Haverhill Academy Building

As renovation work proceeds apace at the Haverhill Academy building (next door to Pearson Hall), Dr. Kimberly Alexander shares some information about the architect who designed the building. She begins:

"With the exciting new work underway at the Academy Building, readers may enjoy some insights into the career of the architect – Littleton-based Edward Thornton Sanderson. Sanderson designed the Academy Building in 1896-1897.

"The building is a rich combination of Richardsonian Romaneqsue style with Queen Anne overtones, such as the fabulous entry, which has recently been restored by the current owners. The Richardsonian Romanesque was popularized by the famed American architect H. H. Richardson, mastermind behind Trinity Church in Boston, among countless mid-19th century landmarks. As with its early 19th century neighbor, Pearson Hall (1816+), the Academy boasts a strong, multi stage tower which was, and still is, a highly visible local landmark. The hard, dark red brick is relived by the yellow or buff brick which highlights details on the façade and tower. The building is set on a muscular rusticated granite base. The lighter brick was in vogue for institutional buildings from the late 19th through early 20th centuries."

Her article continues here.