Fred E. Field
Frederick E. Field (January 7, 1864 – December 31, 1931)[1] was an American architect who practiced in Providence, Rhode Island, and Orlando, Florida, in the period between 1883 and 1927.
![](../I/Providence_Home_for_Aged_Men_in_Rhode_Island_now_known_as_Steere_House.JPG.webp)
In 1883, Field opened his practice in the city of Providence. In 1902, he took his head draftsman, Harry A. Slocomb, as partner in Field & Slocomb.[2] This firm was dissolved in January 1904, with both returning to independent practice.[3] In 1907, he joined noted architect Howard Hoppin (1856–1940) in the firm of Hoppin & Field. This, in turn, became Hoppin, Field & Peirce in 1922, when Thomas J. Hill Peirce joined the firm. This firm was soon dissolved, and the partners went their separate ways. By the mid-1920s, Field had moved to Orlando. He had opened his own practice there by 1926.[4] In 1927, Charles E. Choate, who had been in Orlando since 1925, took him as partner in Choate & Field.[5] This firm appears to have dissolved soon afterward, as Choate moved to Birmingham that same year.[6] The 1929-1930 Providence House Directory shows that Field had returned to Providence. By the time of his death in 1931, Field was once again practicing in Providence.[7]
Field was received into the College of Fellows of the American Institute of Architects in 1889.[8] Field was a member of the Rhode Island Chapter of the AIA from 1888 - 1916,[9] and served as its Vice-President for some period of time circa 1910-1911.[10]
In its online Guide to Providence Architecture, the Providence Preservation Society lists a brief sample of Field's residential architecture. [11]
Architectural work
In private practice, 1883–1902:
- Valentine Germershausen Duplex, 25–27 Adelaide Ave., Providence, RI (1884)[12][13]
- Atwells Avenue Primary School, 235 Atwells Ave., Providence, RI (1887) – Demolished.[14]
- Veazie Street Primary School, 287 Veazie St., Providence, RI (1887) – Demolished.[14]
- George J. West House, 95 Roanoke St., Providence, RI (1889)[12]
- Peace Street Grammar School, 49 Peace St., Providence, RI (1889) – Demolished.[15]
- Waldo J. Slocomb House, 12 Brighton St., Providence, RI (1889)[16]
- Academy Avenue Grammar School, 38 Academy Ave., Providence, RI (1890) – Demolished.[17]
- Frederick E. Field House, 102 Melrose St., Providence, RI (1890) – The architect's own home.[13][18][19][20][21]
- Police Station No. 6, 38 Chaffee St., Providence, RI (1890)[17]
- Frederick H. Field House, 144 Lexington Ave., Providence, RI (1891) -- This was the residence of the architect's parents, and later, his own.[13][18][20][22]
- Providence Home for Aged Men, 807 Broad St., Providence, RI (1891–95)[12][23]
- River Avenue Primary School, 159 River Ave., Providence, RI (1891) – Demolished.[24]
- Roger Williams Park Stable, Roger Williams Park, 1000 Elmwood Ave., Providence, RI (1891) – Now the zoo administration building.[25]
- Valentine Germershausen Duplex, 21–23 Adelaide Ave., Providence, RI (1891)[12][13][18]
- Foster N. Gunnison House, 150 Lexington Ave., Providence, RI (1892)[13][18]
- Manual Training High School, 119 Pond St., Providence, RI (1892) – Demolished.[26]
- Messer Street Grammar School, 158 Messer St., Providence, RI (1892)[26]
- John S. Whitehouse House, 195 Lexington Ave., Providence, RI (1894)[13][27]
- Dutee Wilcox Building, 180 Washington St., Providence, RI (1895) – Demolished.[28]
- Hendrick Street Primary School, 64 Hendrick St., Providence, RI (1895) – Demolished.[29]
- Ruggles Street Primary School, 110 Ruggles St., Providence, RI (1895)[30]
- Columbia Building, 15 Snow St., Providence, RI (1897)[31]
- Masonic Temple, 127 Dorrance St., Providence, RI (1897)[12]
