National Park Service U.S. Department of the Interior

Analysis of Historical Significance and Integrity by Resource Type
The firm's first Italian Renaissance product was the design of the Villard houses (1882-
85) in New York City, which was actually crafted by Joseph M. Wells, White's principal
assistant. 1385 From that point forward, the firm began to experiment with all possible variations:
This embrace of Renaissance classicism and the resulting greater reliance on established
authority came at an opportune time, for the increasing pressure of business, as it forced the
partners to relegate more and more work to their assistants, made it convenient, as
Richardson had discovered, to send the men to the library to perfect the details. 1386
McKim became involved with the design of the Boston Public Library in 1887 but
did not solidify it until March of 1888. 1387 With it, "the firm adopted Italian Renaissance
classicism as its preferred mode of design. Though various historic sources had provided
inspiration, the library was a well-integrated ensemble." 1388 The final design was steeped in
Beaux-Arts tradition, not only reflecting a plan that employed logical axes, but also
requiring the contribution of several sculptors and painters to complete the whole. 1389
This Beaux-Arts influence continued in the firm's monuments, with McKim's
surrounding terrace and support for Saint-Gaudens' Robert Gould Shaw Memorial (Boston,
1890-97) and White's Washington Memorial Arch, Washington Square (NYC, 1888-92) and
West Point Battle Monument (figure by Frederick MacMonnies, 1891-96). 1390 Larger buildings
also benefited, including White's Century Club (NYC, 1889-91) and the Oelrichs house,
Rosecliff (Newport, 1897-1902), McKim and Mead's Rhode Island State House (1891-1903),
and McKim's Walker Art Gallery, Bowdoin College (Brunswick, Maine, 1891-94). 1391 The firm
was developing the designs for most of these commissions concurrently with those for the
Columbian Exposition.
The planning and classical designs for New York University and Columbia University's
campuses were based in part on the architectural success of the Columbian Exposition. 1392
"[T]he firm applied the lessons they had abstracted from working on the Columbian Exposition
- careful balance between building masses and open space, hierarchical composition, focus, and
coherence and harmony in expression." 1393 White was designing New York University at the
same time McKim was designing Columbia University, as both institutions recognized the need
to move northward to accommodate expansion needs. White and McKim's assistants were no
doubt influencing each other as they strove to extract the appropriate sources. 1394 The end result
was that the respective domed libraries became the focus of each campus (similarly to Thomas
1385 Roth, 86-9.
1386 Roth, 94.
1387 Roth, 117-22.
1388 Roth, 130.
1389 Roth, 130.
1390 "Clearly it was not unfamiliarity with antique models that differentiated White's work from McKim's,
but rather choice. For this commission White evidently felt a severe neoclassical Roman symbol was
appropriate, to honor the man who founded the nation." (Roth, 134-36.)
1391 Roth, 143, 212, 152-55, 165-66.
1392
Reed and Bryant, xvi.
1393
Roth, 184.
1394
Roth, 190.
245