Horatio
Nelson White
One of New York State's most prominent architects during the decade
following the Civil War, Horatio Nelson White of Syracuse designed countless residences,
armories, churches, and public buildings throughout the counties of the central
region of New York State. Included in White's impressive resume are: the Oswego
County Court House, the Syracuse High School, the Weiting Block in Syracuse, Oswego's
City Hall, The Hall of Languages at Syracuse University, and many more.
Born in Middletown, New Hampshire on February 8,1814, White was named after the
famous British Admiral, the hero of Cape Trafalgar. Before moving to Syracuse
in 1843, he worked as a carpenter and a builder in Adover, Massachusets. Upon
arrival in Syracuse, White immediately made a name for himself in the Salt City,
earning high praises as the building contractor for the Church of the Messiah.
In 1849, however, Horatio was swept up in the Gold Rush, and set sail to California
in hopes of making his fortune.
By 1851, Horatio finally accumulated enough money to return to his wife and daughter
in Syracuse and establish his architectural firm. In 1856 Horatio was given the
prestigious opportunity of designing the new Onondaga County Courthouse in Clinton
Square. The resulting desing was considered to be a resounding success, and elements
from it were utilized in several of his subsequent plans including the designs
for the Jefferson and Cemung County Courthouses. A sucessful departure from his
"standardized plan" was the County Courthouse in Oswego's Washington Square, where
dome-topped temple style fronts were utilized in a striking fashion. The effect
of this building undoubtedly played an influentail role in the Common Council
Building Comittee's decision to accept Horatio's plans for the new city hall ten
years later. Horatio's reputition was growing as one of the best architects in
Syracuse, a fact clearly evident in the sheer number of commissions he received.
In 1867, White designed the Onondaga Savings Bank, a building that clearly contributed
to the evolution of a design for the Oswego's City Hall. The Bank, later known
as the Gridley Building, exibited many of the same stylistic characteristics that
were used in City Hall, including; the material of Onodaga limestone, the high
basement story which acts as a platform, the long arched windows, the french mansard
roof, and the tall central clock tower. After completion of City Hall, White carried
this design to its final incarnation, The Hall of Languages, the first building
of Syracuse University (see below.) By the 1880's White was in his seventies,
and his practice began to decline. His reputation remained, however, as one of
the most distinguished architects to have been associated with Syracuse. Indeed,
His obituary referred to him as "the Vunerable Architect".
The Hall of Languages
While it is much larger and more complex, the Hall of Languages, Syracuse
University's first building, shares many of it's features with those of the Oswego
City Hall. The use of the mansard roof, the dominant central towers, the high,
plain basement story, the elaborately treated chimneys, and the tall arched windows
are clearly similar with those of City Hall, and had, in fact, become standard
elements of White's public building design. Another factor in the similarity of
the two buildings is the fact that Randall and Nesdall, the Syracuse team that
supplied all the stonework for the Oswego project, acted as the general construction
contractor for the University building.