Résumé

James Milbourne Corner worked for some of Boston's most notable architectural firms, including Cabot and Chandler and Peabody and Stearns, before relocating to Seattle by 1892.

Draftsman, unknown firm, Boston, MA, 1881. Corner worked for a firm a 19 Exchange Place in Boston in 1881. The Boston, Massachusetts, City Directory, 1881, (pp. 1182-1183) listed two firms operating at this address: Lord and Fuller, Architects, and Sturgis and Brigham, Architects, both of which were quite significant.

Draftsman, Cabot and Chandler, Architects, Boston, MA, 1882-1887. The Boston, Massachusetts City Director, 1886, indicated that Sorner worked at 60 Devonshire Street, Room #23. In 1886, there were three architectural firms listed in the Boston, Massachusetts City Directory located at 60 Devonshire Street. They included Horace Burr, and the prestigious firms of Peabody and Stearns (Room #19) and Van Brunt and Howe (Room #27). Burr's room number was not listed. The firm of Cabot and Chandler was listed as being located at 62 Deveonshire in 1886, but at 60 Devonshire Street, Room #23 in the directories of 1882 (p. 1130), 1884 (p. 1211) and 1887. It is almost certain that Cabot and Chandler's address was misprinted in the 1886 directory. (See Boston, Massachusetts, City Directory, 1886, p. 1243,) In 1887, Warren P. Skillings also worked at 60 Devonshire Street, Room #23, with James C. Corner. (See Boston, Massachusetts, City Directory, 1887, p. 1111,)

Draftsman, Peabody and Stearns, Architects, Boston, MA, 1888-1891. In 1888, Corner was again listed as a draftsman, who worked at 60 Devonshire Street, Room #19. (See Boston, Massachusetts, City Directory, 1888, p. 298 and p. 1379 and Boston, Massachusetts, City Directory, 1889, p. 800 and p. 1419, and Boston, Massachusetts, City Directory, 1890, p. 304.) In 1891, Peabody and Stearns moved to a new office in Room #920 at 53 State Street. (See Boston, Massachusetts, City Directory, 1891, p. 1460.)

Partner, [Warren P.] Skillings and Corner, Architects, Seattle, WA, 1892-1898. In 1892, Skillings and Corner had an office in Rooms #31 and 32 of the Haller Building in Seattle. (See Seattle, Washington, City Directory, 1892, p. 959.)

Partner, [William E.] Boone and Corner, Architects, Seattle, WA, c. 1900-1905. In 1905, Boone and Corner had an office in Room #720 of the New York Building in Seattle. (See L.R. Stradley and Company's Seattle Business Directory, 1905, p. 7.)

Principal, James N. Corner, Architect, Seattle, WA, 1906-1919.

Patron, Seattle Architectural Club, Seattle, WA, 1910. Member, American Institute of Architects, Washington Chapter, 1910-1911;

Relocation

James M. Corner was born in MA, likely in Boston, during the Civil War. In 1870, the Corner Family lived in the Second Ward of Boston, MA. The family included his parents, William and Bridget Corner, and his siblings Mary and Sarah. (See Ancestry.com, Source Citation Year: 1870; Census Place: Boston Ward 2, Suffolk, Massachusetts; Roll: M593_641; Page: 537B, accessed 12/06/2022.) Ten years later, James lived with his parents at 32 Everett Street in the waterfront Boston neighborhood of Charlestown. (See Boston, Massachusetts, City Directory, 1880, p. 234.)

Between 1881 and 1886, Corner worked as a draftsman at 60 Devonshire Street in Boston, MA, Room #23 and lived with his father William Corner, a sailmaker, at 25 Cook Street in Charlestown. (See Boston, Massachusetts, City Directory, 1881, p. 242, Boston, Massachusetts, City Directory, 1882, p. 250, Boston, Massachusetts, City Directory, 1884, p. 259 and Boston, Massachusetts, City Directory, 1886, p. 274,)

Between 1887 and 1890, the city directories noted that he boarded in Melrose, MA. (See Boston, Massachusetts, City Directory, 1887, p. 290, Boston, Massachusetts, City Directory, 1888, p. 298 and Boston, Massachusetts, City Directory, 1889, p. 800, and Boston, Massachusetts, City Directory, 1890, p. 309.) A note in the Boston, Massachusetts, City Directory, 1892, (p. 319), indicated that Corner had "removed to Seattle, Wash."

The name of "M.Corner," architect born in MA, appeared in a Washington State Census of 1892. (See Ancestry.com, Source Citation Washington State Archives; Olympia, Washington; Washington Territorial Census Rolls, 1857-1892, accessed 11/29/2022.) The Seattle, Washington, City Directory, 1892, p. 304, listed Corner as living at 807 4th Street in Seattle.

In 1900, Corner rented a room in a large apartment hotel on 1st Avenue in Seattle. (See Ancestry.com, Source Citation Year: 1900; Census Place: Seattle Ward 5, King, Washington; Roll: 1745; Page: 11; Enumeration District: 0100; FHL microfilm: 1241745, accessed 11/29/2022.) He had an apartment at 1520 5th Avenue in 1910, where he lived alone. (See Ancestry.com, Source Citation Year: 1910; Census Place: Seattle Ward 5, King, Washington; Roll: T624_1659; Page: 5B; Enumeration District: 0109; FHL microfilm: 1375672, accessed 12/06/2022.)

James M. Corner likely died just before his 57th birthday in Seattle, and was buried with his parents in the Wyoming Cemetery, Melrose, MA.

Parents

His father was William Corner (born c. 1837 in Quebec- d. 1903 in Boston, MA), a sailmaker, who married Bridget Dyer (born c. 1840 in Ireland), on 09/22/1861 in Boston, MA. (See Ancestry.com, Source Information: Massachusetts, U.S., Town and Vital Records, 1620-1988 [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2011, accessed 12/06/2022.) Her parents were Sarah and James Dyer. Bridget worked in the home, and raised three children.

The three Corner children included in 1870: James Corner, the eldest, Mary E. Corner, (born c. 1866 in MA), and Sarah Corner (born c. 1869 in MA). Mary Corner may have been born in the Roxbury section of Boston in 1867. (See Ancestry.com, Source Information Massachusetts, U.S., Town and Vital Records, 1620-1988 [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2011, accessed 11/29/2022.) As per the 1920 US Census, Mary was listed as being a roomer in the 10 Clark Avenue residence of James and Abbytha Field in Chelsea, MA. She worked as a clerk for a plumbing company at that time. (See Ancestry.com, Source Citation Year: 1920; Census Place: Chelsea Ward 5, Suffolk, Massachusetts; Roll: T625_743; Page: 6B; Enumeration District: 644, accessed 03/09/2023.) Very little information exists on Sarah, possibly suggesting that she died early in life.

A tombstone in the Wyoming Cemetery in Melrose, MA, listed the graves of William Corner (1837-1903), his wife, Mary A.Corner (1840-1904) and James M. Corner. It is possible that William married another woman, "Mary A. Corner," or that this was a misprint on the headstone. Another possibility was that Bridget also went by the name Mary, as they both had the same birthdate.

Biographical Notes

Prior to 11/29/2022, PCAD erroneously referred to the architect as "James N. Corner." His middle initial was "M."

• Boston, MA (Architect's Birth)
  Boston, MA

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• Seattle, WA (Architect's Death)
  Seattle, WA

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