Packard & Thorne
Lambert Packard | |
|---|---|
| Born | 1832 Coventry, Vermont, U.S. |
| Died | 1906 |
| Occupation | Architect |
| Years active | 1850s–1904 |
| Known for | Architecture in St. Johnsbury and Vermont |
Lambert Packard (1832–1906) was a prominent American architect based in St. Johnsbury, Vermont, recognized for his design of numerous key buildings within the town as well as important public structures throughout Vermont.
Life and career
Packard was born in 1832 in Coventry, Vermont. Initially trained as a carpenter, he later gained experience in engineering and architectural positions in Massachusetts during the 1850s and 1860s. By the 1860s, he was working in Boston as a pattern maker.
In 1866, Packard returned to Vermont to join the industrial enterprise E. & T. Fairbanks & Co., headquartered in St. Johnsbury. Starting as a foreman, he quickly advanced to become the company architect, managing all construction projects for the firm. His strong professional connection with Franklin Fairbanks, who served as company president from 1881 to 1895, allowed Packard to receive numerous commissions that significantly influenced St. Johnsbury’s architectural character.
Packard maintained an independent practice until 1896 when he briefly partnered with J. Albert Thorne from Montpelier. Around 1899, he entered into another partnership with Tyrie, operating under the name Packard & Tyrie. His last documented architectural project was completed in 1904 before his passing in 1906.
On a personal note, Packard married Amanda F. Richardson from Lawrence, Massachusetts in 1862; together they had three children.
His business approach involved cultivating strategic alliances with influential industrial leaders to broaden his presence in Vermont’s public and commercial architecture market. This strategy provided him with a competitive edge through close collaboration with powerful clients such as the Fairbanks family.
Packard’s enduring impact on Vermont’s architectural heritage exemplifies effective leadership and vision within regional architecture during the late nineteenth century.
Legacy
A number of buildings designed by Packard are recognized on the U.S. National Register of Historic Places.
Lambert Packard, before 1896
- 1870 - Bank Block, 1194 Main St, St. Johnsbury, Vermont
- 1870 - South (Fuller) Hall, St. Johnsbury Academy, Vermont (Demolished)
- 1871 - Franklin Fairbanks House (Underclyffe), St. Johnsbury, Vermont (Demolished)
- 1872 - North (Colby) Hall, St. Johnsbury Academy, Vermont (Demolished)
- 1872 - Universalist Church of the Messiah, 47 Cherry St, St. Johnsbury, Vermont (Mostly demolished in 1972)
- 1873 - Edward T. Fairbanks House (Sheepcote), 67 Fairbanks Dr, St. Johnsbury, Vermont (Currently a dormitory at St. Johnsbury Academy)
- 1873 - I. O. O. F. Block, 336 Railroad St, St. Johnsbury, Vermont
- 1877 - North Congregational Church, 1325 Main St, St. Johnsbury, Vermont
- 1883 - Y.M.C.A. Building, Eastern Ave near Main, St. Johnsbury, Vermont (Destroyed by fire)
- 1884 - William P. Fairbanks House (Brantview), 1000 Main St, St. Johnsbury, Vermont
- 1885 - Masonic Block, 1262 Main St, St. Johnsbury, Vermont (Lost to fire in 2009)
- 1885 - Orleans County Courthouse and Jail Complex, Newport, Vermont
- 1885 - Passumpsic Savings Bank Building, 1236 Main St, St. Johnsbury, Vermont
- 1886 - Pinkerton Academy, Derry, New Hampshire
- 1888 - Hanover Inn, Hanover, New Hampshire (Renovated in 1902; demolished in 1966)
- 1888 - Lane & Davis Block, Main St, Newport, Vermont (Demolished)
- 1888 - Charles H. Stevens House, 1525 Main St, St. Johnsbury, Vermont
- 1889 - Fairbanks Museum, 1302 Main St, St. Johnsbury, Vermont
- 1890 - Bartlett Hall, Dartmouth College, Hanover, New Hampshire
- 1890 - Hotel Low, Bradford, Vermont (Demolished in 1960)
- 1890 - Pythian Block, 196 Eastern Ave., St. Johnsbury (Location of Packard’s office)
- 1890 - Spaulding High School (former), Barre, Vermont
- 1892 - Fairbanks Block, 1197 Main St., St. Johnsbury
- 1892 - Lane's Block, Newport, Vermont (Destroyed by fire in 1923)
- 1893 - Merchants National Bank Building, Railroad Street Historic District, St. Johnsbury
- 1894 - Citizens Savings Bank Building, Railroad Street Historic District, St. Johnsbury
- 1894 - Hotel Lyndon, Lyndonville, Vermont (Burned in 1924; replaced by Darling Inn)
- 1894 - Woods Library Building, Bradford,Vermont
- 1895 - Jeudevine Memorial Library,Hartwick,Vermont
- 1895 - Lyndonville Savings Bank Building (Demolished in1962)
- 1895- Passumpsic Baptist Church ,Passumpsic,Vermont
- 1895- FormerSt.JohnsburyHospital ,90 ProspectSt.,St.Johnsbury
- 1896- Julia Pettigrew Hutchins House remodeling,Lyndonville
- 1896- New Avenue Hotel,RailroadStreetHistoricDistrict ,St.Johnsbury
Packard & Thorne, 1896-1898
- 1897 - St. John Roman Catholic Church, located at 49 Winter Street, St. Johnsbury, Vermont
- 1898 - Superintendent's Residence at the St. Johnsbury Federal Fish Culture Station, situated on 374 Emerson Falls Road, St. Johnsbury, Vermont
Lambert Packard, 1898-c.1899
- 1898 - Currier Block, positioned at 185 North Main Street in Barre, Vermont (destroyed by fire in 1903)
Packard & Tyrie, c.1899
- 1899 - Portland Street School, found at 510 Portland Street, St. Johnsbury, Vermont
Lambert Packard, before 1906
- 1903 - Barn at West View Farm on Waterford Highway 34, Waterford, Vermont
- 1904 - A. C. Blanchard Block at 14 North Main Street within the Barre Downtown Historic District, Barre, Vermont