Clarke & Howe
| Company type | Architecture firm |
|---|---|
| Industry | Architecture |
| Founded | 1893 |
| Founder | Prescott O. Clarke, Arthur R. Spaulding |
| Defunct | 1928 |
| Fate | Firm dissolved after Clarke's retirement; Howe continued with Howe & Church |
| Headquarters | Providence , United States |
Area served | Rhode Island, New England |
Key people | Prescott O. Clarke, Wallis E. Howe, Eleazer B. Homer, Arthur R. Spaulding |
Clarke & Howe was a prominent American architecture firm headquartered in Providence, Rhode Island, operating between 1893 and 1928.
The firm originated in 1893 under the name Clarke & Spaulding, established by Prescott O. Clarke alongside Arthur R. Spaulding. In 1901, with the addition of Wallis E. Howe, it was renamed Clarke, Spaulding & Howe; however, Spaulding retired that same year. Between 1907 and 1913, the practice functioned as Clarke, Howe & Homer, incorporating Eleazer B. Homer, a former professor at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. The company ceased operations following Clarke’s retirement in 1928, after which Howe continued his career through the firm Howe & Church.
Prescott Orloff Clarke
Prescott Orloff Clarke (1858–1936) completed his undergraduate studies at Brown University in 1880 and pursued architectural education at MIT thereafter. He collaborated with Spaulding from the firm's inception until Spaulding's departure in 1901. Clarke concluded his professional work by retiring in 1928.
Arthur R. Spaulding
Limited information exists regarding Arthur R. Spaulding.
Wallis Eastburn Howe
Born in 1868, Wallis Eastburn Howe attended both Lehigh University and MIT for his studies. Prior to joining Clarke, Spaulding & Howe in 1901, he gained experience at Providence’s Martin & Hall firm. Post-Clarke’s retirement, Howe spearheaded multiple partnerships such as Howe & Church and Howe & Prout until his passing in 1960.
Eleazer Bartlett Homer
Eleazer Bartlett Homer (1864–1929), an MIT alumnus and former faculty member there, served as director of the Rhode Island School of Design from 1900 to 1907. He became a partner at Clarke & Howe between 1907 and 1913 before returning to independent practice in Providence.
Clarke & Spaulding, 1893–1901
Soon after its establishment in 1893, Clarke & Spaulding released several Tudor Revival style designs featured in the American Architect and Building News. Their inaugural project was an unrealized plan for a "Proposed Inn at Nayatt, RI" (1894), envisioned as an expansive coastal resort located in southern Barrington. In 1896, Prescott Clarke built one of Providence’s largest residences at 203 Blackstone Boulevard; this home was documented in publications during 1897. That same year saw their creation of Dr. Frederick Danne’s Bristol residence, which harmonized Tudor Revival with Shingle style influences; this building no longer stands.
In 1897, they crafted a unique duplex at 184-186 Upton Avenue in Providence for Brown University professor Courtney Langdon. The design featured two contrasting yet complementary halves functioning as separate homes within a unified structure; it was published in 1898.
A significant commercial project included the Fletcher Building (1895) situated downtown Providence—a Classical Revival edifice commissioned by the Fletcher heirs. Originally constructed with three stories, Clarke & Howe expanded it by adding three additional floors in 1902. In addition, their work encompassed Kinney's Casino (1900), an expansive clubhouse styled as an East Indian bungalow for Francis Kinney located in Narragansett.
Other important commissions comprised:
- William Binney Duplex at 100 Meeting Street, Providence (1898)
- Irving P. Eddy House at 306 Olney Street, Providence (1898)
Clarke, Spaulding & Howe, 1901
The partnership of Clarke, Spaulding & Howe was short-lived, lasting less than twelve months. With Howe’s arrival from Martin & Hall, the firm acquired the American Textile Mill commission in Pawtucket, Rhode Island—recognized for its Renaissance Revival tower design. Another notable assignment was for St. George's School in Middletown; this opportunity arose through Clarke’s familial ties to founder John B. Diman. The school’s architecture blended Colonial and Dutch Renaissance revival styles. Both Clarke and Howe maintained involvement with the school’s projects until at least 1927 and 1957 respectively.
Clarke & Howe, 1901-1907
Initially recognized for their residential designs, Clarke & Howe broadened their scope to include prominent institutional commissions after securing the 1903 contract for the U.S. Federal Building located on Kennedy Plaza in Providence. Erected between 1904 and 1908, this significant Beaux-Arts edifice was chosen unanimously from a pool of ten regional submissions, with design collaboration from Harvey Wiley Corbett.
In the same year, they completed two additional non-residential endeavors: the Portsmouth Savings Bank in New Hampshire, which involved renovating a bank with a temple-front façade, and Brown University's Engineering Building (currently known as the Lincoln Field Building), a modest Colonial Revival structure dedicated to geological sciences.
Their residential achievements during this timeframe featured distinguished homes such as the 1903 residence of Dr. Henry A. Whitmarsh at 102 Prospect Street and the Charles D. Dunlop house on 140 Blackstone Boulevard, constructed between 1907 and 1908.
