| Smith & Bassette | |
|---|---|
| Practice information | |
| Founders | H. Hillard Smith; Roy D. Bassette |
| Founded | 1911 |
| Dissolved | 1946 |
| Location | Hartford, Connecticut |
Smith & Bassette was an architectural firm based in Hartford, Connecticut. Its partners included H. Hilliard Smith and Roy D. Bassette. It was active from 1911 to 1946.
Harry Hilliard Smith was born November 16, 1871, in Middletown, Connecticut, to Henry Hosea and Phillippa G. (Hilliard) Smith. He attended the public schools of Middletown and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology in Boston. After his graduation he returned to Connecticut and entered the office of William C. Brocklesby, a Hartford architect, [1] and formed a partnership with him in 1904. [2] Brocklesby & Smith was active until Brocklesby's death in late 1910. Early the following year, he established his partnership with Roy D. Bassette. He retired from active practice in 1942. [3]
Smith was also a painter and exhibited in Connecticut and New York. He was married in 1902, to Mrs. Grace (Flint) Lephart of Danbury, Connecticut. [1] He died May 24, 1948, in Hartford.
Roy Donald Bassette was born January 10, 1883, in New Britain, Connecticut, to Frederick Henry and Margaret (Anderson) Bassette. He attended the New Britain public schools, graduating from the high school in 1901. He then went to Springfield, Massachusetts, where he worked for the F. A. Bassette Company, and publishing company founded and owned by his older brother, Frederick A. Bassette. He then attended the University of Pennsylvania, studying under Paul Philippe Cret, and graduated in 1908. From 1908 to 1910 he taught architecture in the university. Early in 1910 he returned to Springfield, where he established an architectural practice. Early the following year, he established his partnership with H. Hilliard Smith. [3] After Smith's retirement in 1942, Bassette continued to practice under the name of Smith & Bassette. After 1946 he practiced under his own name until his own retirement in 1954. [3]
Bassette was married in 1914 to Elizabeth Fidelia Hubbard of West Hartford, Connecticut. He died May 18, 1965, in Hartford. [3]
It has been said of Smith & Bassette that "[they] became known for [their] design of multi-purpose public buildings and their skill in the Classical and Colonial Revival genres. For example, in 1917 [lower-alpha 1] the firm shared first place with Paul P. Cret for the design of a Classical Revival building in the Hartford County Building Competition." [4] : 8 The Hartford historian David F. Ransom has indicated that Smith & Bassette was probably the most prestigious architectural practice in Hartford in the period between the two World Wars. [5]
At least three of the firm's projects have been individually listed on the United States National Register of Historic Places: [6]
Simsbury is a town in Hartford County, Connecticut, United States, incorporated as Connecticut's 21st town in May 1670. The town is part of the Capitol Planning Region. The population was 24,517 in the 2020 census.
The Metacomet Trail is a 62.7-mile (100.9 km) Blue-Blazed hiking trail that traverses the Metacomet Ridge of central Connecticut and is a part of the newly designated New England National Scenic Trail. Despite being easily accessible and close to large population centers, the trail is considered remarkably rugged and scenic. The route includes many areas of unique ecologic, historic, and geologic interest. Notable features include waterfalls, dramatic cliff faces, woodlands, swamps, lakes, river flood plain, farmland, significant historic sites, and the summits of Talcott Mountain and the Hanging Hills. The Metacomet Trail is maintained largely through the efforts of the Connecticut Forest and Park Association.
The greater Hartford–Springfield area is an urban region and surrounding suburban areas that encompasses both north-central Connecticut and the southern Connecticut River Valley in western Massachusetts; its major city centers are Springfield, Massachusetts and Hartford, Connecticut.
George Keller was an American architect and engineer. He enjoyed a diverse and successful career, and was sought for his designs of bridges, houses, monuments, and various commercial and public buildings. Keller's most famous projects, however, are the Soldiers and Sailors Memorial Arch in Hartford, Connecticut, and the James A. Garfield Memorial in Cleveland, Ohio.
