Fred E. Field Explained

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.

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]

Notes and References

1. familysearch.org
2. American Architect and Building News 18 Jan. 1902: x.
3. American Architect and Building News 9 Jan. 1904: x.
4. Orlando City Directories. 1926–1931.
5. American Architect 1927: 268.
6. American Architect 1929: 212.
7. Power 1931: 426.
8. American Art Directory. R. R. Bowker Company.
9. https://www.rihs.org/mssinv/Mss154.htm
10. Year-book of the Rhode Island Chapter, American Institute of Architects, 1910-1911
11. https://guide.ppsri.org/designer/frederick-e-field
12. Woodward, Wm. McKenzie. Providence: A Citywide Survey of Historic Resources. 1986.
13. Elmwood Historic District NRHP Nomination . 1979.
14. Annual Report of the Superintendent of Public Buildings for 1887. 1888.
15. Annual Report of the Superintendent of Public Buildings for 1889. 1890.
16. Engineering and Building Record 24 Aug. 1889.
17. Annual Report of the Superintendent of Public Buildings for 1890. 1891.
18. Providence City Archives
19. Engineering and Building Record 16 Aug. 1890: 176.
20. Providence City Directory various editions, 1888 - 1894.
21. https://guide.ppsri.org/property/frederick-e-field-house "Frederick E. Field House"
22. Providence House Directory various editions, from 1895 to 1935.
23. https://guide.ppsri.org/property/home-for-aged-men "Home for Aged Men"
24. Annual Report of the Superintendent of Public Buildings for 1891. 1892.
25. Jordy, William H. and Christopher P. Monkhouse. Buildings on Paper: Rhode Island Architectural Drawings, 1825–1945. 1982.
26. Annual Report of the Superintendent of Public Buildings for 1893. 1894.
27. Carpentry and Building Feb. 1895: 29.
28. Engineering Record 15 June 1895: ix.
29. Annual Report of the Superintendent of Public Buildings for 1895. 1896.
30. Engineering Record 3 June 1895: ix.
31. American Architect and Building News 24 Oct. 1896: xv.
32. Blackstone Park Historic District NRHP Nomination. 1998.
33. https://guide.ppsri.org/property/44-oriole-avenue "Clara and John Hambly House"
34. American Architect and Building News 4 June 1898: 2.
35. https://guide.ppsri.org/property/40-oriole-avenue "Ella and John Allen House"
36. Olney Street-Alumni Avenue Historic District NRHP Nomination. 1989.
37. https://guide.ppsri.org/property/walter-s-hough-house "Walter S. Hough House"
38. American Architect and Building News 3 April 1903: 5.
39. America Street School NRHP Nomination. 1987.
40. Engineering News 7 July 1904: 4.
41. Gowdey Database, Providence Preservation Society
42. Wayland Historic District NRHP Nomination. 2005.