L. Bancel LaFarge


L. Bancel LaFarge was an American architect. He was a founding member of the New York City Landmarks Preservation Commission.

Early life and education

Louis Bancel LaFarge was born into a prominent American family. His grandfather, John LaFarge, was a noted American artist. His grandmother was a granddaughter of Commodore Oliver Hazard Perry and a direct descendant of Benjamin Franklin. His father, Bancel LaFarge, was an artist who continued his father's work in glass, and his brother Tom was a mural painter.
LaFarge was a graduate of Harvard College and the Yale School of Architecture. He married Margaret Hockaday, with whom he had three children: Timothy, Benjamin, and Celestine.

Career

LaFarge established himself as an architect in New York specializing in domestic architecture. His practice was interrupted by military service in the Second World War. At war's end, he returned to his work as an architect. At one time he served as president of the New York chapter of the American Institute of Architects, and he was a founding member of the New York City Landmarks Preservation Commission.

World War II

Major LaFarge was assigned to the 7th Army in Europe during the Second World War. He was the Chief of the Monuments, Fine Arts, and Archives section. LaFarge was the first MFAA officer to arrive in France after D-Day in 1944.

Archival resources