John Ashton (architect)

John Ashton
Born	1860 England
Died	1953 Lawrence, Massachusetts
Nationality	English-American
Occupation	Architect

Lawrence High School, Lawrence, 1899.

John Ashton (1860-1953) was an American architect from Lawrence, Massachusetts.

Life

Ashton was born in England in 1860, immigrating to the United States in 1875, where he settled in Lawrence.^[1] He worked as a mechanic with Joseph James through at least 1889,^[2] about the time be appears to have begun to study architecture.^[1] He opened an office of his own in 1893. He quickly rose through the profession, and became a major competitor of the more-established George G. Adams, the city's leading architect.^[3]

He was a sole practitioner until 1909, when he established a partnership with Albert Senter Huntress. The firm was expanded in 1920 to include John F. Alter.^[4] Ashton, Huntress & Alter was dissolved in 1933, when Alter opened his own office.^[5] Ashton and Huntress practiced together until 1943, when Ashton retired.^[3] Huntress continued the firm, admitting Clarence A. Pratt to the partnership. Ashton, Huntress & Pratt was dissolved upon Pratt's death in 1955. Huntress' fate is unknown, but Ashton died in 1953.^[2]

Legacy

Several buildings by Ashton and his firms are listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

Architectural works

John Ashton, 1893-1909

• 1895 - Engine House No. 6, 480 Howard St, Lawrence, Massachusetts^[6]
• 1897 - United Congregational Church, 61a Warren St, Lawrence, Massachusetts^[7]
• 1897 - Joseph James House, 567 Haverhill St, Lawrence, Massachusetts^[2]
• 1897 - Joseph Walworth House, 541 Haverhill St, Lawrence, Massachusetts^[8]
• 1898 - Blakeley Building, 477 Essex St, Lawrence, Massachusetts^[1]
  • Home to the Ashton office through the 1950s.
• 1899 - Central Fire Station, 24 Lowell St, Methuen, Massachusetts^[9]
• 1899 - Lawrence High School (Former), 51 Lawrence St, Lawrence, Massachusetts^[10]
• 1903 - Portsmouth High School (Former), 20 Islington St, Portsmouth, New Hampshire^[11]
• 1904 - John Ashton House, 571 Haverhill St, Lawrence, Massachusetts^[3]
  • The architect's own home.
• 1908 - Engine House No. 9, 161 1/2 Bailey St, Lawrence, Massachusetts^[12]

Ashton & Huntress, 1909-1920

• 1909 - Second Congregational Church, 308 Main St, West Newbury, Massachusetts^[13]
• 1910 - John Breen School, 114 Osgood St, Lawrence, Massachusetts^[14]
• 1910 - Central School (Former), 281 Main St, West Newbury, Massachusetts^[15]
• 1910 - Clubhouse, Merrimack Valley Golf Club, 210 Howe St, Methuen, Massachusetts^[16]
  • Demolished.
• 1910 - Wolcott Building, 160 Market St, Lynn, Massachusetts^[17]
• 1912 - Abraham Edwards School, 45 Rantoul St, Beverly, Massachusetts^[18]
• 1914 - Bristol Building, 758 Purchase St, New Bedford, Massachusetts^[19]
• 1915 - Central School, 213 Main St, Epping, New Hampshire^[20]
• 1915 - Smith Building, 175 Water St, Exeter, New Hampshire^[20]
• 1916 - Meigs Building, 45 Broadway, Lawrence, Massachusetts^[21]
  • Demolished.
• 1919 - Edward L. Bennett Funeral Home, 281a Broadway, Lawrence, Massachusetts^[22]
• 1920 - West Junior High School, 68 Waverley Ave, Watertown, Massachusetts^[23]

Ashton, Huntress & Alter, 1920-1933

• 1920 - Charles S. Brown School (Former), 30 Conant St, Beverly, Massachusetts^[24]
• 1921 - Stephen Barker School, 129 Haverhill St, Methuen, Massachusetts^[25]
• 1922 - Saxonville School, 25 Elm St, Saxonville, Massachusetts^[26]
• 1923 - Calvary Baptist Church, 234 Common St, Lawrence, Massachusetts^[27]
  • Demolished.
• 1924 - American Legion Post No. 122, 190 Broadway, Methuen, Massachusetts^[28]
• 1925 - James F. Leonard School, 60 Allen St, Lawrence, Massachusetts^[29]
• 1926 - Framingham Memorial Building, 150 Concord St, Framingham, Massachusetts^[30]
• 1927 - Masonic Temple, 31 Green St, Newburyport, Massachusetts^[31]
• 1928 - Arcade Building, 149 Concord St, Framingham, Massachusetts^[32]
• 1929 - Boston & Maine Station, 65 Merrimack St, Lawrence, Massachusetts^[33]
• 1929 - Eagle Tribune Building, 281 Essex St, Lawrence, Massachusetts^[34]
• 1930 - Portsmouth Junior High School, 155 Parrott Ave, Portsmouth, New Hampshire^[35]
• 1931 - James I. Lawlor School, 41 Lexington St, Lawrence, Massachusetts^[36]

