University Chapels to America’s Cathedral
The Boston based architectural firm, Maginnis & Walsh, 1906-1940 (also Maginnis, Walsh & Sullivan, 1898-1906 and Maginnis, Walsh & Kennedy 1941-1956), was famously known for their refined ecclesiastical and collegiate design. Active during the first half of the twentieth century, the firm completed an impressive body of work with numerous projects in the New England area as well as across the US, Canada, and Mexico. Using the classical proportions, Maginnis and Walsh offered their clients refreshing and innovative architectural creations.
Maginnis was an Irish-American immigrant who arrived in Boston at eighteen and apprenticed under Edmund Wheelwright. Born in Cambridge, Massachusetts, Walsh worked as a draftsman for Peabody and Stearns before traveling in Europe to further his architectural studies. In 1898 Charles D. Maginnis, Timothy F. Walsh, and Matthew Sullivan joined in partnership. Though Sullivan would withdraw to work independently in 1906, the partnership between Maginnis and Walsh lasted the remainder of their careers and together they became one of the leading architectural firms in the United States.
Both men were involved in the Boston architectural community as participating members in many clubs and organizations. Maginnis notably served as president for the Boston Society of Architects (1924-1926) and the American Institute of Architects (1937-1939). Later he received the AIA Gold Medal for outstanding service in the field of architecture. Walsh was chairman and president of the Boston Board of Appeal as well as held membership with the Boston Society of Architects, Boston Architectural Club, and the American Institute of Architects.
The work of Maginnis & Walsh spans a spectrum of architectural styles and often successfully incorporated modern ideas into their work. Evidence of their prominence is confirmed in having been selected in 1919 to construct the Basilica of the Immaculate Conception in Washington D.C. The building was designed in the Byzantine-Romanesque Revival style. However, the work was halted during the Great Depression and was not resumed until after the Second World War. Neither partner would see the completion of the church as it was finally dedicated in 2017.
Boston College, Gasson Hall
Competent in gothic design, the firm notably executed numerous university projects in the popularized gothic revival style. The commission to design a new campus for Boston College sheds light on their capability successfully combining gothic design within the order of a fundamentally Beaux-Arts grounds plan. Formed in the shape of a cross in the center of the campus at the crossing sits a gothic tower, Gasson Hall. Gasson Hall is the first of many of its kind to be constructed on university campuses during the collegiate gothic construction boom.
Boston College, St Mary’s Chapel
The firm became critically acclaimed for their university architecture winning commissions on college, seminary, and preparatory school campuses. The firm explored different architectural styles in order to properly represent the faith, traditions, and education specifically expressed by each campus. At Boston College, the famous collegiate gothic style is shared by all the buildings in their campus design. Therefore, St. Mary Chapel, 1917, is a beautiful interior featuring natural materials in the stone construction, wood ceiling, and plaster walls as well as refined details in the painted decoration and artwork which are unique to the America Gothic style drawing from elements of art deco as well as traditional design. In contrast, the Chapel of Our Lady of Lourdes for Georgetown Prep was built of brick in the Renaissance Revival style. In this way, the chapel is set apart from the other buildings, distinct in its higher order of design and decoration, but still of the same material and proportion so as to offer a harmonious relationship on the campus. St. Joseph Memorial Chapel at the College of the Holy Cross has a similar effect on the campus.
From the country style Medieval of St. Aidan Church (Brookline, Mass) to the Renaissance Revival of the Immaculate Conception (Waterbury, Conn), Maginnis & Walsh proved themselves a firm capable of approaching projects large and small of various architectural styles. Commissions for modifications to important existing buildings such as Trinity Church in Copley Square (modifications to the chancel) and St. Patrick’s Cathedral in New York City (exterior doors) continues to suggest a satisfaction, respect, and trust in Maginnis & Walsh. A large body of their drawings and writings may be found in the Boston Public Library archives. The firm carried on work for a short time after the death of the founding partners. Eugene F. Kennedy, who became a senior partner in 1941, continued to carry out work into the later half of the 20th century incorporating the mid-century and modern trends as inclinations began to shift. The work and design studies of Maginnis & Walsh remain an inspiration and education as their techniques were both innovative and traditional.
