Clarke Waggaman Explained

Daniel Boone Clarke Waggaman (November 16, 1877 - October 3, 1919) was an architect, designer, and lawyer.[1] [2] [3] He designed residences, apartments, commercial buildings, townhouses, and country estates throughout America, most notably the Washington, D.C., districts: Dupont Circle, Sheridan Kalorama, Massachusetts Ave. Heights, West End, and Connecticut Ave.[4]

Waggaman's twelve-year career included a short, two-year partnership with George Nicholas Ray before Waggaman's untimely death. Together, the two redefined several buildings along the corridor of Connecticut Avenue, including Waggaman-Ray Commercial Row. The first project by the two partners was at 1904-1906 R Street NW.[5]

Early years

Family

Daniel Boone "Clarke" Waggaman was born on November 16, 1877, at his family's home of 1008 13th Street in Washington, D.C.[6] to Thomas Ennals Waggaman (December 17, 1839 - June 27, 1906) [7] and Mary Agnes Clarke Waggaman (1850 - December 4, 1889).[8] He was named after his maternal grandfather, Dr. Daniel Boone Clarke, and grew up in Georgetown with his two siblings and later four half-siblings.

The Waggamans were a wealthy, established Maryland family. At age seven, the Waggaman family moved to 3300 0 Street in Georgetown. Clarke's father, Thomas E. Waggaman, worked as a real-estate broker and was once considered one of the wealthiest men in DC at the height of his career. He used his growing wealth to invest in art and public projects - most notably having one of the first art collections in the United States to include works of French artists Millet and Corot. Their private gallery was housed in the adjoining building to their home at what-is-now 3304 0 Street. In addition, T.E. Waggaman's real estate investments included several prominent properties in the DC region - including Woodley Park (owner from 1888-1904), Wesley Heights, Morris Addition, and Pennsylvania Avenue Heights. However, in 1904, Thomas E. Waggaman declared bankruptcy and moved from Washington to Annapolis, MD where he later passed two years later.

Despite his family's bankruptcy (which resulted in a public auction of the Waggaman family's art collection), Clarke Waggaman received a large inheritance from his maternal grandfather and namesake just two years later. This inheritance would form the financial backing for Clarke Waggaman's architectural career.

Education

Until the age of twelve, Waggaman attended Georgetown Preparatory School, which at the time was part of Georgetown College (Georgetown University). Upon his mother's death in 1889, Waggaman moved to Europe and studied under a private, French tutor. Although his European education explored a number of topics, he became particularly fascinated by architecture - especially French and Italian Classicism. His French tutor encouraged Waggaman to continue his architectural pursuits, although it would be several years before Waggaman formally did so.

Waggaman moved back to Washington, D.C., to pursue a law degree on the insistence of his father. In 1901, Waggaman graduated from Catholic University.

Marriage

In 1898, Clarke Waggaman met his future wife and fellow Washingtonian-native, Grace Knowlton, while studying in Europe.[9] The two courted for two years before returning home to Washington, D.C. They were married at his grandfather's farm, called "Valley View" located on Foxhall Road.

They had a son: Wolcott Clarke Waggaman, who went on to become an architect like his father.

Career

Early career

After graduating law school, Clarke Waggaman worked as an attorney for his father's business until its bankruptcy in 1905. Only after his father's real-estate business went bankrupt did Waggaman begin to pursue the practice of architecture. In 1906, Waggaman inherited a large sum of money from his maternal grandfather and namesake. This substantial fortune formed the financial stability that allowed Waggaman to establish his own architectural practice. At the age of 28, Waggaman's first architectural project was a personal project in Woodley Park, where he and his family lived until 1917. The property was located 2600 Connecticut Avenue, NW (now demolished).

During Waggaman's early career, the Dupont Circle area was booming as cheap land prices and the widening of Connecticut Avenue encouraged several wealthy Northerners, including senators, to build winter homes.[10] [11] Waggaman's prior experience in his father's real-estate business provided him with a strong network of clientele. His interest in French and Italian Classicism was especially appreciated by these wealthy clients, and he was soon receiving commissions for both townhouses and country estates.

