Résumé

Despite an early death at age 53, Theodore Starrett, Sr., distinguished himself among his peers in the world of large-scale building construction, particularly in New York City. Early in his career, Starrett worked with the Chicago architectural partnership of Burnham and Root, experience that advanced his knowledge of design, architectural engineering and office management. His obituary read in 1917: "Theodore Starrett, founder of the contracting firm of Thompson-Starrett, died at this home in Prospect Plain, New York, on October 9th, in his fifty-third year. Although coming from a distinctively literary family, his mother being at one time editor of the first women's magazine in this country, the Starrett boys, Paul, William and Theodore, in early life took to building construction, and each has made a record second to none in the contracting fraternity. Theodore Starrett entered the office of Burnham and Root at an early age, and his training with these architects and their subsequent friendship, had much to do with his skill in building construction and success in contracting for the erection of many of the largest structures in Chicago, New York and Toronto. His death at so early an age is a distinctive loss to the country." (See "Obituary," Western Architect, vol. 26, no. 5, 11/1917, p. 40.)

Employee, Burnham and Root, Architects, Chicago, IL, c. 1885.

Partner, Thompson-Starrett and Company, New York, NY, c. 1910. Thompson-Starrett and Company designed major skyscrapers across the US between 1901-1940. These included the Woolworth Building (New York, NY, 1913), Palmer House Hotel (Chicago, IL, 1927) and the Waldorf-Astoria Hotel, (New York, NY, 1931). Starrett had contentious relations with New York's building trades unions. The New York Sun reported in his obituary: "Coming to New York about twenty years ago Theodore Starrett founded the Thompson-Starrett Company and at once blazed the trail for the myriad skyscrapers that have been erected here since. Aggressive in all things, Mr. Starrett soon became at odds with the building trades here, and a long and bitter controversy, in which the aid of the courts was invoked, followed. Not long after this Mr. Starrett retired from the concern he started. Since his retirement from the Thompson-Starrett Company, Mr. Starrett had devoted himself to the development of his New Jersey estate, which is one of the handsomest in that section of the state." (See "Theodore Starrett Dies,; Ill 4 Weeks," New York Sun, 10/10/1917, p. 7.)

Relocation

Born in Lawrence, KS, to a Starrett spent much of his youth in Chicago, IL, a hotbed of skyscraper construction, where he could learn the basic techniques of new steel-frame construction. He worked on projects across the US, but resettled in New York, NY, after 1900, and lived there until his death in 1917.

Various dates exist for his birth. Find a Grave.com indicated it to have been 01/31/1865, while a genealogy for his mother's family listed it as 01/21/1865. His death date also has been stated as having been 10/09/1917 and 10/11/1917, although the former was correct. (See "Theodore Starrett Dies,; Ill 4 Weeks," New York Sun, 10/10/1917, p. 7, Ancestry.com, Source Citation Chicago Tribune; Publication Date: 10 Oct 1917; Publication Place: Chicago, Illinois, USA; URL: https://www.newspapers.com/image/355039212/?article=9b74390e-3349-4533-9801-b7d516e28a0e&focus=0.49076438,0.067885764,0.6089196,0.20748726&xid=3355, accessed 07/10/2024 and Find a Grave.com, "Theodore Starrett," accessed 07/10/2024.)

In 1870, Theodore, the eldest in a large family, lived with his parents in Lawrence, KS. Although his father worked as a minister, the family owned $16,000 worth of real estate, and had other assets of $1,000. making it well-off financially for the time and place.

Starrett passed away a month after suffering a stroke at the age of 53. He died at his residence in Prospect Plains, Middlesex County, NJ. (See "Theodore Starrett Dies,; Ill 4 Weeks," New York Sun, 10/10/1917, p. 7.)

Parents

His mother Helen M. Ekin (born 09/19/1840), worked a significant educator and writer. An 1890 family genealogy said of her: "Helen M. Ekin...has had large experience at teacher in the higher institutions of learning, and is now (1890) principal of 'Kenwood Institute,' a collegiate preparatory school for girls, and the largest private school in Chicago. They prepare pupils for the University of Michigan, at Ann Arbor, for Vassar, Wellesley, and for the University of Wisconsis, at Madison, etc. She has also engaged in editorial work, and at one time edited the Western Magazine. She is an author of merit--"the Future of Education Women,' 'Letters to Daughters,' 'Letters to Edler Daughters,' are among the well-written and sensible productions of her pen." (See Sarah M. Fell, Genealogy of the Fell Family in America, Descended from Joseph Fell, Who Settled in Bucks County, Pennsylvania, 1705, [place of publication unknown: Fell Family, 1891], p. 396.)

