John Hopper Coxhead, FAIA

I

(1863-1943)

Introduction

 

With a career nearly as long as Frank Lloyd Wright's and a style as inspiring as H. H. Richardson's, architect John Hopper Coxhead could be as wellknown as these two worldrenowned architects. Coxhead has known extant buildings in six states, designed and built buildings in at least twenty states, and has at least ten buildings on the National Register of Historic Places, yet few people have ever heard of him.  Why?

 

In 1999 I created a graphical time line covering the years 1850 to 1950 to help me and others understand how the life and work of major architects, and major world events, architectural periods, and technological advances may have shaped  Coxhead’s work. The secondary purpose of the time line was to help others understand how these major events affected the development of the United States in general and specifically the development of American architecture and landscapes.

 

In 2001, I completed my Masters of Arts in Historic Preservation from Goucher College.  My thesis discussed the client connections in Coxhead’s work.  The next several pages provide some background on John Hopper Coxhead and show some of his more interesting commissions. 

 

The background on these pages is a sketch from Coxhead’s papers, courtesy of John Thomas

Photo Courtesy of John Thomas Coxhead and Jarrett Kroll, Grandson and Great-granddaughter of John Hopper Coxhead.

Coxhead and Jarrett Kroll, Grandson and Great-granddaughter of John Hopper Coxhead.  Although not specified in the sketch, it appears to be of the lectern Coxhead designed for the Delaware Avenue Baptist Church in Buffalo.

 

Enjoy!

Lectern sketch detail, courtesy of John Thomas Coxhead and Jarrett Kroll. Note the Greek cross in the center.  This is only one of the many uses of this cross, which also appears in the windows, doors, and pews in the Delaware Avenue Baptist Church.