George W. Longstaff Explained

George W. Longstaff
Nationality:	American
Birth Date:	1850
Birth Place:	England
Death Date:	January 12, 1901
Death Place:	New York City

George W. Longstaff (1850-1901) was an American architect practicing in Bridgeport, Connecticut.

Life and career

George W. Longstaff was born in 1850 in England. In early life he relocated to the United States, eventually arriving in Bridgeport.^[1] His education, training, and early career are unknown. Around 1885 he established the partnership of Longstaff & Hurd with Frank W. Hurd (1857-1915), a lumber and millwork dealer. In addition to designing buildings, the firm also dealt substantially in millwork and interior decoration. The firm was dissolved in 1894 after a bankruptcy, brought upon by the Panic of 1893. In 1895 Longstaff formed the G. W. Longstaff Company.^[2] This firm was succeeded in 1898 by G. W. & H. Longstaff, with Herbert Longstaff. Longstaff also often served as the contractor or builder on his designs.

He died in New York City January 12, 1901.^[1]

Architectural works

Longstaff & Hurd, c.1885-1894

• Burroughs Memorial Chapel, St. John's Episcopal Church, 768 Fairfield Ave., Bridgeport, CT (1886–88) - On the north end of the building.^[3]
• Sherman H. Hubbard House, 115 Broad St., Bridgeport, CT (1887)^[4]
• P. T. Barnum House (Marina), 374 Linden Ave., Bridgeport, CT (1888–89) - Demolished.^[5]
• Edinburgh Crescent, 431-449 Washington Ave., Bridgeport, CT (1889)^[6]
• Frederick J. Banks House, 803 Clinton Ave., Bridgeport, CT (1890)^[7]
• Ingleside, Ingleside Pl., Bridgeport, CT (1890) - Longstaff's own residence until he lost it in 1894. Evidently vacant.^[8]
• Sea Side Club, State St. & Lafayette Blvd., Bridgeport, CT (1890) - Demolished.^[7]
• Barnum Grammar School, 529 Noble Ave., Bridgeport, CT (1891) - Built with a third floor, now removed.^[9]
• Barnum Institute of Science and History, 820 Main St., Bridgeport, CT (1891–93)^[10]
• Sanford Building, 16 Cannon St., Bridgeport, CT (1891) - Longstaff & Hurd had their offices here. Demolished.^[11]
• Barnum-Thompson Building, 177 State St., Bridgeport, CT (1892)^[12]
• Staples Building, 189 State St., Bridgeport, CT (1892)^[12]
• Maplewood Avenue School, 434 Maplewood Ave., Bridgeport, CT (1893)^[13]
• Wheeler School, 115 Highland Ave., Bridgeport, CT (1893)^[13]
• Westerly Memorial and Public Library, 44 Broad St., Westerly, RI (1894)^[14]

G. W. Longstaff Company, 1895-1898

• Waldo C. Bryant House, 271 Park Ave., Bridgeport, CT (1895) - Now Bryant Hall of the University of Bridgeport.
• Wilmot & Hobbs Manufacturing Co. Factory, Cherry St. & Hancock Ave., Bridgeport, CT (1895) - Demolished.^[15]
• Court Exchange Building, 211 State St., Bridgeport, CT (1896)^[16]
• Mailands, N. Benson Rd., Fairfield, CT (1896) - A residence of Oliver G. Jennings. Now Fairfield University's McAuliffe Hall.^[17]

G. W. & H. Longstaff, 1898-1901

• Westerly Memorial and Public Library (Gallery wing), 44 Broad St., Westerly, RI (1898) - Attached to the rear of the 1894 building.^[18]
• Edward Fitzgerald House, 480 E. Washington Ave., Bridgeport, CT (1900–01)
• Burroughs Library (Remodeling), 955 Main St., Bridgeport, CT (1900) - Demolished.^[19]

Other work

Longstaff also entered, but lost, the architectural competitions for the Clinton Avenue School (1888),^[20] Y. M. C. A. Building (1888)^[5] and the First Baptist Church (1892),^[21] all in Bridgeport. He was also appointed supervising architect for the U. S. Post Office at the corner of Broad & Cannon Streets in 1889.^[22] It has been demolished.

The Clinton Avenue School^[23] and Y. M. C. A. Building^[24] went to Warren R. Briggs, and the First Baptist Church^[25] to Joseph W. Northrop.

Notes and References

1. New York Herald 14 Jan. 1901: 12.
2. Waldo, George Curtis. Standard's History of Bridgeport. 1897.
3. St. John's Episcopal NRHP Nomination
4. Engineering and Building Record 22 Oct. 1887: 592.
5. American Architect and Building News 1888.
6. Web site: Historic Buildings of Connecticut. historicbuildingsct.com. 27 January 2015.
7. Engineering Record, Building Record and Sanitary Engineer 1890: xi.
8. Charles, Eleanor. "Connecticut Guide". New York Times 4 May 1986.
9. Sanitary News 9 Aug. 1890: 180.
10. Faude, Wilson H. Hidden History of Connecticut. 2010.
11. Sanitary News 1 Nov. 1890: 322.
12. Web site: Historic Buildings of Connecticut. historicbuildingsct.com. 27 January 2015.
13. Waldo, George C., Jr. History of Bridgeport and Vicinity. New York: S. J. Clarke Publishing Co., 1917.
14. Jordy, William H. Buildings on Paper: Rhode Island Architectural Drawings, 1825-1945. 1982.
15. Chicago Journal of Commerce 28 March 1895: 23.
16. Web site: Historic Buildings of Connecticut. historicbuildingsct.com. 27 January 2015.
17. Chronicle (Southport, CT) 18 June 1896: 3.
18. Monthly Bulletin of the Westerly Public Library June 1898.
19. Engineering News 30 Aug. 1900: 67.
20. American Architect and Building News 1 Sept. 1888: 93.
21. Catalogue of Practical Books on Architecture, Building, Carpentry, Painting and Decoration. New York: William T. Comstock, 1890s.
22. Evening Gazette (Pittston, PA) 28 June 1889.
23. Building 4 Feb. 1888: 3.
24. History of Bridgeport and Vicinity. 1917.
25. Web site: Historic Buildings of Connecticut. historicbuildingsct.com. 27 January 2015.