Partnership

In 1917, Waggaman combined his talents by partnering with George N. Ray, who was formally trained in architecture at the University of Pennsylvania. Like Waggaman, Ray shared an affinity for French classicism, the Ecole des Beaux Arts, and the City Beautiful Movement. Their firm, "Waggaman & Ray," greatly influenced the architectural style of DC's Dupont Circle and Kalorama neighborhoods. Several of their projects involved renovating Victorian buildings with classical, limestone facades and the two are accredited with unifying the architectural style of Connecticut Avenue's commercial buildings.

Legacy

Death

In 1919, Clarke Waggaman contracted the 1918 flu pandemic and died shortly after. He was 42 years old.

Selected works

During the span of his twelve year career as an architect, Waggaman designed an impressive 135 buildings, several of which are currently protected as national historic place or L'Enfant Trust historic properties. Several surviving buildings can be found throughout various neighborhoods of DC, most prominently Dupont Circle. The following buildings in Washington, DC are known projects of Clarke Waggaman or Waggaman & Ray:

Washington, DC residences + buildings

Demolished
Surviving

[12] [13]

Other buildings

Notes and References

  1. Book: Holtzmann, Grace Waggaman. Clarke Waggaman, AIA 1877-1919: A Tribute. Published by the Author. 1986.
  2. Book: Edwards, Thomas Clarke. The Waggamans and Their Allied Families. Rev. Thomas Clarke Edwards. 1983. (in collection of Historical Society of Washington, DC). Paramus, NJ.
  3. Book: U.S. Commission of Fine Arts. Massachusetts Avenue Architecture. U.S. Government Printing Office. 1973–1975. 2. Washington, DC.
  4. Web site: EHT Traceries. 2010. DC Architects Directory. live. https://web.archive.org/web/20200628063241/https://planning.dc.gov/sites/default/files/dc/sites/op/publication/attachments/Architects%20Bios%20T%20through%20Z.pdf . 2020-06-28 . December 17, 2020. 42–45.
  5. Book: DC Architects Biographies P - S: George Nicholas Ray . https://planning.dc.gov/sites/default/files/dc/sites/op/publication/attachments/Architects%20Bios%20P%20and%20S.pdf#page=42 . DC Architects Directory . 14 January 2021 . DC Office of Planning.
  6. Book: Williams, Paul Kelsey. Historical Research of Le Bourget: 2127 California Street, N.W.. Kelsey & Associates. 1998. 8–11.
  7. Web site: Riney. Lillie. January 28, 2002. Thomas Ennals Waggaman. December 17, 2020. Find a Grave.
  8. Web site: Riney. Lillie. January 25, 2002. Mary Agnes Waggaman. December 17, 2020. Find a Grave.
  9. Web site: Condominium Owner's Site. March 30, 2016. Building History. 2020-12-17. 1728 New Hampshire Avenue. en.
  10. Glassie. Henry H.. 1963. Victorian Homes in Washington. Records of the Columbia Historical Society. 63/65. 340. 40067369. JSTOR.
  11. Book: Bednar, Michael J.. L'Enfant's Legacy. Johns Hopkins University Press. 2006. 181.
  12. Web site: Search Results: "Waggaman, Clarke, 1877-1919" - Prints & Photographs Online Catalog (Library of Congress). 2020-12-17. www.loc.gov.
  13. Web site: Giambrone. Andrew. 2019-08-01. Historic Dupont Circle home sells $500K over asking price, for $3.2M. 2020-12-17. Curbed DC. en.
  14. Web site: Waggaman. Clarke. 1907. Architectural drawings for a row house ("residence") for Mrs. T.C. Coleman, 2026 R Street, N.W., Washington, D.C.. 2020-12-17. www.loc.gov. en.
  15. Web site: Waggaman. Clarke. 1922. [Row house, 17th Street and New Hampshire Avenue, N.W. (lot 67, square 153), Washington, D.C. First and second floor plans. Interior elevations]]. 2020-12-17. www.loc.gov. en.
  16. Web site: Waggaman. Clarke. 1912. Architectural drawings for a row house, 17th Street and New Hampshire Avenue, N.W. (lot 67, square 153), Washington, D.C.. 2020-12-17. www.loc.gov. en.
  17. Web site: Waggaman. Clarke. 1917. Architectural drawings for a house ("residence") for Col. J.R. Williams, Massachusetts Avenue and 30th Street, N.W., Washington, D.C.. 2020-12-17. www.loc.gov. en.

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