Robert Campbell Dixon

Last updated
Robert Campbell Dixon Jr.
BornMay 15, 1857
DiedDecember 22, 1933
Weehawken, New Jersey
Alma mater Eastman Business College
Occupation Architect
Employer(s)D. & J. Jardine, J.C. Cady & Co, French, Dixon & DeSaldern, French & Dixon
Organization(s)Columbia Club (Hoboken), Palma Club, New Jersey Society of Architects, American Institute of Architects
SpouseSadie Gardner Morgan (m. 1886)
Children(2) Robert Kenneth Dixon, Lola Symth Dixon
Parents
  • Robert Dixon (father)
  • Margaret Campbell (mother)

Robert Campbell Dixon Jr. was a prominent architect around the turn of the 20th century, who contributed to many of the notable public buildings in and around New York City and Hudson County, New Jersey. Dixon, Frequently referred to as R. C. Dixon in historical documents, is understood to not be the same Robert Dixon that designed many of Brooklyn Heights' characteristic Brownstone homes c.1890. In 1898 R.C. Dixon was listed as being in Union Hill, NJ whereas Robert Dixon was listed as operating from 213 Montague Street, in Brooklyn.

Contents

Early life

Robert Campbell Dixon was born May 15, 1857, in New York City to Robert Dixon and Margaret (Campbell) Dixon. [1] His father was born in Nicholdorest, Cumberland, England, and his mother in Perthshire, Scotland. His ancestors were involved in East India service, and others in English Parliament and the Church of England. [1] Robert Dixon attended public school in Poughkeepsie New York before attending private schools. [1] [2] He attended River View Military Academy and went on to take business courses at Eastman Business College in Poughkeepsie.

Career

Dixon started his career in 1876 as a student in the office of architects D. & J. Jardine in New York City, working with them for just over four years. [1] In 1883 Dixon went into business on his own. From 1885 to 1888, Dixon and Arthur DeSaldern were in partnership with New York architect Thomas Stent. [3] In 1889, Dixon and DeSaldern went into partnership with Charles Abbott French to form the firm French, Dixon & DeSaldern which operated from 1889 to approximately 1893 and built many well known buildings in and around Hudson County. [4] From 1894 to 1896, Dixon practiced under the firm French & Dixon. [5]

In addition to his career as an architect, Dixon was a member of several professional firms. An organizer of the New Jersey Society of Architects, and a member of the American Institute of Architects. [1] [2] He was also a member of the New Jersey Chapter of Architects. [1] Records indicate that he also had a relationship with several other prominent New Jersey Architects including Charles P Baldwin, Herman Kreitler, Thomas Cressey, George W. Von Arx, Albert Beyer, Hugh Roberts, and father-son architecture duo John H. Ely and Wilson C. Ely, designers of many prominent Essex County Buildings. [6]

Personal life

Dixon was married September 22, 1886, to Sadie Gardner Morgan, the only daughter of James G. Morgan of Union Hill, NJ. [1] [2] They had two children, Robert Kenneth, a business man in New York City and Lola Smyth, who married into the Denzer Family. [2] From approximately 1907 until his death, Dixon resided in the Highwood Park section of Weehawken, known for its large stately homes, many of which Dixon designed himself.

In addition to professional organizations, Dixon was a member of many social clubs and community organizations. He had served as a delegate to local and state democratic conventions, was the President of the Board of Education of Union Hill, member of the Columbia Club of Hoboken, the Palma Club of Jersey City, a member of the Grace Episcopal Church of Union Hill, and the Columbia Lodge No. 151 Knights of Pythias. [1] [2]

Buildings

Dixon has either lead or contributed to the design of many prominent buildings in and around New York City, many of which are on the National Register of Historic Places.

Prominent buildings by Robert Campbell Dixon Jr.
BuildingBuiltStateCityAs firm
The Palma Club Buildingunknown NJ Jersey City unknown
Engine Company No. 2 1890 NJ Hoboken French, Dixon & DeSaldern
First Baptist Church 1890NJ Hoboken French, Dixon & DeSaldern
The Columbia Club1891 NJ Hoboken French, Dixon & DeSaldern
Town HallunknownNJ Union Hill unknown
"Lincoln" 347 W 44th Street [7] 1892 NY Manhattan French, Dixon & DeSaldern
"Raymond" 349 W 44th Street [7] 1892NY Manhattan French, Dixon & DeSaldern
351 W 44th Street [7] 1892NY Manhattan French, Dixon & DeSaldern
"Washington" 358 W 45th Street [7] 1892NY Manhattan French, Dixon & DeSaldern
"Columbia" 360 W 45th Street [7] 1892NY Manhattan French, Dixon & DeSaldern

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Daniel Burnham</span> American architect and urban designer (1846– 1912)

Daniel Hudson Burnham was an American architect and urban designer. A proponent of the Beaux-Arts movement, he may have been "the most successful power broker the American architectural profession has ever produced."