- John H. Hambly House, 44 Oriole Ave., Providence, RI (1898)[32][33]
- William R. Tillinghast House, 268 Angell St., Providence, RI (1898)[34]
- John F. Allen House, 40 Oriole Ave., Providence, RI (1899)[32] [35]
- Albert J. Schmid House, 100 Elmgrove Ave., Providence, RI (1900)[12]
- Edmund D. Chesebro House, 421 Elmwood Ave., Providence, RI (1900)[12]
- Walter S. Hough House, 278 Olney St., Providence, RI (1901)[36][37]
Field & Slocomb, 1902–1904:
- Abbott School, Farmington, ME (1902) – Demolished.[38]
Private practice, 1904–1907:
- America Street Primary School, 22 America St., Providence, RI (1904) – Demolished.[39]
- Regent Avenue Primary School, 101 Regent Ave., Providence, RI (1904)[40]
- Horace G. Peck House, 202 Congress Ave., Providence, RI (1904)[13]
- Mary E. and John A. Boyd House, 200 Congress Ave., Providence, RI (1905)[13][41]
- Helen A. W. Hudson Duplex, 24–26 President Ave., Providence, RI (1905)[42]
- Helen A. W. Hudson Duplex, 34–36 President Ave., Providence, RI (1907)[42]
References
- familysearch.org
- American Architect and Building News 18 Jan. 1902: x.
- American Architect and Building News 9 Jan. 1904: x.
- Orlando City Directories. 1926–1931.
- American Architect 1927: 268.
- American Architect 1929: 212.
- Power 1931: 426.
- American Art Directory. R. R. Bowker Company.
- https://www.rihs.org/mssinv/Mss154.htm
- Year-book of the Rhode Island Chapter, American Institute of Architects, 1910-1911
- Guide to Providence Architecture - Frederick E. Field
- Woodward, Wm. McKenzie. Providence: A Citywide Survey of Historic Resources. 1986.
- Elmwood Historic District NRHP Nomination . 1979.
- Annual Report of the Superintendent of Public Buildings for 1887. 1888.
- Annual Report of the Superintendent of Public Buildings for 1889. 1890.
- Engineering and Building Record 24 Aug. 1889.
- Annual Report of the Superintendent of Public Buildings for 1890. 1891.
- Providence City Archives
- Engineering and Building Record 16 Aug. 1890: 176.
- Providence City Directory various editions, 1888 - 1894.
- "Frederick E. Field House", Providence Preservation Society, Guide to Providence Architecture, 2003. Retrieved on 13 October 2022.
- Providence House Directory various editions, from 1895 to 1935.
- "Home for Aged Men", Providence Preservation Society, Guide to Providence Architecture, 2003. Retrieved on 13 October 2022.
- Annual Report of the Superintendent of Public Buildings for 1891. 1892.
- Jordy, William H. and Christopher P. Monkhouse. Buildings on Paper: Rhode Island Architectural Drawings, 1825–1945. 1982.
- Annual Report of the Superintendent of Public Buildings for 1893. 1894.
- Carpentry and Building Feb. 1895: 29.
- Engineering Record 15 June 1895: ix.
- Annual Report of the Superintendent of Public Buildings for 1895. 1896.
- Engineering Record 3 June 1895: ix.
- American Architect and Building News 24 Oct. 1896: xv.
- Blackstone Park Historic District NRHP Nomination. 1998.
- "Clara and John Hambly House", Providence Preservation Society, Festival of Historic Houses Handbook, 2019. Retrieved on 13 October 2022.
- American Architect and Building News 4 June 1898: 2.
- "Ella and John Allen House", Providence Preservation Society, Festival of Historic Houses Handbook, 2019. Retrieved on 13 October 2022.
- Olney Street-Alumni Avenue Historic District NRHP Nomination. 1989.
- "Walter S. Hough House", Providence Preservation Society, Guide to Providence Architecture, 2003. Retrieved on 13 October 2022.
- American Architect and Building News 3 April 1903: 5.
- America Street School NRHP Nomination. 1987.
- Engineering News 7 July 1904: 4.
- Gowdey Database, Providence Preservation Society
- Wayland Historic District NRHP Nomination. 2005.