William Martin Aiken
William Martin Aiken (April 1, 1855 – December 7, 1908) was an American architect who served as Supervising Architect of the United States Treasury and during his appointment oversaw and participated in the design and construction of numerous federal buildings that now reside on the National Register of Historic Places.
William Martin Aiken
- Name
- William Martin Aiken
- Born
- April 1, 1855
- Birthplace
- Charleston, South Carolina, US
- Died
- 7 December 1908
- Occupation
- Architect
- Nationality
- United States
- Education
- Sewanee: The University of the South
- Languages
- English
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Documentary summary
William Martin Aiken (April 1, 1855 – December 7, 1908) was an American architect who served as Supervising Architect of the United States Treasury and during his appointment oversaw and participated in the design and construction of numerous federal buildings that now reside on the National Register of Historic Places.
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wikidata · Q8015189 · wikipedia · William Martin Aiken
In this article
Key facts
Key facts
• Name — William Martin Aiken • Born — April 1, 1855 • Birthplace — Charleston, South Carolina, US • Died — 7 December 1908 • Occupation — Architect
Early life
Early life
William Aiken was born in Charleston, South Carolina, and educated at The University of the South from 1872 to 1874. He taught at his alma mater in his last year of attendance and moved to Charleston to teach a special course in architecture. In 1877, he moved to Boston, MA and continued to teach Architecture at MIT until 1879. After leaving MIT, he served under in the office of noted American architect Henry Hobson Richardson and left in 1883 to serve under other architects until 1886. He left Boston to start his own practice in Cincinnati, Ohio.
Supervising Architect
Supervising Architect
Aiken was appointed as Supervising Architect of the United States Treasury and sworn in on April 1, 1895. During his short tenure, he oversaw the design of many notable federal buildings such as the Denver and Philadelphia mints. He resigned his position on June 30, 1897, to practice architecture in New York with Bruce Price and act as a consultant architect to the City of New York.
Death
Death
Aiken died on December 7, 1908, during an operation at a New York City Hospital.
Notable buildings
Notable buildings
• Denver Mint (Initial Design) – Denver, Colorado, 1896 • the third Philadelphia Mint building, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, 1896 • expansion of the Federal Office Building, New York City, 1896 • Pueblo Federal Building, Pueblo, Colorado, 1897 • Federal Courthouse and Post Office, Mankato, Minnesota, 1897 • Allegheny Post Office, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, 1897 • the Châteauesque United States Post Office, now the Castle Museum, Saginaw, Michigan, 1898 • Customs House Museum and Cultural Center, Clarksville, Tennessee, 1898 • alteration of New York City Hall, 1903 • bandstand, White Point Garden, Charleston, South Carolina, 1907 • East 23rd Street Bathhouse, New York City, with Arnold W. Brunner, 1907 • U.S. Post Office and Courthouse, San Francisco, California
Identity and overview
Identity and overview
The following is established of the heading itself.
Works and production
Works and production
William Martin Aiken is recorded as a citizen of United States. Institutional cataloguing adds that william Martin Aiken is recorded with the gender male. Born on 1 April 1855. Institutional cataloguing adds that william Martin Aiken died on 7 December 1908.
Primary material
Documents and archives
authority record
- Wikidata, structured authority record Q8015189: William Martin Aiken
General reference · Wikidata
reference work
- “William Martin Aiken”, 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.Leonard, John William. Who's Who in America. A.N. Marquis and Company. 12. 1903.
- 2.Taylor, James Knox. In Memoriam — William Martin Aiken. The American Architect and Building News. James R. Osgood & Co. XCIV. 1722. 213. December 1908.
- 3.Aiken, William Martin. The Making of America. The Making of America Co. 279. 1906.
- 4.McLean. The Western Architect, Volume 13. American Institute of Architects. 24. Jan–Jun 1909.
- 5.US Treasury. The Federal Presence – U.S. Mint Buildings Across the Nation.
- 6.Children's Museum of Pittsburgh. Background Information.
- 7.National Park Service. Historical Society of Saginaw County :: Castle Building. Historical Society of Saginaw County.
- 8.The Williams Music Pavilion. Charleston News & Courier. 12. Apr 17, 1907.
References
Citations
References
Each reference names the institution holding it, so a reader may go to the document itself.
authority record
Secondary 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 17 August 2026.
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