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Hudson County, New Jersey</span> County in New Jersey, United States

Hudson County is the smallest and most densely populated county in the U.S. state of New Jersey. It lies west of the lower Hudson River, which was named for Henry Hudson, the sea captain who explored the area in 1609. Part of New Jersey's Gateway Region in the New York metropolitan area, the county seat is Jersey City, which is the county's largest city in terms of both population and area. The county is part of the North Jersey region of the state.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Union City, New Jersey</span> City in Hudson County, New Jersey, US

Union City is a city in the northern part of Hudson County, in the U.S. state of New Jersey. As of the 2020 United States census, the city was the state's 18th-most-populous municipality, with a population of 68,589, an increase of 2,134 (+3.2%) from the 2010 census count of 66,455, which in turn had reflected a decline of 633 (−0.9%) from the 67,088 counted in the 2000 census. As of the 2010 Census, among cities with a population of more than 50,000, it was the most densely populated city in the United States, with a density of 54,138 per square mile of land. The Census Bureau's Population Estimates Program calculated that the city's population was 65,366 in 2022, ranking the city the 590th-most-populous in the country.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">George B. Post</span> American architect (1837–1915)

George Browne Post, professionally known as George B. Post, was an American architect trained in the Beaux-Arts tradition. Active from 1869 almost until his death, he was recognized as a master of several prominent contemporary American architectural genres, and instrumental in the birth of the skyscraper.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Carrère and Hastings</span> American architecture firm

Carrère and Hastings, the firm of John Merven Carrère and Thomas Hastings, was an American architecture firm specializing in Beaux-Arts architecture. Located in New York City, the firm practiced from 1885 until 1929, although Hastings practiced alone after Carrère died in an automobile accident in 1911.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lehigh and Hudson River Railway</span> Former U.S. Class 1 railway

The Lehigh and Hudson River Railway (L&HR) was the smallest of the six railroads that were merged into Conrail in 1976. It was a bridge line running northeast–southwest across northwestern New Jersey, connecting the line to the Poughkeepsie Bridge at Maybrook, New York, with Easton, Pennsylvania, where it interchanged with various other companies.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Vanderbilt Mansion National Historic Site</span> Mansion in Hyde Park, New York

Vanderbilt Mansion National Historic Site is a historic house museum in Hyde Park, New York, United States. Designated a National Historic Landmark in 1940, it is owned and operated by the National Park Service.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Snake Hill</span>

Snake Hill is an igneous rock intrusion jutting up from the floor of the Meadowlands in southern Secaucus, New Jersey, United States, at a bend in the Hackensack River. It was largely obliterated in the 1960s by quarrying that reduced the height of some sections by one-quarter and the area of its base by four fifths. The diabase rock was used as building material in growing areas like Jersey City. The remnant of the hill is the defining feature of Laurel Hill County Park. The high point, a 203-foot graffiti-covered inselberg rock formation, is a familiar landmark to travelers on the New Jersey Turnpike's Eastern Spur, which skirts the hill's southern edge. The crest of the hill's unusual, sloping ridge is about 150 feet high.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Detlef Lienau</span> German architect

Detlef Lienau was a German architect born in Holstein. He is credited with having introduced the French style to American building construction, notably the mansard roof and all its decorative flourishes. Trained at the École des Beaux-Arts, Paris, he designed virtually every type of Victorian structure—cottages, mansions, townhouses, apartment houses, hotels, tenements, banks, stores, churches, schools, libraries, offices, factories, railroad stations, and a museum. Lienau was recognized by clients and colleagues alike as one of the most creative and technically proficient architects of the period, and was one of the 29 founding members of the American Institute of Architects.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">West Hoboken, New Jersey</span> Place in New Jersey, United States

West Hoboken was a municipality that existed in Hudson County, New Jersey, from 1861 to 1925. It merged with Union Hill to form Union City on June 1, 1925.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">John Cox Stevens</span> American yacht racer (1785–1857)

John Cox Stevens was the founding Commodore of the New York Yacht Club. He was a member of the America syndicate which, in 1851, won the trophy that would become the America's Cup.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Old Poughkeepsie YMCA</span> United States historic place

The Old Poughkeepsie YMCA is on the west side of Market Street near the corner of Church Street in Poughkeepsie in New York, United States, across from the former New York State Armory. One of many historic early 20th-century institutional buildings on Market Street, the city's main downtown thoroughfare, it has a glazed terra-cotta front facade, the only building in Poughkeepsie using that material.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Frederick Clarke Withers</span> American architect

Frederick Clarke Withers was an English architect in America, especially renowned for his Gothic Revival ecclesiastical designs. For portions of his professional career, he partnered with fellow immigrant Calvert Vaux; both worked in the office of Andrew Jackson Downing in Newburgh, New York, where they began their careers following Downing's accidental death. Withers greatly participated in the introduction of the High Victorian Gothic style to the United States.