The 165-foot-tall (50 m) Heublein Tower is located in Talcott Mountain State Park in Simsbury, Connecticut, United States and provides panoramic views of the Hartford skyline, the Farmington River Valley, and surrounding areas that are particularly spectacular in the fall. It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1983.
Talcott Mountain of central Connecticut, with a high point of 950 feet (290 m), is a 13-mile (21 km) long trap rock mountain ridge located 6 miles (10 km) west of the city of Hartford. The ridge, a prominent landscape feature, forms a continuous line of exposed western cliffs visible across the Farmington River valley from Farmington to Simsbury. Talcott Mountain is part of the narrow, linear Metacomet Ridge that extends from Long Island Sound near New Haven, Connecticut, north through the Connecticut River Valley of Massachusetts to the Vermont border.
The Simsbury Center Historic District is a 75-acre (30 ha) historic district located in the town center area of Simsbury, Connecticut. It encompasses seven blocks of Hopmeadow Street, as well as the cluster of commercial, civic, and residential buildings along Railroad, Station, and Wilcox Streets, and Phelps Lane. Although its oldest element is the cemetery, most of its buildings were built in the late 19th and early 20th century. It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1996.
The First Church of Christ and the Ancient Burying Ground is a historic church and cemetery at 60 Gold Street in Hartford, Connecticut, United States. It is the oldest church congregation in Hartford, founded in 1636 by Thomas Hooker. The present building, the congregation's fourth, was built in 1807, and was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1972. The adjacent cemetery, formally set apart in 1640, was the city's sole cemetery until 1803.
The Pratt Street Historic District of Hartford, Connecticut, encompasses all of Pratt Street, between Main and Trumbull Streets, in the city's downtown. This block, which includes 15 buildings, is the only place in the city where its typical early 20th-century streetscape is retained. All of the buildings in the district were built between 1830 and 1928, a significant number of them designed by major local architects. The district was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1983.
Eno Memorial Hall is a historic civic building at 754 Hopmeadow Street in Simsbury, Connecticut. Built in 1932, it served historically as a courthouse, as a city hall, as an auditorium, and as government offices. It was designed by Roy D. Bassette, and was given to the town by Antoinette Eno Wood, who was descended from some of the town's early settlers. It presently serves as the town's senior center. The hall was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1993.
The Simsbury Bank and Trust Company Building, also known as the former Town Hall Building, is a historic commercial and civic building at 760 Hopmeadow Street in Simsbury, Connecticut. Built in 1917, it is a prominent local example of Colonial Revival architecture with Beaux Arts features. It originally housed the town's first bank, and was its town hall between 1969 and 1984. The building was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1986.
The Norfolk Library, also known as Eldridge Memorial Library, is a library at 9 Greenwoods Road East in Norfolk, Connecticut. The Norfolk Library is a private charitable organization, but the facility is open to the general public. Designed by architect George Keller in 1888, and greatly expanded by Keller in 1911, it is an outstanding example of Shingle Style architecture. The building is a contributing property in the Norfolk Historic District.
George W. Longstaff (1850-1901) was an American architect practicing in Bridgeport, Connecticut.
S. Wesley Haynes (1892–1983) was an American architect from Massachusetts.
Robert W. Hill was an American architect from Waterbury, Connecticut. He was one of Connecticut's most important 19th century architects.
William C. Brocklesby (1847-1910) was an American architect practicing in Hartford, Connecticut.
Davis & Brooks was an American architectural firm based in Hartford, Connecticut, active from 1897 to 1919. It was established by F. Irvin Davis (1869-1944) and William F. Brooks (1872-1950). Among their projects is the Hartford Municipal Building, completed in 1915.
William H. McLean was an American architect from Boston, Massachusetts. He is best known for the design of public libraries, many of which he designed as a member of the firm of McLean & Wright.
Eugene C. Gardner (1836–1915) was an American architect and author of Springfield, Massachusetts. Gardner was noted both for the architectural influence of his extensive practice as well as his writings on the American home. Gardner was the most notable architect of Springfield.
Frederick S. Newman (1847-1906) was an American architect based in Springfield, Massachusetts.