View source for George Oakley Totten Jr.

{{short description|American architect}}
[[File:Edward H. Everett House.JPG|thumb|200px|Edward H. Everett House, now the [[Turkey|Turkish]] ambassador's residence.]]
'''George Oakley Totten Jr.''' (December 5, 1866 – February 1, 1939),<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.philadelphiabuildings.org/pab/app/ar_display.cfm/21605|title = Totten, George Oakley, Jr. (1866 - 1939) -- Philadelphia Architects and Buildings}}</ref> was one of [[Washington D.C.]]’s most prolific and skilled [[architect]]s in the [[Gilded Age]]. His international training and interest in architectural decoration led to a career of continuous experimentation and stylistic eclecticism which is clearly evident in many of his works.  The mansions he designed were located primarily on or near [[Dupont Circle|Dupont]], [[Sheridan Circle|Sheridan]] (including [[Embassy Row]]), and [[Sheridan-Kalorama Historic District|Kalorama]] circles and along [[16th Street Northwest (Washington, D.C.)|16th Street, N.W.]], near [[Meridian Hill]]. Most now serve as embassies, chanceries, or offices for national or international organizations, their important public or semi-public functions, combined with their urbanistically integrated close-in locations, make them particularly visible exemplars of Washington's peculiar mixture of turn-of-the-century political and social life.
==Biography==
[[File:Warder House 1515 K St NW circa 1900.jpg|left|thumb|Totten rescued [[H. H. Richardson]]'s [[Warder Mansion]] from demolition.]]
Totten was born in [[New York City]] on December 5, 1866, a son of George Oakley and Mary Elizabeth (Styles) Totten and a descendant of John Totten, from whom [[Tottenville]], [[Staten Island]], was named.<ref>Encyclopedia of American Biography, Volume 10, 1940, page 562</ref>  After receiving his early education at public schools in [[Newark, New Jersey]] and the [[New Jersey Institute of Technology|Newark Technical School]], he graduated from [[Columbia University]] with a Ph.B in 1891 and an A.M. in 1892.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Columbia Daily Spectator 16 July 1891 — Columbia Spectator|url=http://spectatorarchive.library.columbia.edu/?a=d&d=cs18910716-01.2.18&srpos=11&e=-------en-20--1--txt-txIN-%22Totten+Jr.%22------|access-date=2020-08-05|website=spectatorarchive.library.columbia.edu}}</ref> He was awarded Columbia's McKim travelling fellowship in 1893, and for the next two years studied at the ''[[Ecole des Beaux Arts]]'' and ''[[Atelier Daumet-Esquie]]''. He returned to the United States and in 1896, was appointed chief designer in the [[Office of the Supervising Architect]], [[United States Department of the Treasury|Department of the Treasury]]. He continued in that position until 1898, when he established an independent architectural practice in Washington D.C., which he continued until his demise.
He was the architect for many public buildings in that city and drew plans for ten legations and embassy buildings, including the Turkish, Polish, Belgian, Norwegian, Spanish, Swedish, and Danish legations, and the former French embassy.  He was an advisor when the [[U.S. Capitol Building]] was remodelled.  He also designed many private city and country dwellings in Washington, including a group of houses in the 2600 block of  [[16th Street Northwest (Washington, D.C.)|16th Street, N.W.]], representing several styles of architecture. He also designed homes in Vermont and New Jersey.  He was architect for a number of government buildings including the post office at [[Waterbury, Connecticut]] and the $3 million [[Government Center, Newark|post office and federal court building]] at [[Newark, New Jersey]], that opened in 1934.[[File:USPS and DNJ Newark colonnade jeh.jpg|thumb|US Post Office and Courthouse Newark]]
In 1923, he rescued architect [[H. H. Richardson]]'s [[Warder Mansion]] (1885–88), at 1515 [[K Street (Washington, D.C.)|K Street]] NW, from demolition. He disassembled the stonework and some of the interiors, transported them about 1.5 miles from downtown to [[Meridian Hill Park|Meridian Hill]], and re-erected the building alongside his house for use as apartments.<ref>[http://newcolumbiaheights.blogspot.com/2011/06/warder-mansion-house-that-was-moved.html The Warder Mansion] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161013054406/http://newcolumbiaheights.blogspot.com/2011/06/warder-mansion-house-that-was-moved.html |date=2016-10-13 }} from NewColumbiaHeights.</ref> The Warder Mansion is the only surviving building by Richardson in Washington, D.C.<ref>H. H. Richardson designed four houses in D.C.: the N. L. Anderson House, at 16th & K Streets NW (1881-83, demolished 1925); adjoining houses for Henry Adams and John Hay, at 16th & H Streets NW, (1884-86, demolished 1927); and the Warder House (1885-88). G. Martin Moeller Jr., ''AIA Guide to the Architecture of Washington, D.C.'' (Baltimore: Johns Hopkins University Press, 2006), pp. 284-85.</ref>
He was active in professional architecture related associations.  From 1897 to 1939, he served as secretary and vice president of the American section of the permanent committee of the [[International Congress of Architects]].  During [[World War I]], he served as a major with the [[United States Army Corps of Engineers|Army Corps of Engineers]]. In 1926, he authored ''Maya Architecture''.