Robert Siegel Architects is a New York City-based architecture firm that designs new buildings, renovations and interiors for a wide range of clients and programs. Their public, academic, cultural, commercial and residential projects are located throughout the United States, Korea, China, and Japan. The firms has a won 30 design awards and has appeared in over 50 publications.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">The Beacon (Jersey City)</span> Development in Hudson County, New Jersey, US

The Beacon is a mixed-use development located on a 14-acre (57,000 m2) site on Bergen Hill, a crest of the Hudson Palisades and one of the highest geographical points in Jersey City, Hudson County, in the U.S. state of New Jersey. The Beacon, which occupies the Jersey City Medical Center's rehabilitated original complex, creates the northeastern corner of the Bergen-Lafayette section and is just east of McGinley Square. The Beacon includes 2,000,000 square feet (190,000 m2) of residential and retail space, approximately 1,200 luxury residences and 80,000 square feet (7,400 m2) of retail space.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Monastery and Church of Saint Michael the Archangel</span> Historic church in Union City, New Jersey, United States

The Monastery and Church of Saint Michael the Archangel, known locally as Saint Michael's Monastery Church, is a state and national historic place in Union City, New Jersey, United States. Formally opened in 1869 and completed in 1875, the grounds of the complex are bounded West Street and Summit Avenue between 18th and 21st Streets. The small street leading to its front entrance from the east is called Monastery Place. At one time the largest Roman Catholic church in Hudson County, it has since become home to a Presbyterian congregation while part of the grounds are used for housing and education. At one time its walls were adorned by artwork by Hildreth Meière, until rain damage prompted their removal from public view.

Samuel Juster, AIA, was an American architect who practiced during the mid-20th century in New York City and New Jersey.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">John H. & Wilson C. Ely</span> American architectural firm

John H. & Wilson C. Ely was a father and son architectural firm based in Newark, New Jersey responsible for some of the more prominent buildings built in the city in the early 20th century, many in the Classical Revival style.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Charles Alling Gifford</span> American architect

Charles Alling Gifford was an American architect and a partner in the New York City firm of Gifford & Bates. He is best remembered for his resort hotels, but also designed houses, churches, and five armories for the New Jersey National Guard.

French, Dixon & DeSaldern was a prominent New York architectural firm that operated from 1890 to 1893 that designed many historically significant public buildings in New York and New Jersey, as well as several remote parts of the country. In 1877 Charles Abbot French began an architectural firm, named Chas A. French & Co, practicing at 200 W. 57th Street in Manhattan. Later, he merged with the Firm Dixon & DeSaldern of 17 Broadway, admitting Robert Campbell Dixon junior and Arthur De Saldern as partners to the firm in 1889, after Dixon and DeSaldern split with Thomas Stent in 1888. All three partners were natives of New York state. The firm French, Dixon & DeSaldern had offices located in The Rutland Building on 57th and Broadway, a well known building which their firm designed. The Rutland hotel was at the 256 W 57th Street, which is now the site of the Fisk Tire Building.

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 Harvey, Cornelius Burnham, ed. (1900). Genealogical History of Hudson and Bergen Counties, New Jersey. New York: The New Jersey Genealogical Publishing Company. pp. 136–137.
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 Feldra, Robert (1917). History of Hudson County: Genealogies of prominent families. Town of Union, NJ: Michel & Rank Publishers. pp. 52–53. Retrieved April 23, 2020.
  3. Directory of British Architects. Vol. 2 (L-Z). A&C Black. 2001. ISBN   082645514X.
  4. History and Commerce of New York - 1891 (2nd ed.). New York: American Publishing And Engraving Co. 1891. p. 174.
  5. "Landmarks Preservation Commission - NEW-YORK CAB COMPANY STABLE 318-330 Amsterdam Avenue, aka 201-205 West 75th Street, Borough of Manhattan" (PDF). Landmarks Preservation Commission. November 14, 2006. Retrieved April 23, 2020.
  6. Brown, Glenn (1908). Quarterly Bulletin Containing an Index of Literature From the Publications of Architectural Societies and Periodicals on Architecture and Allied Subjects from January 1, 1908 to April 1, 1908. The Octagon, Washington DC. p. 203.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link)
  7. 1 2 3 4 5 "Chapter 9: Architectural Historic Resources". No. 7 Subway Extension—Hudson Yards Rezoning and Development Program Final Generic Environmental Impact Statement (PDF) (Report). Empire State Development. pp. 9–37. Retrieved April 23, 2020.