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Irish Catholic Architects Built a Legacy in Georgia and Elsewhere

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Irish Catholic Architects Built a Legacy in Georgia and Elsewhere Thursday, May 22, 2008 FEATURE Southern Cross, Page 3 Irish Catholic architects built a legacy in Georgia and elsewhere n e-mail from Joan B. Altmeyer, an employee of the Catholic Diocese of Savannah, started it all. architectural efforts, to name a few, included the AHaving heard about him from a friend, Altmeyer became interested in Jeremiah O’Rourke, a pro- Georgia Female College at Macon and a chapel at lific designer of Catholic churches in the Northeast, and the architect of the notable federal court- the University of Georgia in Athens. In 1839, house on Savannah’s Wright Square. “It (O’Rourke’s involvement with the Savannah building) has Charles Cluskey returned to Savannah where pol- nothing to do with our diocese (except that his influence stretched to this geographic area),” itics and shipping claimed his attention along Altmeyer wrote, “but it is still interesting.” with designing Greek-Revival style mansions for wealthy Savannah clients. In 1842, another Jeremiah O’Rourke eral architect”—fine-tuned the “White House”, Cluskey daughter, Johanna Elizabeth, was bap- Altmeyer’s information about O’Rourke turned as it was later called, well into his old age. In tized at the Cathedral. out to be not only “interesting,” but also tangen- addition to his architectural obligations, Hoban Pushing his career forward, Cluskey moved to tially related to the Savannah Diocese. Architect expanded his activities over time, becoming a “greener pastures” in Washington in 1847, hoping Jeremiah O’Rourke, born in Dublin and graduated militia leader, a census taker and a member of his proposed designs for renovation of the from the Government School of Design in 1850, the Washington City Council. The industrious Capitol, the White House and the Patent Building shared birth country and professional background Hoban was a founder of Saint Patrick’s Church would be implemented. For the most part, this with several architects who worked in Charleston, in Washington and helped establish Saint Peter’s never happened. By 1869, Cluskey was back in Savannah and Columbus during the eighteenth Church on Capitol Hill. Georgia. Assigned the task of rebuilding the Saint and nineteenth centuries. Most notable of these Paradoxically, Hoban was a Freemason and a Simons Island Light House and keeper’s cottage, regional architects was James Hoban, an Irishman founder of the first Masonic Lodge in Washing- Charles B. Cluskey did not live to see this project who lived in Charleston from 1787-1792. ton, D.C. Although membership in this fraternal finished, and died of malaria in 1871. James Hoban order was forbidden by a papal ban promulgated Daniel Matthew Foley Born in County Kilkenny in1758, Hoban some years earlier, Hoban was a lifelong, Prominent on the Georgia scene a little later attended the Dublin Society Drawing practicing Catholic. Friendly with was Daniel Matthew Foley, to whom Columbus, School where he won an award spon- Washington Jesuits, he sent several of his Georgia’s magnificent Springer Opera House sored by the Duke of Leinster, the ten children to Georgetown University to (1871) is attributed. Born in Dublin, Ireland in school patron. Afterwards, Hoban be educated. Henry, James Hoban’s son, 1813, Foley appears on the 1880 Federal Census assisted the school’s principal, Thomas became a doctor and later entered the of Columbus, Muscogee, Georgia with his wife, Ivory, in his private practice. Fortified priesthood. When Hoban died in1831, he Mary; their lawyer sons Daniel and Theobald, and by his education and Ivory’s tutelage, left an estate of $90,000. He was buried daughter Mary. An earlier census (1860) shows James Hoban moved to the United from Saint Patrick’s Catholic Church and the Foleys, plus several other children, living in States, living first in Philadelphia and, Rita H. DeLorme his body now rests at Mount Olivet Saint Louis. In 1882, Holy Family Church, later, in Charleston. While working in Cemetery. A nine-panel exhibition featuring Columbus, records note the marriage of Theobald Charleston, Hoban came to the attention of Hoban and his works is currently running at the Foley to Adele L. Springer and the baptisms of George Washington who was visiting the city on White House Visitor Center. their offspring. Records of the Cathedral of Saint tour in 1791. Charles B. Clusky John the Baptist in Savannah reference the mar- When plans were being sought in1792 for a Like Hoban, Charles B. Cluskey was an Irish riage of the younger Daniel Foley to Anna “President’s House” to be built in the new city architect with regional ties. Born in Ireland in Mehrtens in1880 and their son, Robert’s baptism of Washington, an opportunity opened up for the 1808, Cluskey probably completed his architec- in 1883. Besides the Springer Opera House, listed ambitious Irish architect. Having met and tural training with the firm of Town and Davis in on the National Register, Daniel Matthew Foley impressed George Washington, Hoban submitted New York before moving to Savannah in 1829. In designed Holy Family Catholic Church (1880) his plans and became the almost inevitable win- 1831, he married Johanna Walsh at Saint John the and probably other Columbus buildings as well. ner of the competition and its accompanying Baptist Catholic Church. He was living in Thanks to New Jersey architect Jeremiah $500 prize. The Late Georgian style mansion Savannah when he designed the Hermitage O’Rourke, designer of Savannah’s 1899 Federal Hoban proposed featured a three-story building Plantation (1830) and the original Convent and Building, and to Joan Altmeyer who thought that bisected by a huge portico and reflected the Academy of Saint Vincent de Paul. Cluskey’s first fact was “interesting”, the surviving works of architecture of Leinster House in Dublin. James major building was the Medical College of O’Rourke’s southern counterparts: Hoban, Hoban’s involvement with the planning and Georgia (1834-37). On November 12, 1833, Cluskey and Foley have merited a closer look. building of the “President’s House” afterwards Charles and Johanna Walsh Clusky had their two- become a virtual lifetime commitment. (He month-old daughter, Mary, baptized at Holy Columnist RITA H. DELORME rebuilt it after it was torched by the British dur- Trinity Church in Augusta. is a volunteer in the Diocesan ing the War of 1812 and later supervised addi- Ahead for Cluskey was his masterpiece, the Archives. She can be reached tion of its north and south porticos.) Governor’s Mansion (1837-1839) built at Mil- at [email protected]. Settled in Washington, Hoban—“the first fed- ledgeville, the old state capital. Cluskey’s other TV Mass Schedule AUGUSTA Sunday, 10:00 a.m. WAGT-TV On June 8 only, at 5:30 a.m. SAVANNAH Saturday, 6:00 p.m. Cable 7 Sunday, 5:30 a.m. WTOC-TV Above left: James Hoban’s drawing of the Executive Mansion (White House), Washington, D.C. Above right: Jeremiah O’Rourke’s Federal Building, Savannah..
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