Ashton & Huntress, 1933-1943

• 1937 - Pasteur Hall, Lowell Textile Institute, Lowell, Massachusetts^[37]
• 1938 - Chelmsford High School (Addition), 50 Billerica Rd, Chelmsford, Massachusetts^[38]
• 1941 - Muethuen Municipal Garage, 33 Lindberg Ave, Methuen, Massachusetts^[39]
• 1942 - Victory Steel Products Plant, 371 Market St, Lawrence, Massachusetts^[40]

Ashton, Huntress & Pratt, 1943-1955

• 1946 - Searles High School (Addition), 41 Pleasant St, Methuen, Massachusetts^[41]
• 1949 - Central Elementary School, Main St, Salem, New Hampshire^[42]
• 1951 - Diamond Spring Gardens, Beacon Ave, Lawrence, Massachusetts^[43]
• 1952 - Foster School (Former), 11 Town Hall Ave, Tewksbury, Massachusetts^[44]
• 1953 - Our Lady Seat of Wisdom Chapel, Marist College, Poughkeepsie, New York^[45][46]

Gallery

Engine House No. 6, Lawrence, 1895.  Blakeley Building, Lawrence, 1898.  Central Fire Station, Methuen, 1899.  Central School, West Newbury, 1910.  Memorial Building, Framingham, 1926.  Boston & Maine Station, Lawrence, 1929.  Pasteur Hall, Lowell Textile Institute, 1937.

References

1. "LAW.764". mhc-macris.net. Massachusetts Historical Commission, n.d.
2. "LAW.110". mhc-macris.net. Massachusetts Historical Commission, n.d.
3. "LAW.111". mhc-macris.net. Massachusetts Historical Commission, n.d.
4. American Contractor 24 April 1920: 41. Chicago.
5. American Architects Directory. New York: R. R. Bowker, 1955.
6. "LAW.763". mhc-macris.net. Massachusetts Historical Commission, n.d.
7. American Architect and Building News 8 May 1897: xiii. Boston.
8. American Architect and Building News 24 April 1897: xii. Boston.
9. "MET.29". mhc-macris.net. Massachusetts Historical Commission, n.d.
10. School Journal 6 May 1899: 529. Milwaukee.
11. School Board Journal July 1903: 37. Milwaukee.
12. "LAW.724". mhc-macris.net. Massachusetts Historical Commission, n.d.
13. American Architect 20 Oct. 1909: 8. Boston.
14. American Architect 11 May 1910: 8. Boston.
15. School Board Journal Sept. 1909: 28. Milwaukee.
16. American Contractor 20 April 1910: 21. Chicago.
17. "LYN.468". mhc-macris.net. Massachusetts Historical Commission, n.d.
18. "BEV.274". mhc-macris.net. Massachusetts Historical Commission, n.d.
19. American Contractor 20 June 1914: 59. Chicago.
20. American Contractor 3 July 1915: 77. Chicago.
21. Engineering News 3 Feb. 1916: 70. New York.
22. American Contractor 20 Sept. 1919: 52. Chicago.
23. Engineering News-Record 4 Nov. 1920: 242. New York.
24. American Contractor 19 June 1920: 54. Chicago.
25. "MET.500". mhc-macris.net. Massachusetts Historical Commission, n.d.
26. American Contractor 20 May 1922: 57. Chicago.
27. "LAW.202". mhc-macris.net. Massachusetts Historical Commission, n.d.
28. "MET.1690". mhc-macris.net. Massachusetts Historical Commission, n.d.
29. Engineering News-Record 2 July 1925: 13. New York.
30. "FRM.230". mhc-macris.net. Massachusetts Historical Commission, n.d.
31. "NWB.326". mhc-macris.net. Massachusetts Historical Commission, n.d.
32. "FRM.253". mhc-macris.net. Massachusetts Historical Commission, n.d.
33. Engineering News'Record 1929: 1356. New York.
34. "LAW.234". mhc-macris.net. Massachusetts Historical Commission, n.d.
35. Metalcraft Aug. 1930: 103.
36. Engineering News-Record 25 June 1931: 63. New York.
37. Engineering News-Record Aug. 1937: 638. New York.
38. Engineering News-Record 15 Dec. 1938: 56. New York.
39. Engineering News-Record 13 Nov. 1941: 27. New York.
40. Engineering News-Record 18 June 1942: 222. New York.
41. Engineering News-Record 7 Feb. 1946: 250. New York.
42. Annual Report of the Town of Salem, NH for the Year Ending December 31, 1950. Somersworth: Free Press, 1951.
43. Engineering News-Record 13 Dec. 1951: 96. New York.
44. Architectural Forum 1952: 141.
45. Progressive Architecture 1956: 148.
46. "Our Lady Seat of Wisdom Chapel". http://library.marist.edu/. n.d.