    alexander "greek" thomson (9 april 1817 â 22 march 1875) was an eminent scottish architect and architectural theorist who was a pioneer in sustainable building. although his work was published in the architectural press of his day, it was little appreciated outwith glasgow during his lifetime. it has only been since the 1950s and 1960s that his critical reputation has revivedânot least of all in connection with his probable influence on frank lloyd wright.andrew macmillan in "greek" thomson, stamp et al., p.207 henry-russell hitchcock wrote of thomson in 1966: âglasgow in the last 150 years has had two of the greatest architects of the western world. c.r.mackintosh was not highly productive but his influence in central europe was comparable to such american architects as louis sullivan and frank lloyd wright. an even greater and happily more productive architect, though one whose influence can only occasionally be traced in america in milwaukee and in new york and not at all as far as i know in europe, was alexander thomson.âletter by hitchcock published in the glasgow herald, 4 march 1966, on the occasion of the proposed demolition by the city council of the caledonia road church ==early life== thomson was born in the village of balfron in stirlingshire. the son of john thomson, a bookkeeper, and elizabeth cooper thomson, he was the ninth of twelve children. his father, who already had eight grown children from his previous marriage, died when alexander was seven. the family consequently moved to the outskirts of glasgow, but tragedy struck when the eldest daughter, jane, and three of her brothers died between 1828 and 1830, the year that alexander's mother died. the remaining children moved with one of the older brothers, william, a teacher, and his wife and child to hangingshaw, just south of glasgow. the thomson boys all worked from a young age, but the children were also home schooled. it is believed that alexander worked in a lawyer's office, possibly wilson, james, and kays, where his older brother, ebenezer, was employed as a bookkeeper and where he later becam
1817_births 1875_deaths 19th-century_Scottish_people Burials_at_the_Southern_Necropolis Elders_of_the_Church_of_Scotland Greek_Revival_architects People_associated_with_Glasgow People_from_Stirling_(council_area) Scottish_architects