Henry Forbes Bigelow

Henry Forbes Bigelow (May 12, 1867 – August 12, 1929) was an American architect, best known for his work with the firm of Bigelow & Wadsworth in Boston, Massachusetts. He was noted as an architect of civic, commercial and domestic buildings. In an obituary, his contemporary William T. Aldrich wrote that "Mr. Bigelow probably contributed more to the creation of charming and distinguished house interiors than any one person of his time." Numerous buildings designed by Bigelow and his associates have been listed on the United States National Register of Historic Places (NRHP).

Early life Bigelow was born in Clinton, Massachusetts to Henry Nelson Bigelow (1839–1907) and Clarissa Nichols (née Forbes) Bigelow (1841–1876). His father was the managing agent of the Bigelow Carpet Company of Clinton, which had been founded by his father and uncle. His maternal grandfather was Franklin Forbes. While there, he was a member of the fraternity of Delta Psi (aka St. Anthony Hall). As he lacked a practice of his own, construction of the building was entrusted to architects from the Boston firm of Winslow & Wetherell under George Homans. Wetherell and Walter T. Winslow.

Bigelow designed three mansions for his family. In 1899, he renovated a house at 1073 Brush Hill Road in Milton, Massachusetts into a stucco Italian villa that the family used as a summer house until 1917. His primary residence was at 142 Chestnut Street on Beacon Hill in Boston. Designed by Bigelow in 1915 in the Italian style, the family mansion featured a large courtyard. In June 1916, an entire issue of The American Architect was dedicated to this house, with eighteen full-page photographs. Another family summer home was Pineapple Court, a Spanish Revival style villa at 89 West Street in Beverly Farms, Massachusetts.

Professional affiliations Bigelow became a member of the American Institute of Architects in 1901 and was elected to the College of Fellows in 1905. He was an associate fellow in the Boston Society of Architects and a member of the Boston Architectural Club.

