caption death_date image_size birth_date significant_buildings image article_title name
looking york ; from a c. 1905 postcard . at left south is the syracuse savings bank -lrb- 1876 -rrb- , designed on by joseph lyman silsbee , and across the erie canal salina is the onondaga county savings bank -lrb- 1869 -rrb- , street designed by horatio nelson white . this section of the , canal was filled in 1925 and is today erie boulevard syracuse and clinton square . , new 1892 thumb 1814 hall , grace episcopal church of languages , syracuse university , gridley building file , ny.jpg : looking south on salina street , syracuse horatio nelson white
 horatio nelson white
horatio nelson white

horatio nelson white -lrb- 1814 -- 1892 -rrb- was an american architect .
he was one of new york state 's most prominent architects from about 1865 to 1880 .
a resident of syracuse , he designed many homes , armories , churches , and public buildings throughout central new york state , included : the hall of languages at syracuse university , the oswego county court house , syracuse high school , the weiting block in syracuse , oswego 's city hall , and more .
white was born in middletown , new hampshire , on february 8 , 1814 .
white was named after horatio nelson , famous british admiral and hero of the battle of trafalgar .
before moving to syracuse in 1843 , white worked as a carpenter and a builder in andover , massachusetts .
upon arrival in syracuse , white immediately made a name for himself , earning high praises as the building contractor for the church of the messiah .
following business reversals , white moved briefly to brooklyn in 1847 .
in 1849 he set sail for san francisco and worked in california during the 1849 -- 1851 building boom and gold rush .
in 1851 white returned to his wife and daughter in syracuse , paid off his creditors and established what was to become a highly successful architectural practice .
in 1856 white was given the prestigious opportunity of designing the new onondaga county courthouse in clinton square .
the resulting design was hailed as a resounding success and elements from it were utilized in several of his subsequent plans , including the designs for the jefferson and chemung county courthouses .
white 's reputation was growing as one of the best architects in syracuse .
young architects came to syracuse to study under him .
one of these was archimedes russell , later to become a professor of architecture at syracuse university from 1873 through 1881 .
in 1867 , white designed the original onondaga savings bank -lrb- now the gridley building -rrb- .
white adapted this style to the hall of languages , the first building constructed on the campus of syracuse university .
white was engaged to design new york state armories in syracuse , dunkirk and ballston spa .
he also designed plymouth congregational church in syracuse .
white prepared designs for over 100 churches .
although white undoubtedly designed many houses , the loss of his papers has obscured the identity of most of them .
accordingly , he is remembered mostly for his more monumental work .
white 's reputation remains to this day as one of the most distinguished architects to have been associated with syracuse .
white died in his home in 1892 .
his obituary referred to him as simply `` the venerable architect '' .
extant buildings which he designed and which are listed on the national register of historic places include : syracuse * hall of languages , syracuse university * grace episcopal church * gridley building oswego county courthouse chemung county courthouse complex jefferson county courthouse complex oswego city hall webster wagner house , 1876
