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Burnham Hoyt

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Fourth Church of Christ, Scientist, Denver, Colorado

Burnham Hoyt FAIA (February 3, 1887 – April 3, 1960) was a prominent mid-20th-century architect born in Denver, Colorado.[1][2][3]

Early years

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Denver Public Library Park Hill Branch
Hoyt Residence built 1889, Denver, CO
The Hoyt Residence located at 2849 West 23rd Avenue Denver, Colorado was the family home of Merrill and Burnham Hoyt.

Born in North Denver, Burnham Hoyt was the son of Lydia Tompkins Hoyt and Wallace Hoyt, a carriage designer who emigrated from New Brunswick, Canada. He is the younger brother of Denver Architect Merrill H. Hoyt.[4] He grew up in the house located at 2849 West 23rd Avenue Denver[5] and would return to that residence later in life.[6] Burnham graduated from Denver’s North High School in 1904[7] and apprenticed with the Denver architectural firm of Kidder and Wieger. In 1908, he left Denver to study at the Beaux-Arts Institute in New York City, where he won 6 Beaux-Arts design competitions and continued his professional training at the well-respected New York firm of George Post and Bertram Goodhue.[3] While there, he designed the interior woodwork for New York City’s St. Bartholomew Church.[2] After serving two years in the U.S. Army during World War I, where he designed camouflage in France,[1] he returned to Denver in 1919 to join his brother Merrill and form the Denver architectural firm of M.H. and B. Hoyt, Architects.[1]

Later years

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The Hoyt brother's firm prospered during the post war years and they designed numerous commercial, residential academic and religious buildings in Denver.[2] Their buildings incorporated various historical styles, including English Gothic, Spanish Baroque, Greek Revival and Romanesque.[1][2] In later years, Burnham would embrace Art Deco and the modernist International Style.[3]

In 1926, Burnham returned to New York when he was commissioned by John D. Rockefeller to design the interior of Riverside Church.[2]

He worked several years as a Professor of Architectural Criticism at New York University, and in 1930 he became the Dean of the School of Architecture.

On February 11, 1933, the Hoyt brothers' partnership ended suddenly when his brother Merrill died of a heart attack at age 52.[8]

In 1936 at age 49, Burnham married interior designer Mildred Fuller and returned to Denver.[2]

Lake Junior High Denver, CO
Lake Junior High Denver, CO

He owned his own firm in Denver from 1933 to 1955. In 1953, he was elected to the National Academy of Design as an associate academician. He received an honorary doctorate from Denver University, the Civic Princeps Award from Regis College, and a fellowship for design in the American Institute of Architects.[3]

Burnham Hoyt was diagnosed with Parkinson disease in the early 1950s and died at the home he designed for himself at 3130 East Exposition Ave. in Denver.[2]

A number of his works are listed on the National Register of Historic Places.[9]

Credited buildings (partial list)

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Source:[2]