Other projects from this era include:
- Farm Group at The Oaks (R. H. I. Goddard estate), Potowomut, Rhode Island (1902) – since demolished
- Richard W. Comstock, Jr. House at 203 Governor Street, Providence (1905)
- H. Anthony Dyer House at 170 Blackstone Boulevard, Providence (1906) – subsequently modified
Clarke, Howe & Homer, 1907-1913
Following Eleazer B. Homer’s addition to the partnership, the firm ventured further into civic architecture. Their inaugural project in this domain was the Benjamin Church Home for Aged Men in Bristol, commissioned by the family of Samuel W. Church, who was initially a draftsman before becoming a partner. This building, designed on a residential scale, exemplifies Colonial Revival style.
In 1909, Homer designed Providence’s Veazie Street Grammar School, an elementary institution exhibiting Jacobethan architectural elements. The subsequent year produced the former South Kingstown High School in Wakefield—a Tudor Revival structure donated by the Hazard family and now named in their honor. In 1912, they completed Ranger Hall at the University of Rhode Island, a substantial yet unadorned academic building influenced by Jacobethan motifs. The educational series concluded with McVickar Hall at St. Andrew's School in Barrington, which embraced a rural English aesthetic inspired by the Wakefield school.
Their commercial portfolio included the 1911 Blackstone Hotel (presently Hotel Providence) on Westminster Street, characterized by red brick Beaux-Arts styling. That same year brought the Rhode Island Medical Society’s library and clubhouse, now repurposed for commercial use. In 1912, they designed the Peoples Savings Bank on Market Square—a Classical temple-front bank completed in 1913 and later replaced by a newer structure on Kennedy Plaza.
Residential commissions continued to play a significant role. Noteworthy Colonial Revival residences were created for Ella R. M. Phillips (1909) and Mary B. L. Steedman (1912) on Providence’s east side. Homer’s personal residence at 270 Blackstone Boulevard (1911) reflects Arts and Crafts principles combined with English architectural influences.
Additional prominent residential projects include:
- William McDonald, Jr. House at 188 Blackstone Boulevard (1907)
- Frank M. MacLeod House at 290 Irving Avenue (1909–10)
- Annie C. Barker House at 44 Orchard Avenue (1910–11)
- George L. Miner House at 276 Blackstone Boulevard (1910)
- Otis Randall House at 65 Weymouth Street (1912)
Clarke & Howe, 1913-1928
Following the dissolution of Clarke, Howe & Homer, the Newport Public Library commissioned Clarke & Howe to renovate the Edward King House, an Italianate mansion originally designed by Richard Upjohn. Eventually, the library relocated to a building constructed specifically for its use, and the King House was repurposed as a senior center. In 1915, the firm created St. Elizabeth's Home in Providence, showcasing a Jacobethan architectural style, and completed Briarfield House in 1922 at Lehigh University for Howe’s fraternity, reflecting Tudor Revival influences. The Guiteras Memorial School in Bristol, completed in 1925, presented a restrained Classical design inspired by a previous Greek Revival structure that had been destroyed by fire. Throughout the 1920s, Clarke & Howe established a prototype for branch libraries in Providence; however, only the Wanskuck Branch (constructed between 1926 and 1928) was realized following this model. Subsequently, Howe developed distinct designs for other library branches. Their work in 1926 included Gardner Hall at St. Andrew’s School and the Marvel Gymnasium at Brown University (1927), which has since been demolished.
The firm’s religious commissions feature St. Martin’s Episcopal Church (1916–17), a significant project influenced by English village church architecture, with an additional parish house added in 1925. Other ecclesiastical works encompass the Church of the Redeemer (1917), completion of St. Luke’s spire in East Greenwich (1920), St. George’s Church in Central Falls (1922–23), and a new sanctuary for Providence’s Fourth Baptist Church in 1928, currently known as Mt. Hope Community Baptist Church.
In the commercial sector, Clarke & Howe were responsible for one of Providence’s earliest skyscrapers—the eight-story Telephone Building (1917) constructed for the Providence Telephone Company—which stood as the tallest structure outside the city’s financial district at that time. Their portfolio also includes Citizens Savings Bank’s main branch at Hoyle Square (1920) and the distinctive Providence Gas Company Building (1924), notable for its ogee gable roofline.
During this era, the firm designed numerous substantial residences such as Edward I. Watson’s Colonial Revival summer residence in Barrington (1915) and several homes across Providence throughout the 1920s: Thomas A. Francis (1922), Frank B. Lisle (1923), Archie W. Merchant (1924), and Paul C. DeWolf (1925), each illustrating developments within Colonial Revival architecture. In 1926, they completed a brick Jacobethan-style home for Alfred M. Coats.
Additional prominent projects include:
- James Davenport House, Providence (1914)
- Arnold Laboratory at Brown University (1915)
- Irene M. Butler House, Providence (1915)
- Laurel Hill Avenue Grammar School, Providence (1916)
- John Post Reynolds School, Bristol (1916)
- Colt Farm Group on Samuel P. Colt estate, Bristol (1917)
- Hugh F. MacColl House, Providence (1918)
- Charles B. Rockwell Jr. House, Bristol (1924)