Résumé

Draftsman, Carrère and Hastings, Architects, New York, NY, c. 1897. Morris worked in the Carrère and Hastings office during the time of the competition for the main New York Public Library (NYPL).

Principal, Benjamin Wistar Morris, Architect, New York, NY, 1900- , -1910.

Partner, Morris, Butler and Rodman, Architects, New York, NY, c. 1905.

Partner, LaFarge and Morris, Architects, New York, NY, 1910-1915.

Partner, Partner, Morris and O'Connor, Architects, New York, NY, -1944.

High School / College

Coursework, Bishop Scott Academy, Portland, OR. His father, Bishop B.W. Morris was Rector of this school between c. 1870 and 1904.

Graduate, Saint Paul's Preparatory School, Concord, NH, c. 1888. Not surprisingly, Saint Paul's School was also affiliated with the Episcopal Church.

Coursework, Trinity College, Hartford, CT, c. 1890.

B.A., Architecture, Columbia University, New York, NY, 1894.

Coursework, École nationale supérieure des Beaux-Arts, Paris, France, 1895-1896. He lived in Paris between 01/1895 and 07/1896, according to his US passport application of 06/22/1921.

Relocation

Born in Portland, OR in 1870, Benjamin Wistar Morris, Jr., was the son of the second Bishop of the Episcopal Diocese of OR, Benjamin Wistar Morris, Sr. He was educated in the leading Episcopal school of Portland, the Bishop Scott Academy, before finishing his prep school education at Saint Paul's School in Concord, NH, by about 1888. He next attended Trinity College in Hartford, CT, also aligned with the Episcopal Church until 1968. Initially, Morris intended to follow his father's path into the ministry, but changed his mind, switching to architecture. In the early 1870s, Trinity College moved its campus, and was in need of an architect and a master plan. Trinity's president, Abner Jackson (1800-1874), traveled in England visiting architects and their works, before commissioning the celebrated English architect William Burges (1827-1881) to create a lavish architectural plan composed of three large quadrangles sitated around a tall clock tower. The force behind this grand plan, Jackson, passed away in 1874, before fund-raising could be completed and Burges's notable but costly plan was never realized. Instead, three buildings at Trinity, the Long Walk, were completed between 1878 and 1883, all in the Gothic Style. It is certainly possible that these then-new buildings inspired Morris's change of profession into architecture.

He transferred to Columbia University in New York, chartered by King George II of England in 1754, where he completed a course in architecture. Originally known as "King's College" its name was changed after the Revolutionary War, in 1784, to its current name. As it had been a bastion of royal English culture in New York, its stayed closed between 1776 and 1784. This close relation to high-church England may have appealed to Morris and his father.

Except for visits, Benjamin Wistar Morris, Jr., never again lived in Portland, but spent most of his life in New York, NY. In 1894, while finishing at Columbia, Morris lived at the Psi Upsilon Club, 33 West 42nd Street in New York. On 12/12/1894, he applied for a US passport to enable him to study at the École des Beaux-Arts in Paris. (See Ancestry.com, Source Citation National Archives and Records Administration (NARA); Washington D.C.; NARA Series: Passport Applications, 1795-1905; Roll #: 433; Volume #: Roll 433 - 01 Dec 1894-31 Dec 1894, accessed 06/26/2023.)

In 1900, Morris resided at 37 West 48th Street in New York City, according to his US passport application. (See Ancestry.com, Source Citation National Archives and Records Administration (NARA); Washington D.C.; NARA Series: Passport Applications, 1795-1905; Roll #: 563; Volume #: Roll 563 - 15 Aug 1900-31 Aug 1900, accessed 06/26/2023.)

In 1920, he and his family lived in an apartment building at 995 Madison Avenue. The household consisted of his wife Alice, their two children Mary and Benjamin, and a servant, Bridie Mulrenan (born c. 1898 in Ireland). (See Ancestry.com, Source Citation Year: 1920; Census Place: Manhattan Assembly District 15, New York, New York; Roll: T625_1213; Page: 17A; Enumeration District: 1087, accessed 06/26/2023.)

A year later, he indicated on another passport application of 1921 that his permanent residence was in Mount Kisco, NY, in Westchester County. (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 #: 1670; Volume #: Roll 1670 - Certificates: 57750-58125, 24 Jun 1921-24 Jun 1921, accessed 06/26/2023.)

Parents

His father was Benjamin Wistar Morris, Sr., (born 05/30/1819 in Wellsboro, PA-d. 04/07/1906). His great-grandfather Benjamin Wistar Morris (1762-1825) established Wellsboro, PA. This earlier Morris has been referred to in some documentation as "Benjamin Wistar Morris I," although there was a generation intervening (Samuel Wells Morris [born 09/01/1786-d. 05/25/1847], who became a US House Representative from PA) between Benjamin Wistar Morris, Sr., and his grandfather. On his 08/30/1900 US passport application, he referred to himself as "Benjamin Wistar Morris, Jr." (See Ancestry.com, Source Citation National Archives and Records Administration (NARA); Washington D.C.; NARA Series: Passport Applications, 1795-1905; Roll #: 563; Volume #: Roll 563 - 15 Aug 1900-31 Aug 1900, accessed 06/26/2023.)

The family middle name has been spelled both as "Wister" and "Wistar."

Spouse

He wed Alice Fenwick Goodwin (born 03/30/1871 in Hartford, CT-d. 04/05/1947) In 1900, Alice Fenwick Goodwin, then 30, continued to live at home with her parents in Hartford, CT. She was one of eight children had by her mother Mary Alsop Jackson (born 07/14/1842 in CT-d. 09/20/1922 in Hartford, CT), of whom seven were alive in 1900. Her father Francis Goodwin (born 09/25/1839 in Hartford, CT-d. 10/05/1923 in Hartford, CT) was also a clergyman. (See Ancestry.com, Source Citation Year: 1900; Census Place: Hartford, Hartford, Connecticut; Roll: 137; Page: 7; Enumeration District: 0158, accessed 06/26/2023.)

Children

He and Alice had two children: Mary Wistar O'Connor (born 11/27/1901 in New York, NY-d. 07/13/2004 in Bedford, NY) and Benjamin Morris.

Biographical Notes

At age 29, Morris stood 6-feet and 1/4-inch tall. As per a 1900 US passport application, he was Caucasian, with a medium complexion, high forehead, large mouth and oval face. His eyes were green and hair dark brown. (See Ancestry.com, Source Citation National Archives and Records Administration (NARA); Washington D.C.; NARA Series: Passport Applications, 1795-1905; Roll #: 563; Volume #: Roll 563 - 15 Aug 1900-31 Aug 1900, accessed 06/26/2023.)

Morris traveled in Europe with his wife in 1921. They traveled for "education and recreation" in the British Isles, Belgium, France, Spain, Switzerland and Italy, leaving 07/02/1921 aboard the Cunard liner R.M.S. Caronia. (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 #: 1670; Volume #: Roll 1670 - Certificates: 57750-58125, 24 Jun 1921-24 Jun 1921, accessed 06/26/2023.)