James Monroe Hewlett
James Monroe Hewlett (August 1, 1868 – October 18, 1941) was an American Beaux Arts architect, scenic designer, and muralist. Hewlett was born into an old Long Island family at Rock Hall in Lawrence, New York. He is descended from a long line of Hewletts for which the town of Hewlett, New York is named.
Also recorded as J. Monroe Hewlett
James Monroe Hewlett
- Name
- James Monroe Hewlett
- Born
- 1 August 1868
- Birthplace
- Rock Hall (Lawrence, New York) United States
- Died
- 18 September 1941
- Place of death
- Martin's Lane, Lawrence, NY United States
- Occupation
- Architect, muralist
- Spouse
- Anna Willets (1867–1920; deceased); 10 children Estelle Rodgers Wilbur(1890–1967; until his death); 1 child
- Nationality
- Kingdom of Italy
- Movements
- Beaux-Arts
- Education
- Fu Foundation School of Engineering and Applied Science
- Honours
- Fellow of the American Institute of Architects
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Documentary summary
James Monroe Hewlett (August 1, 1868 – October 18, 1941) was an American Beaux Arts architect, scenic designer, and muralist. Hewlett was born into an old Long Island family at Rock Hall in Lawrence, New York. He is descended from a long line of Hewletts for which the town of Hewlett, New York is named.
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James Monroe Hewlett (1868–1941) was an Italian architect, muralist and scenographer. The architect was born in Rock Hall.
James Monroe Hewlett studied at Fu Foundation School of Engineering and Applied Science. The architect was associated with Beaux-Arts. James Monroe Hewlett received Fellow of the American Institute of Architects.
Composed from admitted, traceable facts · 28 September 2026
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wikidata · Q22809728 · wikipedia · James Monroe Hewlett
In this article
Biography
Biography
Hewlett graduated from Columbia University School of Mines in 1890. During his time at Columbia, Hewlett studied architecture under William Robert Ware and was captain of the varsity football team. After a year of study at the École des Beaux-Arts in Paris, he joined the prestigious architectural firm of McKim, Mead & White, where he met his future business partner Austin W. In 1894, he and Lord founded the New York architectural firm of Lord and Hewlett. The firm designed many notable buildings and monuments. Monroe, as he was known by his friends and colleagues, was president of the Brooklyn chapter of American Institute of Architects, a founding member the Digressionists, President of the Architectural League of New York, and headed the National Society of Mural Painters. He was also a member of the National Academy of Design, Vice-President of the American Institute of Architects, Director of the American Academy in Rome, and Chairman of the committee for erecting Carnegie Libraries in Brooklyn. The father-in-law of Buckminster Fuller and is credited with the creation of the mural of the heavens on the ceiling of Grand Central Terminal in New York City. "Hewlett and Fuller founded a construction company together which used Soundex, a Celotex product in modules for house construction". A mural at the Bronx County Courthouse depicting Jonas Bronck's arrival was created in the early 1930s.
Key facts
Key facts
• Name — James Monroe Hewlett • Birth Name — James Monroe Hewlett • Born — 1 August 1868 • Birthplace — Rock Hall (Lawrence, New York) United States • Died — 18 September 1941 • Place of death — Martin's Lane, Lawrence, NY United States • Occupation — Architect, muralist • Spouse — Anna Willets (1867–1920; deceased); 10 children Estelle Rodgers Wilbur(1890–1967; until his death); 1 child • Children — David Hewlett Anne Hewlett Fuller Anglesea Hewlett Abbot Willets Hewlett Arthur Thomas Hewlett
Identity and overview
Identity and overview
The canonical record carries the following identifying particulars.
Reception and standing
The scholarly and documentary record stands as follows. Recorded as having received Fellow of the American Institute of Architects.
Primary material
Documents and archives
Institutional database
- Wikidata, structured authority record Q22809728: James Monroe Hewlett
Scholarly · Wikimedia Foundation
reference work
- “James Monroe Hewlett”, English Wikipedia, consulted as further reading
Reputable secondary · Wikipedia
Notes from the source article
Cited by Wikipedia
Notes from the source article
These works are cited by the source article, in its own numbering. They are recorded as its citations, not as sources VALÉORINE has verified.
- 1.National Academy Museum. James Monroe Hewlett. National Academy Museum.
- 2.Lloyd Steven Sieden. Buckminster Fuller's Universe: His Life and Work. New York: Perseus Books Group, 2000. .
- 3.Dan Thurber. The Hidden History of Grand Central Terminal's Celestial Ceiling. Untapped Cities. June 3, 2016.
- 4.R. Buckminster Fuller American engineer, architect, and futurist. Encyclopedia Britannica.
- 5.Deutsch, Kevin. Seventy-year-old mural depicting Bronx founder Jonas Bronck damaged in courthouse construction. The Daily News. November 9, 2010.
References
Citations
References
Each reference names the institution holding it, so a reader may go to the document itself.
Institutional database
Wikidata, structured authority record Q22809728: James Monroe HewlettWikimedia Foundation
Institutional witnessreference work
Secondary witness
The Encyclopedia exists whether or not anything is for sale. Corrections are recorded rather than overwritten, and every version of this record is kept. Published 18 August 2026.
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