Of Rev. William A. Starrett (born 01/03/1834 in Allegheny City, PA-d. 01/06/1887), Theodore's father, the Fell Family genealogy commented: "He was a fine writer and poet; an artist by nature and a Presbyterian clergyman by profession; but after the failure of his health he engaged in the practice of law." (See Sarah M. Fell, Genealogy of the Fell Family in America, Descended from Joseph Fell, Who Settled in Bucks County, Pennsylvania, 1705, [place of publication unknown: Fell Family, 1891], p. 396.)

Although his father was a cleric in KS, Starrett's four brothers became either building contractors or architects. His brother, Major William A. Starrett, served during World War I as the Chairman of the Committee on Building Construction of the Council of National Defense, a post overseeing the construction of Army bases on US soil. Later, he served as the President of the American General Contractors Association in 1932. Another brother, Paul Starrett, in 1917, was the President of the important contracting firm, The George A. Fuller Company, in New York, NY, and later went on to found with his brother William and Andrew J. Eken (in 1922) , the important skyscraper construction firm, Starrett Brothers and Eken, building contractors for the Empire State Building (1930-1931) in New York, NY. Goldwin Starrett another sibling, worked as a partner in the New York architecture firm of Starrett and Van Vleck. Still another brother, Ralph Starrett was a partner in the construction company, Starrett and Goss, founded in part by his brother, Paul.

His siblings included: Paul Starrett (born c. 1866 in KS), Ralph Starrett (born 07/24/1869 in Lawrence, KS-d. 12/01/1930 in Winnetka, IL), Katherine Starrett Whitton (born 05/04/1870 in Lawrence, KS-d. 05/20/1951 in CA), Helen Starrett (born 04/24/1872), Goldwin Starrett (born 09/29/1873) and William Aikin Starrett (born 06/14/1876).

Katherine Starrett attended Vassar College, graduating in 1892.

Spouse

Theodore Starrett's first wife was Belle Ostrander (born 01/24/1869 in Madison, WI-d. 03/13/1946 in San Francisco, CA), whom he married on 06/26/1889 in Chicago, IL; she divorced him in Reno, NV, (known for its "quickie" divorces) in 1910. The New York Sun said in his obituary of his divorce: "Mr. Starrett was twice married. His first wife, Mrs. Belle Ostrander Starrett, procured a Reno divorce. Mrs. Starrett maintained that her husband was just as eager for the separation as herself, adding that it was his intention ot marry Miss Elsie Ayers, his typist, as soon as he was freed of her." (See "Theodore Starrett Dies,; Ill 4 Weeks," New York Sun, 10/10/1917, p. 7.)

He remarried Elsie Ayers (1874-1947), a stenographer in the New York office of Thompson-Starrett and Company. They wed in NJ in 1911. (See Ancestry.com, Source Citation New Jersey State Archives; Trenton, New Jersey; Marriage Indexes; Index Type: Bride; Year Range: 1910-1914; Surname Range: A - C, accessed 07/10/2024.) She outlived her husband by thirty years.

Children

He had two sons: Robert O. Starrett (born 04/17/1890 in Chicago, IL), who lived in Nevada City, NV, in 10/1917 and Theodore Starrett, Jr., in 1917 a sergeant in the US Army, stationed at Fort Shelby, MS.

In 1920, Robert lived in Los Angeles, CA, and worked as an engineer. He applied for a US passport in 1920 in order to travel to Japan to "Investigate building construction conditions." (See Ancestry.com, Source Citation National Archives and Records Administration (NARA); Washington D.C.; NARA Series: Passport Applications, January 2, 1906 - March 31, 1925; Roll #: 1039; Volume #: Roll 1039 - Certificates: 159876-160249, 16 Jan 1920-17 Jan 1920, accessed 07/10/2024.)

Biographical Notes

Starrett sailed aboard the Belgian Red Star Liner SS Lapland from Antwerp, Belgium, (via Dover, England) to New York, NY, on 04/09/1910, arriving c. 04/16/1910. (See Ancestry.com, Source Citation The National Archives in Washington, DC; Washington, DC, USA; Passenger and Crew Lists of Vessels Arriving at New York, New York, 1897-1957; Microfilm Serial or NAID: T715; RG Title: Records of the Immigration and Naturalization Service, 1787-2004; RG: 85, accessed 07/10/2024.)