Cull & Robinson
Edwin E. Cull | |
|---|---|
| Born | 8 October 1891 Providence, Rhode Island, U.S. |
| Died | 19 March 1956 (aged 64) Cranston, Rhode Island, U.S. |
| Occupation | Architect |
| Years active | 1921–1956 |
| Known for | Founding partner of firm that became The Robinson Green Beretta Corporation; residential and institutional architecture in Rhode Island |
Edwin E. Cull (October 8, 1891 – March 19, 1956) was a prominent American architect who practiced in Providence, Rhode Island from 1921 until his passing. In 1946, he helped establish what eventually became The Robinson Green Beretta Corporation, now recognized as one of the largest architectural firms in Rhode Island.
Life and career
Born in Providence, Edwin Emory Cull was the son of James A. Cull, a manufacturer, and Mary Ella Cull. He pursued architectural studies at the Rhode Island School of Design and supplemented his education with courses at Cornell University. During World War I, Cull served in the United States Army Signal Corps stationed in Houston, where he continued working for a contracting company after the war ended. Returning to Providence in 1920, he took over architect T. Clarence Herrmann’s practice the following year and focused primarily on residential architecture.
Cull gained acclaim for his ability to design new residences and update historic homes while preserving their original charm. Among his significant restoration projects were the Wilson–Winslow House (1936) in Coventry, the Carpenter Homestead (1940) in Seekonk, Massachusetts, and a collaboration with Norman M. Isham on the Clement Weaver–Daniel Howland House (1940) located in East Greenwich; each of these properties is listed on the United States National Register of Historic Places. During World War II, Cull temporarily closed his office to serve as a consultant for the state War Production Board. After the war, he assumed the role of chief architectural engineer at Arnold, Hoffman & Company.
In 1946, Cull re-entered private practice by joining forces with Knight D. Robinson to acquire Eugene B. Whipple’s firm, creating Cull & Robinson. Robinson, a Providence native educated at Brown University, the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, and under Walter Gropius at Harvard GSD, brought a modernist perspective to the partnership. Conrad E. Green became a partner in 1953; Green was a classmate of Robinson’s at GSD and had professional experience with Skidmore, Owings & Merrill as well as Albert Harkness.
The firm embraced modernist design principles while maintaining Cull’s emphasis on residential projects and expanding into institutional architecture, including Providence’s first modern educational facility—the Vartan Gregorian Elementary School (1954). Cull remained the senior partner until his death in 1956. His successors reorganized the firm as Robinson, Green & Beretta and later incorporated it as The Robinson Green Beretta Corporation (RGB Architects), which continues its operations as of 2024.
Personal life
Cull was affiliated with the American Institute of Architects, the Rhode Island Historical Society, and the Providence Art Club.
He married Natalie Elizabeth Holm in 1923 and together they had two children. The family lived in Providence. Cull passed away on March 19, 1956, in Cranston, Rhode Island at age 64.
Edwin E. Cull, 1921–1942
- 1925 – Building for Rhode Island Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals, 372 W Fountain St, Providence, Rhode Island
- 1928 – Residence of Daniel Drake-Smith, 23 Taylors Ln S, Little Compton, Rhode Island
- 1928 – Henry C. Jackson residence, 50 Alfred Stone Rd, Providence, Rhode Island
- 1928 – J. Benjamin Nevin home, 144 Woodbury St, Providence, Rhode Island (contributing property within Elmgrove Gardens Historic District)
- 1929 – John J. Banigan residence, 21 Harwich Rd, Providence, Rhode Island (located in Blackstone Boulevard Realty Plat Historic District)
- 1929 – Charles H. Lawton house, 57 Dryden Ave, Pawtucket, Rhode Island
- 1932 – Edmund J. Sullivan residence, 45 Balton Rd, Providence, Rhode Island (part of Blackstone Boulevard Realty Plat Historic District)
- 1932 – Phi Gamma Delta fraternity house, 90 W Alumni Ave, Kingston, Rhode Island
- 1935 – Animal Husbandry Building (since demolished), University of Rhode Island, Kingston, Rhode Island
- 1935 – Alice H. Moran residence, 460 Blackstone Blvd, Providence, Rhode Island
- 1936 – Administration Building at Eleanor Slater Hospital, Howard, Rhode Island
- 1938 – Howard R. Merriman residence, 41 Taylors Ln, Little Compton, Rhode Island
Cull & Robinson, 1947–1954
- 1949 – Adolph Meyer Building at Eleanor Slater Hospital, located in Howard, Rhode Island
- 1950 – Residence of Robert S. Davis, situated at 11 Abbottsford Ct, Providence, Rhode Island; recognized as a contributing property within the Freeman Plat Historic District, which was added to the NRHP in 1995
Cull, Robinson & Green, 1953–1956
- 1953 – First Federal Savings and Loan Association Building, found at 110 Westminster St, Providence, Rhode Island
- 1954 – Vartan Gregorian Elementary School, positioned at 455 Wickenden St, Providence, Rhode Island
- 1955 – Home of A. Merrill Percelay, located at 22 Bedford Rd, Pawtucket, Rhode Island
- 1956 – Roger Freeman Jr. residence, at 57 Hazard Ave, Providence, Rhode Island
- 1956 – Rhode Island Yacht Club building, situated at 1 Ocean Ave, Cranston, Rhode Island