Frost, Briggs & Chamberlain, later Frost & Chamberlain and Frost, Chamberlain & Edwards, was an early 20th century architectural firm out of
Worcester, Massachusetts.
History
Frost, Briggs & Chamberlain was established in 1899 as the partnership of architects Howard Frost,
Lucius W. Briggs and C. Leslie Chamberlain.[1] It soon rose to be the city's most prominent firm of architects. In 1912 the initial partnership was dissolved when Briggs left to form his own firm, the
L. W. Briggs Company.[2] Frost and Chamberlain continued as the firm of Frost & Chamberlain. After eleven years, Lester B. Edwards was admitted to the partnership in 1923.[3] He had been with the firm since about 1920. When exactly the firm was dissolved is unknown, but it was active as late as 1939.
On his own, Briggs eventually became the city's most prominent architect, taking with him much of the prestige of Frost, Briggs & Chamberlain. Frost & Chamberlain and Frost, Chamberlain & Edwards continued to do significant work in Worcester, but rarely on the same level.
The noted American architect
Wallace K. Harrison, a native of Worcester, was employed by Frost & Chamberlain between 1913 and 1916.[4]
Partner biographies
Howard Frost
Howard Frost was born in 1859. His early education is unknown, but he entered
Harvard University in 1878. In 1879, at the close of his freshman year, he dropped out, taking a job with
Fuller & Delano in Worcester.[5] He made partner in 1895, the firm being renamed Fuller, Delano & Frost. This partnership continued until 1899, when he formed Frost, Briggs & Chamberlain with Lucius W. Briggs and C. Leslie Chamberlain.
Frost remained associated with this firm and its successors until his death, which occurred on January 9, 1946, in Worcester.[6]
Lucius Wallace Briggs was born August 26, 1866, in Worcester. After attending the public schools and completing a special course at the
Massachusetts Institute of Technology, he worked for architects
Barker & Nourse and
Fuller & Delano and contractors
Norcross Brothers. In 1896 he opened his own office, associating with Frost and Chamberlain in 1899. After the partnership was dissolved in 1912, Briggs organized his own firm, the
L. W. Briggs Company.[2]
Nothing is known of the background of C. Leslie Chamberlain.
Lester B. Edwards
Little is known about Lester B. Edwards. Before joining Frost & Chamberlain, he was employed as a draftsman by the
L. W. Briggs Company[8] and then as the chief draftsman of the Central Building Company, a contracting firm.[9] He had joined Frost & Chamberlain by 1920,[10] making partner in 1923.
Works
Frost, Briggs & Chamberlain, 1899-1912
1899 - South High School, 14 Richards St, Worcester, Massachusetts[11]