Thomas H. Atherton

Thomas H. Atherton (January 16, 1884 - February 1, 1978), was an American architect. A Princeton University alumni; he also studied at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. He designed many public buildings in New York and Pennsylvania and a war memorial in France.[1]

Early years

He was born in Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania on January 16, 1884, the son of Thomas Henry Atherton Sr [2] and Melanie Parke. His father had a law practice in the town. His father had graduated from Princeton University in 1874.[3] His childhood home was located on West River St, Wilkes Barre.[4]

Education

He graduated with an A.B. from Princeton University in 1906, and went on to attend the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, where he gained a B.S. in 1909.[5]

Career

Atherton was a U.S. successful architect. A number of his works are listed on the U.S. National Register of Historic Places.[6][7] [8]

He worked as a draftsman for Carrère and Hastings, the architectural firm responsible for the design of the New York Public Library (1910-1911). He the took a position at Townsend & Fleming in Buffalo, New York (1911-1912). After World War I, he worked in partnership with Philadelphia architect Paul Philippe Cret on the Pennsylvania Memorial in Varennes-en-Argonne, France.

He returned to Wilkes-Barre in the late 1920’s to design the market street bridge,[9] Followed by the Kirby Health Center (1929). He established his own architectural practice in 1941 and entered into partnership with James O. Lacy in 1943, with John W. Davis joining in 1945, to become Lacy, Atherton & Davis.

He served in the Pennsylvania National Guard and reached the rank of Brigadier General in the 109th Field Artillery Regiment.

Notable works

Memberships

Atherton joined the American Institute of Architects in 1928 and was elevated to the college of fellows in 1953.[10]

He was interested in local and family history and was a member of the Jacobsburg Historical Society.[11]

Personal

He married Mary Kidd Mish (1900-1981) in Luzerne, Pennsylvania on February 2, 1921. They had a daughter, Mary, and two sons, Charles H. Atherton (1932-2005) [12][13] and William H. Atherton (1928-2011).

Death

He died on February 1, 1978 and is buried in Hilton Head, South Carolina.[14]

Ancestry

His father changed his name from Thomas A. Henry to Thomas H. Atherton in 1870 by legislative enactment,[15] to honor his maternal uncle who paid for him to attend Princeton University.[16]

He is a direct descendant of William Henry (gunsmith). An armorer in the French and Indian and Revolutionary wars, who served in the Continental Congress and was a member of Benjamin Franklin's American Philosophical Society.[17]

On his maternal side, he is a direct descendant of James Atherton,[18][19] who arrived in Dorchester, Massachusetts, in the 1630s.

Articles

The Morning Call, article on Thomas H Atherton - October 14, 2007

References
  1. AIA.ORG letter from Timothy J. White, AIA
  2. "Atherton One Name Study".
  3. "Decennial record of the class of 1874 of Princeton college".
  4. "Thomas H. Atherton Sr papers" (PDF).
  5. "Philadelphia Architects and Buildings". 2020.
  6. "National Register Information System". National Register of Historic Places. National Park Service. July 9, 2010.
  7. Pennsylvania National Guard Armories MPS
  8. "National Historic Landmarks & National Register of Historic Places in Pennsylvania" (Searchable database). CRGIS: Cultural Resources Geographic Information System. Note: This includes Kristine M. Wilson (August 1989). "National Register of Historic Places Inventory Nomination Form: Carlisle Armory" (PDF). Retrieved 2012-01-21.
  9. "Market Street Bridge, Spanning North Branch of Susquehanna River, Wilkes-Barre, Luzerne County, PA, designed by Thomas H. Atherton".
  10. "AIA College of Fellows - Thomas H. Atherton".
  11. "Thomas H. Atherton Jr papers" (PDF).
  12. "Charles H Atherton followed his fathers footsteps to Princeton to study architecture".
  13. "Charles H. Atherton, son of Thomas H Atherton".
  14. "Find a grave for T H Atherton".
  15. Lane, Hannah Elizabeth (Ferrier) (1906). "Thomas Ferrier, and some of his descendants" (PDF).
  16. "Thomas H Atherton Sr., formerly known as Thomas A. Henry".
  17. "The Atherton connection with William Henry, gunsmith".
  18. "James Atherton entry on the Atherton ONS".
  19. "James Atherton of Dorchester settled in Lancaster Massachusetts in 1654".
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