Charles R. Wait
Charles Robert Wait | |
|---|---|
| Born | May 31, 1880 Wakefield, Massachusetts, U.S. |
| Died | March 24, 1973 (aged 92) Andover, Massachusetts, U.S. |
| Resting place | Laurel Hill Cemetery, Reading, Massachusetts, U.S. |
| Education | Harvard College, Harvard Graduate School of Design, École des Beaux-Arts, American Academy in Rome |
| Occupation | Architect |
| Spouse(s) | Anne Hathaway Edwards (m. 1907–1924; her death), Gladys Anderton (m. 1925–1973; his death) |
| Children | 3 |
Charles Robert Wait (May 31, 1880 – March 24, 1973) was an American architect in Massachusetts.[1] He had been partner in the firm of Parsons & Wait in Boston. His notable works include El Retiro (1929–1930) a house in Lake Wales, Florida, and the original clubhouse at Fishers Island Club in Fishers Island, New York.
Early life and education
Charles Robert Wait was born in May 31, 1880, in Wakefield, Massachusetts.[1] His father was architect Robert Pote Wait. He attended Wakefield High School.[1]
Wait graduated with a Bachelor of Arts degree in 1903 from Harvard College, and attended in the Harvard University's school of design (now Harvard Graduate School of Design) where he graduated in 1904.[1] He continued his studies in École des Beaux-Arts in Paris, and at the American Academy in Rome.[1]
Career
Wait started his career as a draftsman for the Olmsted Brothers, a landscape architectural firm where he remained for 12 years.[1] He worked at the Olmsted Brothers with landscape architect William Lyman Phillips.[2] Wait was a partner in the firm of Parsons & Wait in Boston, founded in 1920 with Ernst Mey Parson.[3][4]
His works include El Retiro (1929–1930; also known as Pinewood Estate) a house in Lake Wales, Florida.[5][6] Wait also designed the original clubhouse at Fishers Island Club in Fishers Island, New York.[7][8] In 1933, the Fishers Island Club clubhouse served as a temporary home for students from the Ethel Walker School after a fire had destroyed two of the dormitories used by girls at the preparatory school in Connecticut.[8][9] During World War II, the Fishers Island Club building was leased to the United States Navy and used as a training school.[10][7][11]
He was a member of American Institute of Architects.[1]
Wait's first wife, Anne Hathaway Edwards, died in 1924. He remarried to Gladys Anderton in 1925.[1]
Wait died on March 24, 1973, in a nursing home in Andover.[1]
Works
- Homes in the community of Mountain Lake, Florida, a 1920s development; including Edward Bok's home Valentino (1922),[12] and Maison Sur La Colline (1925)[13][14]
- El Retiro (1929–1930) at Bok Tower Gardens, Lake Wales, Florida; also known as the Pinewood Estate.[15][16]
- Fishers Island Club (1927, demolished 1963), in Fishers Island, New York[3][17]
- House at 6 Adams Street, renovation, in Wakefield, Massachusetts
See also
- Tavern Acres Historic District in North Andover, Massachusetts
References
- ^ a b c d e f g h i "Charles Wait of Andover, architect, Harvard grad '04". The Boston Globe (obituary). March 25, 1973. p. 95 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ "William Lyman Phillips photograph collection". Smithsonian Gardens. Smithsonian Institution.
- ^ a b Bartol, Norma (July 15, 2016). "Fisher Island Golf Course a survivor of the '20s". Greenwich Time. Greenwich, Connecticut. p. 2 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ Who's Who in New England: A Biographical Dictionary of Leading Living Men and Women of the States of Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont, Massachusetts, Rhode Island and Connecticut. A.N. Marquis Company. 1938. p. 983 – via Google Books.
- ^ "A Bok Tower secret". Tampa Bay Times.
- ^ "El Retiro". Bok Tower Gardens.
- ^ a b "Special Exhibition: Building the Olmsted Plan". The Henry L. Ferguson Museum. June 2015. Retrieved July 26, 2024.
- ^ a b Bartol, Norma (July 14, 2016). "The beginnings of the Fishers Island golf course". Greenwich Time. Retrieved July 26, 2024.
- ^ "Walker School Will Move to Fisher's Island As Temporary Refuge After Incendiary Fires". The New York Times. April 15, 1933. Retrieved July 27, 2024.
- ^ Bartol, Norma (August 31, 2009). "Crashes, bailouts and syndicates: A history of Fishers Island". Greenwich Time. Retrieved July 26, 2024.
- ^ Rafferty, Pierce (Spring 2011). "Island History: A World War II Mystery Solved" (PDF). Henry L. Ferguson Museum Newsletter. Vol. 26, no. 1. p. 12. Retrieved July 26, 2024.
- ^ "[Edward W. Bok's home in Mountain Lake Estates (Lake Wales, Fla.) : version 01]". boktowergardens.contentdm.oclc.org.
- ^ Greenberg, Chloe (July 8, 2025). "The 100-year-old 'Maison sur la Colline' built by famed architect Charles R. Wait is now for sale in Central Florida". Orlando Weekly.
- ^ Wolf, Colin (December 21, 2021). "This historic Central Florida estate comes with a yard designed by Bok Tower's landscape architect". CL Tampa.
- ^ "National Register of Historic Places Inventory/Nomination: Bok Mountain Lake Sanctuary and Singing Tower". National Park Service. Retrieved March 9, 2026. With accompanying pictures
- ^ Woodyard, Adele (December 9, 2001). "A Bok Tower Secret". Tampa Bay Times. St. Petersburg, Florida. p. 57 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ "Fishers Island Country Club Now Boasts 250 Membership; Several Art From New London". The Day. New London, Connecticut. November 14, 1927. p. 10.