Building Name Location Date Status
Fourth Church of Christ Scientist 3101 W. 31st Ave. Denver, CO 1920
Merritt Gano Jr. House[10] 101 High St. Denver, CO c. 1920 Country Club National Register Historic District
Denver Public Library - Park Hill Branch 4705 Montview Blvd., Denver, CO 1920 Denver Local Landmark
Merryweather House 375 Humboldt St. Denver, CO 1922 Country Club National Register Historic District
Crammer House (addition) 200 Cherry St. Denver, CO National Register of Historical Places
Anne Evans Mountain House (remodel) 1970 Evans Ranch Rd. Evergreen, CO 1924 National Register of Historical Places
Cherokee Castle Cherokee Ranch Hwy.85 Sedalia, CO 1924-26 National Register of Historical Places
Unnamed House 840 Gaylord St. Denver, CO 1925 Morgan Subdivision Local Historic District
Cactus Club Clubhouse 444 14th St. Denver, CO 1925 Demolished
Colorado National Bank (addition) 900-918 17th St. Denver, CO 1925
Davis House 385 Gilpin St. Denver, CO 1925 Country Club National Register Historic District
Denver Press Club 1330 Glenarm Pl., Denver, CO 1925 Denver Local Landmark
Maitland Estate[11] (with Merrill Hoyt) 9 Sunset Dr. Cherry Hills Village 1925 National Register of Historical Places
Phi Delta Theta 1111 College Ave. Boulder, CO 1925 National Register of Historical Places
Standart-Cleworth House 2025 E. 7th Ave. Denver, CO 1925 Seventh Avenue Local Historic District
Harrington School 3230 E. 38th Ave. Denver, CO 1926
Lake Junior High School (with Merrill Hoyt) 1820 Lowell Blvd. Denver, CO 1926 Denver Local Landmark
Charles S. and Marie Thomas House 380 Gilpin St. Denver, CO 1926 Country Club National Register Historic District
Donald Bromfield House 100 Gaylord St. Denver, CO 1927 Country Club National Register Historic District
Montview Blvd. Presbyterian Church, Education Wing[12] 1980 Dahlia St. Denver, CO 1927 National Register of Historical Places
Riverside Church (associated with Collens, Allen and Pelton) 490 Riverside Dr, New York, NY 1927-30 National Register of Historical Places
Sigma Nu Fraternity 1722 Illinois St. Golden, CO 1928
St. Martin's Chapel at St. John's Cathedral (with Merrill Hoyt)[13] 1313 Clarkston Denver, CO 1928 National Register of Historical Places
Steele Elementary School (addition) 300 S. Marion Pkwy Denver, CO 1929 Denver Local Landmark
Albany Hotel (addition) 1720 Stout St. Denver, CO 1938 Demolished
Boettcher School for Crippled Children 1900 Downing St. Denver, CO 1938 Demolished
Maer House (Sullivan House) 545 Circle Dr. Denver, CO 1940
Red Rocks Amphitheatre 16351 County Rd 93 Morrison, CO 1941 National Historic Landmark
Nurses Quarters Fitzsimmons Army Medical Center, Aurora CO 1942-44 Demolished
Infirmary Ward Buildings 203 &206 Fitzsimmons Army Medical Center, Aurora CO Demolished
Burnham F. Hoyt House 3130 E. Exposition Denver, CO 1947
Central Library, Denver Public Library 10 W. 14th Ave. Denver, CO 1955 National Register of Historical Places
Garry House E 7th Ave Denver CO
Waring House Hawthorn Pl. Denver, CO
Broadmoor Hotel (addition) Colorado Springs, CO
Colorado Springs High School (addition) Colorado Springs, CO 1941
Central City Opera House[14] (additions and alterations) 124 Eureka St. Central City, CO National Register of Historical Places

References

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  1. ^ a b c d "Burnham Hoyt | Denver Public Library". denverlibrary.org. Retrieved 2016-09-10.
  2. ^ a b c d e f g h "Colorado Architects Biographical Sketch: Burnham F. Hoyt" (PDF). HistoryColorado.org. Office of Archaeology & Historic Preservation, Colorado Historical Society. Archived from the original (PDF) on July 21, 2016. Retrieved September 10, 2016.
  3. ^ a b c d Noel, Thomas J.; Norgren, Barbara S. (1987). Denver: The City Beautiful. Denver, Colorado: Historic Denver, Inc. p. 203. ISBN 0-914628-22-4.
  4. ^ "Colorado Architects Biographical Sketch - Merril H. Hoyt" (PDF). HistoryColorado.org. Office of Archaeology and Historic Preservation Colorado History Society. Archived from the original (PDF) on July 28, 2016. Retrieved September 15, 2016.
  5. ^ Denver City Annual Directory 1889. Corbett and Ballanger's. 1889.
  6. ^ Denver City Directories, 1889 -1923. Denver, CO.
  7. ^ "The Cultural Landscape Foundation- Burnham Hoyt". The Cultural Landscape Foundation. Retrieved September 10, 2016.
  8. ^ "Merrill Hoyt Dies at Party". Rocky Mountain News (February 13, 1933): Sec 5 page 10. February 13, 1933.
  9. ^ "National Register Information System". National Register of Historic Places. National Park Service. July 9, 2010.
  10. ^ "Merritt Gano Jr". Denver Public Library Digital Collection. Retrieved September 10, 2016.
  11. ^ "National Register of Historic Places - Digital Asset Maitland Estate"". NP Gallery - National Park Service, Department of the Interior. National Park Service, Department of the Interior. Retrieved September 10, 2016.
  12. ^ "National Register of Historic Places - Digital Assets - Montview Blvd Presbyterian Church". NP Gallery National Park Service. National Park Service, Department of Interior.
  13. ^ "National Register of Historic Places - Digital Asset - St. John's Cathedral". NP Gallery National Park Service. National Park Service, Department of Interior. Retrieved September 10, 2016.
  14. ^ "National Register of Historic Places - Digital Asset - Central City Opera House". NP Gallery National Park Service. National Park Service, Department of Interior. Retrieved September 10, 2016.