Richard M. Upjohn


Richard Michell Upjohn, FAIA, was an American architect, co-founder and president of the American Institute of Architects.

Early life and career

Uphohn was born on March 7, 1828 in Shaftesbury, Dorsetshire, England and his family emigrated to the United States in 1829. He was the son of the famous architect Richard Upjohn and Elizabeth Upjohn.
In 1853 at eighteen years old, he joined his father's New York architectural firm to study architecture and later became his father's partner. The earliest building that architectural scholars credit to him alone is Madison Square Presbyterian Church in New York City, built from 1853 to 1854. He became best known, much like his father, for his High Gothic Revival style of architecture. He, again like his father, was a founding member and president of the American Institute of Architects.
A number of noteworthy architects trained in his office, including Clarence Fagan True. A number of buildings that he designed are now listed on the National Register of Historic Places. Four are listed as National Historic Landmarks.

Personal life

On October 1, 1856, Upjohn was married to Emma Degen Tyng. Together, they were the parents of three daughters and five sons, including Hobart Upjohn, who practiced as a civil engineer and architect.
Upjohn died on March 3, 1903 at his home, 296 Clinton Street, in Brooklyn, New York. He was buried in Green-Wood Cemetery, for which he and his father had done design work many years before.

Works with Richard Upjohn

Individual projects include: