Evening star., 1925-06-14
DONN BARRIERS DEATH CLOSES
CAREER CENTERED ON HOMES
architect, Born Here, Led
Revolt Against Ugly
TO,un-BuiIding.
Many Great Structures
Throughout U. S. Are
OF His Creation.

The recent death in New York of
Dom Barber removed from the ranks
of American architects the great lyric
ist of the profession, the man who,
above all others, saw the highest
reaches of his art achieved in cot
tages and not palaces, in village meet
ing houses and not cathedrals.
Barber, a native of Washington, was
the designer of the Home, Sweet
Home" house which was set up behind
the Treasury here as a model and in
spiration for home builders.
He was the leader in the revolt
movement against the increasing ugli-
ness of machine-made American towns
springing up overnight across the
country, with bare. cold outlines. He
sought to change houses into homes.
Heart With Small House.
Professionally, Barber designed
many fine, large buildings. When he
died he was working on the plans for
the Broadway Cathedral. But his
heart was ever with the small house.
He saw the opportunity for as much
delicacy of workmanship and artistic
inspiration in a five-room cottage as
in a great Office building. He was the
designer, for instance, of the Depart
ment of Justice Building here. But
closer to his heart were the models
which he drew up for the better
homes in America movement, in which
he was one of the prime workers.
When this movement was started
there was considerable opposition.
Builders saw some of the profits that
could be realized from hastily con-
structed houses cast in a common
mould. Barber, on the other hand,
saw the impetus which to upbuilding
of a community would gain from well
planned, artistically designed houses.
Barber was born here in 1871. His
ancestors had settled in Windsor.
Conn.,, in 1884. He was graduated
from Yale in 1898, and continued his
architectural studies at Columbia and
in Paris. He was one of the origina-
tors of the atelier idea in the United
States, which made it possible for
young, ambitious students to become
successful architects. His pupils have
won many scholarships. Among the
more important monuments that tes-
tify to the value of his work are the
New York Cotton Exchange, the Ma
tional Park Bank Building, Lotus Club
Building, Institute Of Musical Art
structure and the Knickerbocker Hos
pital in New York.
Achieved Fame by Homes.
Few architects" says the Boston
Transcript, have covered the wide
range of subjects which were en-
trusted to Mr.. Barber over the period
of e years that he practised under his
own name. He achieved fame in the
designing of number of private
homes, among them those of Edward
H. Litchfield, the late L. c. Converse,
Horatio S. Shonnard. E. S. ]. McVicker,
Richard Delafield, Lorenzo D. Arm
strong, William B. Dinsmore, Adrian
H. Larkin, Z. S. Reynal, Charles
Smithers, Waldron Williams and H.
Edward Manville.
Mr. Barber was the architect for
many buildings in the South and in
New England and was consulting ar
chitect in charge of design for the
Yale bowl. He won from 90 of the
foremost architects in the country the
Department of Justice Building in
Washington, the Connecticut State LII
brary, Travellers Insurance Building,
Supreme Court Building and the Hart
ford National Bank Building, all of
Hartford; the Chattanooga Union Sta
ton buildings at Chattanooga; the
Capital City Club at Atlanta, and the
White Plains Hospital are other inter
esting examples of his work.
Aided Poor Students.
He was, editor of the New York
Architect for four years, and presi-
dent of the Society of Beau Arts
Architects in 1909 and 1910. At the
annual Beau Arts ball, given for the
benefit of struggling students, he was
always one of the principal figures,
acting as ringmaster and head of the
costume committee at last Winters
ball. In 1923 he represented the Amer
lean Institute of Architects and ap-
peared before the board of estimate
against the proposed demolition of
High Bridge.
Mr.. Barber was also a member of
tional Sculpture Society and an hon.
orary corresponding member of the
the National Academy of Design, Ma
Royal Institute, British Architects.
On May Z Mr.. Barber was inaugu-
rated president Of the Architectural
League of New York, one of the
strongest architectural bodies In the
East, succeeding Harvey W. Corbett.
Secretary Herbert Hoover had ap.