On August 22, 1921, he married noted sculptor and artist [[Vicken von Post-Börjesson]] of [[Sweden]].<ref>"MAJ. G.O. TOTTEN MARRIES: Weds Mrs. Vicken von Post, a Sculptress of Sweden," ''The New York Times,'' August 23, 1921, P. 11.</ref> They had two sons:  [[George Oakley Totten III]], Distinguished Professor Emeritus of Political Science from the [[University of Southern California]], and [[Gilbert von Post Totten]]. He died at Washington, D.C., on February 1, 1939.
== Selected works ==
{| class="wikitable"
!Image
!Building
!Address
!Year Built
!Notes
|-
|[[File:Embassy_of_Cameroon_-_Washington,_D.C.jpg|125x125px]]
|[[Christian Hauge House]]
|2349 [[Massachusetts Avenue (Washington, D.C.)|Massachusetts Avenue NW]],
[[Washington, D.C.]]
|1906
|Now the [[Embassy of Cameroon in Washington, D.C.|Embassy of Cameroon]].
|-
|[[File:Mrs._Marshall_Field_residence_LCCN2016847097_(cropped).tif|125x125px]]
|[[Pink Palace (Washington, D.C.)|Pink Palace]]
|2600 [[16th Street NW]],
[[Washington, D.C.]]
|1906
|House built for [[Franklin MacVeagh]]. Now the [[Inter-American Defense Board]] headquarters.
|-
|[[File:F. B. Moran House, Washington, DC, 1915 (cropped).png|129x129px]]
|B. F. Moran House
|2315 [[Massachusetts Avenue (Washington, D.C.)|Massachusetts Avenue NW]],
[[Washington, D.C.]]
|1908
|Previous [[Embassy of Pakistan, Washington, D.C.|Embassy of Pakistan]] building, vacant since the early 2000s.
|-
|[[File:Embassy_of_Armenia-Washington.JPG|168x168px]]
|[[Embassy of Armenia, Washington, D.C.|Amaryllis Gillett House]]
|2225 R Street NW,
[[Washington, D.C.]]
|1909
|Now the [[Embassy of Armenia, Washington, D.C.|Embassy of Armenia]].
|-
|[[File:Lithuanian Embassy Facade.jpg|188x188px]]
|[[Embassy of Lithuania, Washington, D.C.|Henderson House]]
|2622 [[16th Street NW]],
[[Washington, D.C.]]
|1909
|House built for Senator [[John B. Henderson]] and [[Mary Foote Henderson]]. Now the [[Embassy of Lithuania, Washington, D.C.|Embassy of Lithuania]].
|-
|[[File:Everett_mansion_southern_vermont_college_20041122.jpg|125x125px]]
|[[Southern Vermont College|The Orchards]]
|[[Bennington, Vermont]]
|1911
|Mansion built for [[Edward Hamlin Everett]]. Was [[Southern Vermont College]] until 2019. On the NRHP (No. [https://npgallery.nps.gov/AssetDetail/NRIS/00000384 00000384]).
|-
|[[File:Edward_H._Everett_House.JPG|125x125px]]
|[[Edward Hamlin Everett House]]
|1606 23rd Street NW,
[[Washington, D.C.]]
|1914
|Built for [[Edward Hamlin Everett]]. Now the [[Embassy of Turkey in Washington, D.C.|Residence of the Ambassador of Turkey]].
|-
|[[File:The_Congressional_Club.JPG|125x125px]]
|[[Congressional Club]]
|2001 [[New Hampshire Avenue|New Hampshire Avenue NW]],
[[Washington, D.C.]]
|1917
|On the [[National Register of Historic Places|NRHP]] ''(No. [https://npgallery.nps.gov/AssetDetail/NRIS/11000717 11000717]).''
|-
|[[File:Ecuadorean_Embassy_in_Washington,_D.C._(15-07-2006).jpg|125x125px]]
|[[Embassy of Ecuador, Washington, D.C.|Embassy of Ecuador Building]]
|2535 15th Street NW,
[[Washington, D.C.]]