Starting in 1919, he was a trustee of the Boston Museum of Fine Arts, serving as chairman of the committee on the new wing and as a member of the museum committee. He was also a member of the Boston Art Commission. She was the daughter of Maria L. Robbins and the Hon. Edward L. Davis of Boston and Worcester. Forbes House, Milton Academy 1893 170 Centre Street, Milton, Massachusetts Gilbert Building (Major's Inn and Gilbert Block) 1893–94 3-9 Commercial Street, Gilbertsville, New York NRHP Mrs. Charles Appleton House 1894 4 Hawthorne Road, Brookline, Massachusetts Elizabeth (née Appleton) and Charles Packard Ware House 1894 52 Allerton Street, Brookline, Massachusetts Lyman Davenport–Henry F. Bigelow House (remodeling) 1899 1073 Brush Hill Road in Milton, Massachusetts Canton Public Library 1901–02 786 Washington Street, Canton, Massachusetts Bigelow Free Public Library 1902–03 54 Walnut Street, Clinton, Massachusetts Compton Building 1902–03 159–175 Devonshire Street, Boston, Massachusetts NRHP Needham Town Hall 1902–03 1471 Highland Avenue, Needham, Massachusetts NRHD L Street Generating Station, Edison Electric Illuminating Company 1904 776–834 Summer Street, South Boston, Boston, Massachusetts Substation, Edison Electric Illuminating Company 1904 374 Homer Street, Newton, Massachusett NRHP Hoopes House 1904 153 Warren Street, Glen Falls, New York NRHP Worcester County Institution for Savings Building 1906 365 Main Street, Worcester, Massachusetts NRHP Alexander Sylvanus Porter Jr. House 1906 189 Marlborough, Back Bay, Boston, Massachusetts Edison Electric Illuminating Company of Boston Building 1906,1922 39 Boylston Street, Boston, Massachusetts NRHP Schlesinger Library, Radcliffe College 1906 10 Garden Street, Cambridge, Massachusetts National Shawmut Bank Building 1907 Devonshire, Water, and Congress Streets, Boston, Massachusetts "The Pines" for Mary Cabot (née Higginson) and Philip Sears 1907 Hale Street, Prides Crossing, Beverly, Massachusetts "Crownledge" for Eugene V. R. Thayer Jr. (now Trivium School) 1909 471 Langen Road, Lancaster, Massachusetts Rose Linzee Dexter House (remodeling) 1910 400 Beacon, Back Bay, Boston, Massachusetts Hyde House 1910–11 161 Warren Street, Glen Falls, New York NRHP Fifth Meeting House (restoration) 1912 Lancaster, Massachusetts Eugene V. R. Thayer House (remodeling) 1912 340 Beacon, Back Bay, Boston, Massachusetts Mabel Hunt Slater House (ballroom addition) 1913 448 Beacon, Back Bay, Boston, Massachusetts Number Six Club (Delta Psi Fraternity House) 1913 428 Memorial Drive, Cambridge, Massachusetts "Warren Farm" for Mary Cabot (née Higginson) and Philip Sears 1913 260 Heath Street, Brookline, Massachusetts Boston Athenæum penthouse and rear additions 1913–14 10 1/2 Beacon Street, Boston, Massachusetts NHL James J. Storrow House (remodeling) 1915 417 Beacon, Back Bay, Boston, Massachusetts Charles Taylor Lovering Jr. House (remodeling) 1915 9 Gloucester, Back Bay, Boston, Massachusetts Henry Forbes Bigelow House 142 Chestnut Street, Beacon Hill, Boston, Massachusetts Eliza and George Hemenway Cabot House (remodeling) 1916 169 Marlborough, Back Bay, Boston, Massachusetts Susannah and Otis Norcross Jr. House (remodeling) 1916 249 Marlborough, Back Bay, Boston, Massachusetts Interurban Building 1916 1500 Jackson Street, Dallas, Texas Weston Town Hall 1916–17 11 Town House Road, Weston, Massachusetts Dorothy and Dr. Francis Minot Rackemann House (remodeling) 1917 263 Beacon, Back Bay, Boston, Massachusetts Katherine Eliot Bullard House (remodeling) 1917 39 Commonwealth, Back Bay, Boston, Massachusetts Building No. 220, Rock Island Arsenal 1917–18 Rock Island, Illinois Paul Barron Watson House (remodeling) 1919 278 Clarendon (203 Beacon), Back Bay, Boston, Massachusetts Caroline and Edward C. Storrow House (remodeling) 1919 191 Marlborough, Back Bay, Boston, Massachusetts Margaret and Albert Creighton House (remodeling) 1921 340 Beacon, Back Bay, Boston, Massachusetts First Church of Christ, Scientist 1923–24, 1929–30 13 Waterhouse Street, Cambridge, Massachusetts 137 Marlboro Street Trust Apartment Building 1925 137 Marlborough (317 Dartmouth), Back Bay, Boston, Massachusetts McGinley Mansion 1925 582 Blue Hill Avenue, Milton, Massachusetts Apartment Building 1926 116 Charles Street, Beacon Hill, Boston, Massachusetts Susannah and Harcourt Amory Jr. House (remodeling) 1926 174 Marlborough, Back Bay, Boston, Massachusetts Chilton Club (remodeling) 1926 50 Commonwealth, Back Bay, Boston, Massachusetts Mary and Arnold Welles Hunnewell House (remodeling) 1926 129 Commonwealth, Back Bay, Boston, Massachusetts Investors Securities Trust Apartment Building 1926–27 192 Commonwealth, Back Bay, Boston, Massachusetts Apartment Building 1927 10 Otis Place, Beacon Hill, Boston, Massachusetts Hannah Adams Pfaff High School (former) 1927 3 Dale Street, Medfield, Massachusetts Frederica and Richard Dudley Sears Jr. House (remodeling) 1927 9 Exeter, Back Bay, Boston, Massachusetts Madison Apartments for Beacon Street Trust 1927 172 Beacon, Back Bay, Boston, Massachusetts Medical Office Building 1927–28 264 Beacon, Back Bay, Boston, Massachusetts House 1928 240 Dudley Street, Brookline, Massachusetts Mary (née Ames) Frothingham House (remodeling) 1929 7 Commonwealth, Back Bay, Boston, Massachusetts Mary and Edward Henry Best House (remodeling) 1929 80 Commonwealth, Back Bay, Boston, Massachusetts Eliza and George Edward Cabot House (remodeling) 1929 167 Marlborough, Back Bay, Boston, Massachusetts Eliza and George Edward Cabot House (remodeling) 1929 169 Marlborough, Back Bay, Boston, Massachusetts Nancy and Eliot Wadsworth House (remodeling) 1929 180 Marlborough, Back Bay, Boston, Massachusetts Ansin Building (now Emerson College) 1930–31 180 Tremont Street, Boston, Massachusetts Tremont Building Boston, Massachusetts