Hutchins & French

Hutchins & French

Company type	Private
Industry	Architecture
Founded	1910
Founder	Franklin H. Hutchins, Arthur E. French
Defunct	1989
Headquarters	Boston , United States
Area served	New England, United States; select Midwestern locations
Key people	Franklin H. Hutchins, Arthur E. French, Francis Whitten, Evander French, Gordon C. Mallar, Sam G. Gountanis
Products	Architectural design services (banks, educational buildings)

Hutchins & French was a Boston-based American architectural firm founded in 1910 by architects Franklin H. Hutchins and Arthur E. French. The company gained recognition primarily for its expertise in designing bank and educational buildings, securing a significant foothold within these industries.

Firm history

Founded in Boston in 1910 by Franklin H. Hutchins and Arthur E. French—both formerly associated with Shepley, Rutan & Coolidge—the firm concentrated on bank and school architecture. By 1914, the increase in commissions throughout northern New England prompted the opening of a branch office in Manchester, New Hampshire, which operated until the late 1920s. Following the deaths of Arthur E. French in 1929 and Franklin H. Hutchins in 1934, leadership transitioned to partners Francis Whitten (who joined in 1920) and Evander French (son of Arthur French, who joined in 1927). After Evander French passed away in 1960, Gordon C. Mallar (partner since 1927) assumed partnership responsibilities. Whitten and Mallar retired during the 1970s, with Sam G. Gountanis steering the firm until his death in 1989.

Legacy

Among the firm's distinguished former associates is Cleveland architect Philip Lindsley Small, recognized for notable projects such as Karamu House (1949) and the Huntington Museum of Art (1952). At least five buildings designed by Hutchins & French have been listed on the United States National Register of Historic Places, with additional works contributing to various historic districts.

Franklin H. Hutchins

Franklin Henry Hutchins (1871 – February 14, 1934), a native of Boston, previously worked at Shepley, Rutan & Coolidge and Parker, Thomas & Rice. Before establishing Hutchins & French, he designed the Kennebunk Free Library, completed in 1907. Serving as senior partner until his death at age 63, Hutchins remained unmarried throughout his life.

Arthur E. French

Arthur Eugene French (1876 – February 26, 1929), born in Wayland, Massachusetts and raised in Weston, received training at Cabot, Everett & Mead and spent three years with Shepley, Rutan & Coolidge. He and his wife Charlotte were parents to four children. French died at age 53 in Winchester, Massachusetts.

Architectural works

• 1913 – Amoskeag Bank Building, 875 Elm St, Manchester, New Hampshire
• 1914 – Blackstone National Bank Building, 25 N Main St, Uxbridge, Massachusetts
  • Included within the NRHP-listed Uxbridge Common District.
• 1914 – Manufacturer's National Bank Building, 145 Lisbon St, Lewiston, Maine
  • Listed on the NRHP and part of the Lewiston Commercial Historic District.
• 1915 – Barton's Department Store, 849 Elm St, Manchester, New Hampshire
  • No longer standing.
• 1915 – Haverhill National Bank Building, 191 Merrimack St, Haverhill, Massachusetts
  • Located within the NRHP-listed Washington Street Shoe District.
• 1918 – Dorchester Trust Company Building, 555 Columbia Rd, Dorchester, Boston
  • Contributes to the NRHP-listed Uphams Corner Historic District.
• 1921 – World War I Memorial at Uxbridge Common, Uxbridge, Massachusetts
  • Part of the NRHP-listed Uxbridge Common District.
• 1922 – Manufacturers' National Bank Building, 67 N Washington St, North Attleborough, Massachusetts
  • Within the boundaries of the NRHP-listed North Attleborough Town Center Historic District.
• 1923 – Indian Head National Bank Building, 146 Main St, Nashua, New Hampshire
• 1923 – Kennebunk High School, 14 Park St, Kennebunk, Maine
  • Recognized on the NRHP.
• 1923 – William Parker Straw House, 282 N River Rd, Manchester, New Hampshire
  • Included on the NRHP.
• 1924 – Fred N. Smith residence, 417 Edgewater Dr, Mishawaka, Indiana
  • Constructed for a First National Bank cashier; the firm also completed a bank project there in 1925.
• 1924 – Union National Bank Building, 61 Merrimack St, Lowell, Massachusetts
• 1924 – Wakefield Trust Company Building, 371 Main St, Wakefield, Massachusetts
  • Listed on the NRHP.
• 1925 – First National Bank Buildings located in Mishawaka (IN), New Bedford (MA), and Peterborough (NH)
  • The New Bedford structure is part of the Central New Bedford Historic District.
• 1926 – Crawford Memorial United Methodist Church in Winchester (MA); Whittemore Elementary School in Waltham (MA)
• 1927 – Solomon Agoos residence in Brookline (MA)
  • Situated within the boundaries of the Longwood Historic District (Massachusetts).
• 1927 – Everett National Bank Building and Wakefield Trust Company Building (RI)
  • The Wakefield building belongs to the Wakefield Historic District.
• 1928 – Centreville Bank Building (West Warwick RI); Keene National Bank Building (NH); Masonic Building (North Attleborough MA)
  • The Masonic Building is part of the North Attleborough Town Center Historic District.
• 1928 – Plimpton Hall at Tilton School (NH)
• 1929 – Kennebunk Savings Bank and Medford Savings Bank Buildings; State Theatre (Manchester NH)
  • The State Theatre has been demolished.
• 1930 – Service Building within Rutland Downtown Historic District (VT)
• Early 1930s – Additions to Gleason School and James A. Hervey School in Medford (MA); expansions at Quincy School
  • Quincy School holds a place on the NRHP.
• Mid-20th century projects include numerous bank and institutional structures across Massachusetts and Vermont such as Ludlow Savings Bank (1948), Natick Federal Savings (1949), Parkhurst School (1949), Hampden Savings Bank (1950), Merrimack Mutual Fire Insurance Company building (1955), Essex Savings Bank (1956), Central Savings Bank (1957), Vermont National and Savings Bank (1960), Winter Hill Federal Savings Bank (1961), Greenfield Savings Bank (1962), Masonic Temple in Saugus (1963), and Braintree Cooperative Bank (1969).
• 1976 – Great Meadow Village residential community development in Salisbury (MA)

This collection highlights Hutchins & French’s broad involvement with financial institutions and public infrastructure throughout New England as well as select Midwestern locations. Their concentration on bank facilities alongside educational establishments demonstrates a deliberate focus on sectors providing consistent growth opportunities and enduring market presence.