | [14] |
| 1857 | Plan of Evergreen Cemetery | 49 West St | East Douglas | Massachusetts | [15] | ||
| 1858 | House for Josiah Brown | 521 N Main St | Fall River | Massachusetts | The architect's own home. | [16] | |
| 1859 | Union Mill No. 1 | 289 Pleasant St | Fall River | Massachusetts | Listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1983. [11] |  | [17] [9] |
| 1866 | Robeson Mill No. 1 | 350 Rodman St | Fall River | Massachusetts | Demolished in 2001. |  | [9] |
| 1872 | Border City Mill No. 1 | 1 West St | Fall River | Massachusetts | Burned in 1877. | [9] | |
| 1872 | Montaup Mill | 1089 Dwelly St | Fall River | Massachusetts | Brown was the organizer and first president of the Montaup company. Later Osborn Mill No. 2. Burned in 1940. | [9] | |
| 1873 | Border City Mill No. 2 | 2 Weaver St | Fall River | Massachusetts | Listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1990. [11] |  | [18] |
The Hoosac Tunnel is a 4.75-mile (7.64 km) active railroad tunnel in western Massachusetts that passes through the Hoosac Range, an extension of Vermont's Green Mountains. It runs in a straight line from its east portal, along the Deerfield River in the town of Florida, to its west portal, in the city of North Adams.
Richard Clipston Sturgis, generally known as R. Clipston Sturgis, was an American architect based in Boston, Massachusetts.
Nathaniel Briggs Borden was a businessman and politician from Fall River, Massachusetts. He served as a U.S. Representative from Massachusetts's 10th congressional district from 1835 to 1839 and again from 1841 to 1843. He later served as a member of the Massachusetts General Court, first as a state Senator, and later a state representative. He also served as the third mayor of Fall River. His business career included interests textile mills, banking and railroads. He was the younger brother of noted land surveyor Simeon Borden.
Academy Building is a historic building in Fall River, Massachusetts. The building was constructed in 1875 as a memorial to Nathaniel Briggs Borden by his family. It opened its doors on January 6, 1876. It was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1973.
Brayton Methodist Episcopal Church is an historic former Methodist church building located at 264 Griffin Street in Fall River, Massachusetts. The wooden Gothic Revival church building was constructed in 1897 through the generosity of John Summerfield Brayton and his sister Mary Brayton Young. It was designed by local architect Charles H. Farnham.
Oak Grove Cemetery is a historic cemetery located at 765 Prospect Street in Fall River, Massachusetts. It was established in 1855 and greatly improved upon in the years that followed. It features Gothic Revival elements, including an elaborate entrance arch constructed of locally quarried Fall River granite. The cemetery originally contained 47 acres, but has since been expanded to over 120 acres. The cemetery is the city's most significant, built in the planned rural-garden style of Mount Auburn Cemetery in Cambridge, Massachusetts. It was designed and laid out by local architect Josiah Brown, who is also known for his designs of early mills including the Union, Border City, and others.
For much of its history, the city of Fall River, Massachusetts has been defined by the rise and fall of its cotton textile industry. From its beginnings as a rural outpost of the Plymouth Colony, the city grew to become the largest textile producing center in the United States during the 19th century, with over one hundred mills in operation by 1920. Even with the demise of local textile productions during the 20th century, there remains a lasting legacy of its impact on the city.
The Metacomet Mill, built in 1847 by Colonel Richard Borden for the manufacture of cotton textiles, is the oldest remaining textile mill in Fall River, Massachusetts.
The Border City Mill No. 2 is a historic cotton textile mill at One Weaver Street in Fall River, Massachusetts. Built in 1873, it is the largest surviving element of the once-sprawling Border City Mill complex. It was designed by Josiah Brown, a prominent local designer of mills, and is one of the city's few brick mills. It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1990. It was converted into residences in the 1980s.
The Lower Highlands Historic District encompasses one of the oldest residential areas of Fall River, Massachusetts. The district is roughly bounded by Cherry, Main, Winter, and Bank Streets, and is located just east of the Downtown Fall River Historic District and directly south of the Highlands Historic District. This area was settled by 1810, has architecture tracing the city's growth as a major industrial center. The historic district was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1984.
Mechanics Mill is an historic cotton textile mill located at 1082 Davol Street in Fall River, Massachusetts.
The William C. Davol Jr. House is a historic house located at 252 High Street in Fall River, Massachusetts.
Corky Row Historic District is a historic district located in Fall River, Massachusetts bounded by Plymouth Avenue, Interstate-195 and Second Street. The district contains many early multi-family mill tenement houses, along with the Davol Mills, the Tecumseh Mill No. 1 and several commercial properties.
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The 1877 Massachusetts gubernatorial election was held on November 6. Incumbent Republican Governor Alexander H. Rice was re-elected to a third term in office over former Governor William Gaston.
The 75th Massachusetts General Court, consisting of the Massachusetts Senate and the Massachusetts House of Representatives, met in 1854 during the governorship of Emory Washburn. Charles Edward Cook served as president of the Senate and Otis P. Lord served as speaker of the House.