|1922
|Now the [[Embassy of Ecuador, Washington, D.C.|Embassy of Ecuador]].
|-
|[[File:Meridian_Hall,_Art_of_Living_Foundation.jpg|125x125px]]
|[[Meridian Hall (Washington, D.C.)|Meridian Hall]]
|2401 15th Street NW,
[[Washington, D.C.]]
|1923
|Building commissioned by [[Mary Foote Henderson]]. Now the [[Art of Living Foundation]] D.C. headquarters. On the [[National Register of Historic Places|NRHP]] (No. [https://npgallery.nps.gov/AssetDetail/NRIS/90002147 90002147]).
|-
|[[File:Langley_Park_Mansion_Sep_10.JPG|125x125px]]
|[[Langley Park (Langley Park, Maryland)|Langley Park]]
|8151 15th Avenue,
[[Langley Park, Maryland]]
|1924
|Now the [[CASA of Maryland]] multicultural services building. On the [[National Register of Historic Places|NRHP]] (No. [https://npgallery.nps.gov/AssetDetail/NRIS/08000809 08000809]).<ref>{{cite web |title=Works by: George Oakley Totten, Jr |url=http://www.scholarsresource.com/browse/artist/2142560116}}</ref>
|-
|[[File:House_at_2437_15th_St_DC.JPG|125x125px]]
|[[Josephine Butler Parks Center|House at 2437 15th Street NW]]
|2437 15th Street NW,
[[Washington, D.C.]]
|1927
|Built for [[Mary Foote Henderson]]. Now the [[Josephine Butler Parks Center]]. On the [[National Register of Historic Places|NRHP]] (No. [https://npgallery.nps.gov/AssetDetail/NRIS/88000171 88000171]).
|-
|[[File:Embassy Building No. 10.jpg|125x125px]]
|[[Embassy Building No. 10]]
|3149 [[16th Street NW]],
[[Washington, D.C.]]
|1928
|Commissioned by [[Mary Foote Henderson]]. On the NRHP (No. [https://npgallery.nps.gov/AssetDetail/NRIS/86003023 86003023]).
|}
==References==
{{reflist}}
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20090512110451/http://www.planning.dc.gov/planning/lib/planning/preservation/2008-03_hprb/2230mass.mar08.pdf District of Columbia Historic Preservation Review Board, Staff Report and Recommendations regarding 2230 Massachusetts Ave., NW, Mar 27, 2008 (accessed Sep 30, 2008)].
* [https://www.loc.gov/rr/print/adecenter/essays/Scott.html Library of Congress, Prints & Photographs Division, "Residential Architecture of Washington, D.C., and its Suburbs," online essay by Pamela Scott (accessed Sep 30, 2008)].
*''Who Was Who in America, 1897–1942,'' (1942, New York: A.N. Marquis, Co.), p.&nbsp;1247.
*''The National Cyclopaedia of American Biography'', Vol. XLI, (1956, New York: James T. White Co.), p.&nbsp;496.
== Gallery ==
<gallery>
Image:Embassy of Cameroon - Washington, D.C.jpg|Christian Hauge House ([[Embassy of Cameroon, Washington, D.C.|Embassy of Cameroon]]), 2349 Massachusetts Ave, NW, Washington, D.C.
Image:Pink Palace DC.JPG|Inter-American Defense Board ("The Pink Palace"), 2600 16th St., NW, Washington, D.C.
Image:Ecuadorean_Embassy_in_Washington,_D.C._(15-07-2006).jpg|Embassy of Ecuador, 2535 15th Street NW, Washington, D.C.
File:Langley Park Mansion Sep 10.JPG|[[Langley Park (Langley Park, Maryland)|Langley Park]], [[Langley Park, Maryland]], September 2010
File:Embassy Building -10.jpg|Embassy Building No. 10, built 1928.
</gallery>
==External links==
*[https://www.flickr.com/photos/mr_t_in_dc/2466564854/ Photograph of the Residence of the Ambassador of Turkey (Flickr website) (accessed Oct 1, 2008)].
*[http://www.embassy.org/gallery/historical/history003.html Embassy.org website, The Turkish Embassy Ambassador's Residence (accessed Oct 1, 2008)].
{{authority control}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Totten, George Oakley}}
[[Category:1866 births]]
[[Category:1939 deaths]]
[[Category:Architects from New York City]]
[[Category:Architects from Washington, D.C.]]
[[Category:American alumni of the École des Beaux-Arts]]
[[Category:Preservationist architects]]
[[Category:Columbia Graduate School of Architecture, Planning and Preservation alumni]]
[[Category:New Jersey Institute of Technology alumni]]
[[Category:19th-century American architects]]
[[Category:20th-century American architects]]