Thomas Harrison (architect)
Thomas Harrison ( born August 7, ( baptized ) in 1744 in Richmond, North Yorkshire, UK United Kingdom, † March 29 1829 in Chester, Cheshire, UK ) was an English architect and engineer. He built a number of bridges, including Grosvenor Bridge in Chester. His work also includes modifications of the locks in Chester and Lancaster. His buildings are attributable for the most part of the neoclassical architecture.
Childhood, Youth and Education
Harrison was the son of his father of the same name, a carpenter and his mother Anne, born Brittel. He was baptized on August 7, 1744 in Richmond. Details of his childhood are not known. In 1769 sent him to Sir Lawrence Dundas of Aske him and the landscape painter George Cuitt to study the local ancient buildings in Rome. In 1770, Pope Clemens XIV Harrison put up a proposal for the renovation of the Vatican's Cortile del Belvedere into a museum before, and 1773, he participated in a meeting organized by the Accademia di San Luca competition for the redesign of the Piazza del Popolo. This design was indeed later, in 1777, exhibited at the Royal Academy of Arts, but Harrison was not in Rome so successful. However, the Pope commissioned him to rebuild the sacristy of St. Peter's Basilica, but before the work began, the pope died.
More career
Harrison returned to returned to his native Richmond, but moved in 1783 to Lancaster in Lancashire, where he had won the competition to build the Skerton Bridge over the River Lune. This bridge had elliptical arches and a flat road, a way of building bridges, one has not previously encountered in England. In the following years he received the contracts for the building of St Mary's Bridge in Derby and the Stramongate Bridge in Kendal. In 1815 he was appointed Surveyor of Cheshire, after he has built in the distant past 15 years in this county numerous bridges. One of his biggest projects in Cheshire Grosvenor Bridge, which crosses the River Dee in Chester and at the time of its construction, with approximately 60 meters the most strained by a single arch bridge in the world was heard. 1786 Harrison won a competition for the conversion of Chester Castle in a neo-classical building. This project lasted until its completion, a more than 30 years and joined work on Anfängnis, the courts, the county offices and the Shire Hall, the armory and the barracks and the construction of propylon. During the construction period, Harrison moved to Chester in 1795. The resulting 1808-1810 there Northgate is also one of his works. Between 1818 and 1821 he was involved in the renovation of parts of Chester Cathedral.
1784 Harrison designed the domes of St John 's Church in Lancaster and the town hall. Involvement Harrison was also in the renovation of Lancaster Castle, among others at the Shire Hall, Grand Jury Room, the Crown Court, Governor's House, Barristers ' Library and the Robing Room as well as parts of the prison, the majority of the outer walls and the construction an additional round tower. At later by Harrison planned buildings in the classical style include former gentlemen's club The Lyceum in Liverpool and the Portico Library in Manchester.
Harrison also built houses, but to a lesser extent. Such work included Allerton Manor, near Liverpool Allerton, which he designed in 1810 for the shipowner Jacob Fletcher. This imposing building stood on a 30 acre property and burned shortly after construction was completed. It was built in 1815 with some changes again. The Citadel Hawkstone in Shropshire, in 1967 demolished Kennet House and his own house St Martin 's Lodge are among the he planned houses. The largest built by him manor was Broomhall in Fife, he commissioned by Thomas Bruce, 7th Earl of Elgin built 1796-99. In the years 1812-14 he was in charge of Peter Marsland, a prominent industrialist in the region Stockport with the construction of the Villawood Bank.
Private life
Harrison married in 1785 in Lancaster Priory his wife Margaret, née Shackleton and had me her three children. The son John died in 1802 at the age of 13 years, his wife and two daughters survived Harrison. He died at his home in 54 Nicolas Street in Chester, and was buried on 8 April in the graveyard of St Bridget 's Church. In August 1984, his remains were reburied at a cemetery in Blacon in Chester. His legacy amounted to £ 6000 ( according to current purchasing power about £ 420,000 ).