Born to Irish parents in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, he received Patent Number 268503, on December 5, 1882 to protect his original invention, as well as any animal-shaped building.
他出生於賓夕凡尼亞州的費城，父母是愛爾蘭人，他在1882年12月5日獲得專利號碼268503，以保護他原創發明和任何動物形狀的建築物。