George E. Dickey
BornOctober 29, 1840.
Wilmot, New Hamsphire.
Died1900
OccupationArchitect
SpouseMary Messer of New London.

Maria Watier.

Georgia Dickey.
Parent(s)James and Sebra Dickey.

George E. Dickey (1840–1900) was an architect who worked in the United States and Canada in the 1800s.

Early life

George E. Dickey was born in Wilmot, New Hampshire, on October 29, 1840, to James and Sebra Sickey. He grew up and attended school in New Hampshire.[1]

Career

Advertisement for George E. Dickey, featuring a lithograph of the second Capitol Hotel building

Dickey went to Boston for professional training. He practiced architecture in Waltham, Massachusetts, and Manchester, New Hampshire, before moving to Toronto in 1873. After five years he moved to Houston.[1]

Dickey designed many commercial and residential buildings during his career in Houston. His design of the B.A. Shepherd Building (1883) at 219 Main is an example of High Victorian Gothic according to architectural historian, Barrie Scardino Bradley. This building was at first home to the First National Bank of Houston, and was occupied by the Houston National Bank starting in 1886. This building was demolished in 1989 to make room for a parking garage. Another important Dickey commission was the Capitol Hotel built in 1883. The Capitol Hotel was planned for the site of the former Capitol building at the corner of Main Street and Texas Avenue, but with a larger building footprint and with five stories. For the Capitol Hotel, Dickey employed Renaissance Revival features, and incorporated modern infrastructure, including indoor plumbing, gas lighting, and an elevator.[2]

Personal life

Dickey wedded Mary Messer of New London, New Hampshire, in 1862. He married Maria Watier, a native of Montreal. His third wife was Georgia Dickey. From these three marriages, he had a total of eight children. His eldest son practiced architecture with him.[1]

Notable works

  • Grand Opera House, Brenham, Texas (1878)[1]
  • Masonic Temple and Opera House, Sherman, Texas (1880)[1]
  • (Second) Capitol Hotel, Houston (1883, demolished)[1]
  • Shearn Memorial Methodist Episcopal Church, Houston (1883, demolished)[1]
  • First Baptist Church, Houston (1884, demolished)[1]
  • First Presbyterian Church, Houston (1885, demolished)[1]
  • S. K. Dick House, Houston (1885, demolished)[3]
  • T. W. House House, Houston (1885, demolished)[4]
  • Grand Central Depot, Houston (1889, demolished)[1]
  • Sweeney, Coombs, and Fredericks Building, Houston (1889)[1]
  • Houston Light Guard Armory (1891, demolished)[1]
  • (Third) City Hall and Market House, Houston (1904, demolished)[1]

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 Fox, Stephen. "Dickey, George E." Handbook of Texas Online. Texas State Historical Association. Retrieved June 9, 2022.
  2. ↑ Bradley (2020), pp. 56–57.
  3. ↑ Robinson (1981), p. 135.
  4. ↑ Robinson (1981), p. 136.

Bibliography

  • Bradley, Barrie Scardino (2020). Improbable Metropolis: Houston's Architectural and Urban History. Austin: University of Texas Press. ISBN 978-1-4773-2019-8.
  • Robinson, Willard B. (1981). Gone From Texas: Our Lost Architectural Heritage. Austin: University of Texas Press. ISBN 0-89096-106-9.
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