B. Stanley Simmons

Benjamin Stanley Simmons (March 10, 1871 – September 8, 1931) was an American architect.

B. Stanley Simmons
Born	Benjamin Stanley Simmons (1871-03-10)March 10, 1871 Charles County, Maryland, U.S.
Died	September 8, 1931(1931-09-08) (aged 60) Washington, D.C., U.S.
Alma mater	Massachusetts Institute of Technology
Occupation	Architect
Buildings	Hume School, National Metropolitan Bank Building, Fairfax Hotel, Barr Building

Life

He was born in Charles County, Maryland in 1872, but came to Washington, DC as a child where he later established his career in architecture.[1] Simmons received his architecture degree at the University of Maryland, and later studied architecture at MIT.[2] He started designing and building houses in the 1890s, before he moved on to bigger commissions.[3] In 1902, the Evening Star described Simmons as "an architect who has added to the beauty and growth of this city."[1][4]

His career spanned several decades from the 1880s to the 1930s during which time he established himself as an extremely prolific architect, designing more than 280 buildings in the city.[2] Simmons also worked with every major developer, though he appears to have had a particularly close working relationship with Lester A. Barr and later his son, John L. Barr with whom he designed some of his best known commissions.[2] Simmons was incredibly versatile, designing a variety of building types that ranged from row houses, to fraternal clubs, to commercial and institutional buildings, though he seems to have had a proclivity for apartment buildings, having designed over 60 of them. Of particular note on his resume are his designs for the National Metropolitan Bank Building at 15th and G Streets NW (1905), the Elks Club at 919 H Street NW (1908, demolished); and the Fairfax Hotel at 21st and Massachusetts Avenue NW (1921), in addition to the Wyoming Apartments and the Barr Building.[3] His earlier Hume School, built in 1891, is on the National Register of Historic Places, along with the National Metropolitan Bank Building, the Wyoming Apartments, and the Barr Building.[5]

The National Metropolitan Bank Building

Although he never studied at the École des Beaux-Arts, B. Stanley Simmons became a student of the Beaux Arts tradition and the City Beautiful Movement. While his earlier 19th-century buildings (namely speculative row houses) reflect Victorian styles of architecture, his later early 20th-century buildings are grander and more monumental structures that reflect a variety of academic styles inspired the City Beautiful movement, including the Classical Revival style and Renaissance Revival.[2]

Simmons passed away in 1931 at age 60, but as many of his buildings were recognized in the late 20th century, he was survived by a son, B. Stanley Jr., and 11 grandchildren.[1]

References

1. Johnson, Jane Simmons (February 15, 1997). "An Architect's Legacy". The Washington Post.
2. "910 17th Street NW - Barr Building, Application for Historic Landmark or Historic District Designation". DC Office of Planning. May 17, 2000. Retrieved 25 February 2019. Architect B. Stanley Simmons (1872-1931) was born in Charles County, Maryland in 1872, but came to Washington as a child where he later established his career in architecture. Simmons received his architecture degree at the University of Maryland, and later studied architecture at M.I.T.
3. "Capitol Hill Architects and Builders". Capitol Hill Restoration Society. Archived from the original on 2011-11-08. Retrieved 2011-10-03.
4. "Prosperous Washington and the Men Who have Made It: His Work Excellent". Evening Star. December 16, 1902. p. 4.
5. "National Register Information System". National Register of Historic Places. National Park Service. March 13, 2009.