Scofield was born in Cleveland to William Benedict and Mary Scofield. His grandfather, Benjamin Scofield, came to the city in 1816 from New York and was responsible for the construction of many of Cleveland's earliest buildings. In 1856, Scofield's father built the Scofield Block on Erie Street out of which his mother ran a boardinghouse on the second and third floors. Scofield attended Cleveland Public Schools and trained as a builder and architect, working under his father.
Civil War
In 1861, at the age of 19, Scofield joined as a private in Battery D of the 1st Ohio Light Artillery under the command of Colonel James Barnett. His unit took part in battles including Perryville, Chickamauga. When his enlistment ended, he was commissioned as a 2nd lieutenant of the 103rd Ohio Volunteer Infantry, eventually attaining the rank of captain in 1864. During his service, he served largely as an engineer on the staff of Jacob Dolson Cox. Scofield published a book in 1909 detailing his experiences during The Battle of Franklin.
Career
Following the war, he briefly worked in New York before returning to Cleveland. Scofield's architectural work is broad and included institutional buildings, residences, and public art. Some of his more well-known projects included the Athens Lunatic Asylum, a Kirkbride planpsychiatric hospital in Athens, Ohio, now on the campus of Ohio University; and the Ohio State Reformatory in Mansfield, Ohio which served as the setting of the film The Shawshank Redemption. His firm designed five Cleveland Public Schools between 1869 and 1883. Scofield was part of a commission established to construct a memorial to those from Cuyahoga County who served in the Civil War. The commission included a number of prominent local veterans including General James Barnett. Despite significant resistance, the southeast quadrant of Cleveland's Public Square was selected as the location for the structure. Scofield served as both chief architect as well as sculptor for what would become the Cuyahoga County Soldiers' and Sailors' Monument. Both Barnett and Scofield are honored with busts above either main doors. The monument opened in 1894 with a dedication ceremony attended by William McKinley. It remains open to the public to this day. Scofield also designed a well-known statue called These Are My Jewels which is a Civil War monument currently on the grounds of the Ohio Statehouse It was initially exhibited at the World's Columbian Exposition in Chicago in 1893. In 1901, Scofield began construction of the Schofield Building, a 14 story structure that would serve as the headquarters of his architectural firm. His office was located on the Northwest corner of the building on the top floor which allowed him to look down across Euclid Avenue towards the completed Soldiers' and Sailors' Monument in Public Square. His personal residence was built in Cleveland's Buckeye-Woodhill neighborhood in 1898. Since then, the mansion has fallen into significant disrepair. Efforts are underway to preserve and restore the structure.
Personal Life
Scofield married Elizabeth Clark Wright in 1867. Together, they had five children: William, Donald, Sherman, Harriet, and Douglas. Scofield's four sons all worked at his architectural firm. The Scofields were members of First Baptist Church of Greater Cleveland. Elizabeth Scofield died on in 1914 and was interred at Lake View Cemetery in a mausoleum designed by her husband. Three years later, in 1917, Scofield passed away at his home. He too was interred in the family mausoleum. He was the first Cleveland architect taken into membership in the American Institute of Architects. He was known to be a friend and golfing partner of John D. Rockefeller., Mansfield, Ohio
Cuyahoga County Soldiers and Sailors Monument, at 1999 Ontario Street. Scofield worked on the Civil War monument for seven and a half years without compensation and contributed over $57,000 to its cost.
These Are My Jewels, a Civil War Monument installed at the World's Columbian Exposition in Chicago in 1893, and then moved to the grounds of the Ohio State Capitol
