Birdsall Briscoe facts for kids
Birdsall Parmenas Briscoe (born June 10, 1876 – died 1971) was a famous American architect. He worked mostly in Texas, especially in the city of Houston. People often called him "Birdsall Briscoe." Many of the buildings he designed are now listed on the U.S. National Register of Historic Places. This means they are important historical buildings.
Early Life
Birdsall Briscoe was born on June 10, 1876. His birthplace was Harrisburg, Texas. His parents were Andrew Birdsall and Annie Frances Briscoe. His grandfather was Andrew Briscoe. His great-grandfather was John Richardson Harris, who founded Harrisburg.
His family owned a ranch near Goliad, Texas. Birdsall went to a special school in San Antonio, Texas. Later, he studied at Texas A&M University. He also attended the University of Texas.
Career as an Architect
Birdsall Briscoe learned how to be an architect by working with others. He trained under C. Lewis Wilson and Lewis Sterling Green. He even worked with Green as a partner for three years.
In 1912, he opened his own architecture business. He shared an office in downtown Houston with another architect, Maurice P. Sullivan. The River Oaks Company chose him as one of three architects. He helped design nine model homes for their new neighborhood.
Briscoe designed three homes in a special private street area called Courtlandt Place, Houston. These were the J. J. Carroll House, the W. T. Carter Jr. House, and the Judson L. Taylor House. He finished them before World War I. All three of these homes are now on the National Register of Historic Places.
He also designed two homes in Houston for William Lockhart Clayton. Both of these are important landmarks. One was a large home in the Georgian-Revival style. In 1924, Briscoe finished the William L. Clayton Summer House in River Oaks. This was the first building in that new neighborhood to be developed. It is also listed on the National Register.
Briscoe's work can also be seen in the Broadacres Historic District in Houston. He designed four houses there with his partner, Sam H. Dixon Jr. Two of these, the Clarence L. Carter and Walter H. Walne houses, had unique designs. They used large bay windows to create an interesting, uneven look. They also built a Federal-style house for William D. Cleveland Jr. and a Spanish-style house for John F. Dickson Jr.
Briscoe and Dixon Jr. stopped working together in 1926. After that, Briscoe designed four more houses in Broadacres by himself. One of these was the Bettie G. Lester House, built in the Cotswold style. He also built an Italian villa for Burdine Clayton Anderson. Then he designed two more homes, one for Robert W. Wier and another for Edmond Pincoffs.
Briscoe also worked with architect John F. Staub on Bayou Bend. This was a huge mansion built on a large piece of land in River Oaks. It was built between 1926 and 1928. Ima Hogg helped plan the home and lived there with her brothers. Later, Ima Hogg gave Bayou Bend to the Museum of Fine Arts, Houston. Now, it is a museum where people can see beautiful art and furniture. Bayou Bend is also on the National Register of Historic Places.
Briscoe was a soldier in two wars. He fought in the Spanish–American War and World War I.
Death
Birdsall Briscoe passed away on September 19, 1971, in Houston. He was buried in Oak Hill Cemetery in Goliad.
