James G. Hill (1841-1913), Architect
James G. Hill was born in Malden, Massachusetts on October 27, 1841. He was identified as a "draughtsman" in 1867 when he married Julia nee Powers in Lowell, Massachusetts. James and Julia Hill had one daughter, Helen Powers (nee Hill) Littlehales. Hill died in 1913 and is interred at Rock Creek Cemetery in Washington, D. C.[1][2]
When Hill was appointed Supervising Architect in 1876, he was called "Dr. James G. Hill, of Boston, who has for a long time been an employee in the supervising architects' office, for several years as a draughtsman, and for the last two years as assistant supervising architect."[5][a]
This page is a contribution to the publication, Place Makers of Nebraska: The Architects. See the format and contents page for more information on the compilation and page organization.
Contents
Educational & Professional Associations
1864: clerk, "Q[arter]m[aster] General," Washington, D.C.
1865-1873: clerk/draftsman, Treasury Department, Washington, D.C.
1874-1876: Assistant to the Supervising Architect of the Treasury.
1876-1883: Supervising Architect of United States Treasury.[]
Early Buildings & Projects
Nebraska Buildings & Projects
Completion of the U.S. Post Office & Court House (1874-1879), Lincoln, Nebraska.[a] (LC13:C09-001)
Granite fountain for Government Square (1880), Lincoln, Nebraska.
Notes
In 1870, the Hills resided in Washington, D. C., in the household of Scottish-born architect James C. Rankin, who was then assistant to the Supervising Architect of the Treasury.[a] a. Rankin was Mullett's assistant from about 1868 to 1872, when he resigned to accept the position of superintendent of construction of the Chicago Post Office, custom house and courthouse.[4]
A. B. Mullett did the initial design for the Lincoln, Nebraska U. S. Post Office and Courthouse but resigned from the Treasury position not long after commencement of construction. W. A. Potter, who succeeded Mullett as Supervising Architect, detailed in his 1875 Annual Report that the excavation and masonry walls for the basement were completed, but "During the winter's suspension of the work, it was found that the plans prepared by the late Supervising Architect involved the necessity of an expenditure in excess of the amount to which the cost of the building was limited; and...I was directed to prepare new plans...[which] were prepared and approved..." Construction resumed under Appleton through 1876. In the 1877 Annual Report, Potter's successor James G. Hill noted "After considerable difficulty and delay, suitable building material was obtained for the superstructure of this building, and during the past year...the exterior and interior walls carried above the attic-floor joists." Hill supervised completion of construction by 1879.[4][5][6]
c. James G. Hill submitted his first Annual Report to the Treasury Secretary in October 1876.[14]
References
1. Ancestry.com. U.S., Find a Grave® Index, 1600s-Current, s.v. "James Green Hill," [database on-line]. Lehi, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2012.
2. Ancestry.com. Massachusetts, U.S., Marriage Records, 1840-1915, s.v. "James G. Hill," [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2013.
3. Ancestry.com. 1870 United States Federal Census, s.v. "James G. Hill," [database on-line]. Lehi, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2009.
4. "Mr. James C. Rankin has resigned the position of assistant supervising architect of the Treasury department...," (Washington, D.C.) Evening Star (August 28, 1872), 1.
5. "New Supervising Architect," National Republican (Washington, D.C.) (August 12, 1876), 1.
4. Listed in the National Register of Historic Places.
5. Annual Report of the Supervising Architect to the Secretary of the Treasury for the Year 1875 (Washington: Government Printing Office, 1875), 14-16; accessed on-line July 4, 2024 at https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/pt?id=njp.32101067565786&seq=7
6. Annual Report of the Supervising Architect to the Secretary of the Treasury for the Year 1877 (Washington: Government Print Office), 1877, 6.
14. Submitted October 1876 by James G. Hill, Annual Report of the Supervising Architect to the Secretary of the Treasury for the Year 1876, (Washington: Government Printing Office), 1876.
Other Sources
Page Citation
D. Murphy & E. F. Zimmer, “James G. Hill (1841-1913), Architect,” in David Murphy, Edward F. Zimmer, and Lynn Meyer, comps. Place Makers of Nebraska: The Architects. Lincoln: Nebraska State Historical Society, March 3, 2015, updated July 4, 2024. http://www.e-nebraskahistory.org/index.php?title=Place_Makers_of_Nebraska:_The_Architects Accessed, November 22, 2024.
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