Charles Bulfinch was an American architect during the nineteenth century and was one of the first American born architects of his time. He was born on August 8, 1763 in Boston, Massachusetts. During his time in Boston, Bulfinch attended and later graduated from Harvard, and showed his interest in architecture by studying European buildings. He traveled to Europe when he was done with his schooling at Harvard, but later on decided to settle in his home city of Boston for his career as an architect. His popular buildings and skills in his work made him one of the most leading and popular architects in Boston for a little over twenty years. He went on to become a chairman of the board of selectmen for twenty years. By holding an important position in the city of Boston and being a great architect, he had the power to influence the modernization of Boston. He reorganized the drainage and street-lighting systems, the police and fire departments, as well as many more significant changes. When Benjamin Henry Latrobe resigned as the architect of the National Capitol located in Washington, Bulfinch was the architect that took over. During his time in this position, he finished uncompleted projects, built the rotunda, as well as some other changes to the Capitol. Bulfinch died on April 15, 1844 in Boston because of unknown causes. His architectural style and impact on the society and modernization of Massachusetts led him to be a very noteworthy person concerning architecture in the 1800s.
Citations:
"Charles Bulfinch." The Architect of the Capitol. N.p., n.d. Web. 7 Dec. 2009.
"Charles Bulfinch ." NNDB Tracking the Entire World. Soylent Communications,
n.d. Web. 7 Dec. 2009.
