Thomas Tallmadge


Thomas Eddy Tallmadge was an American architect, best known for his Prairie School works with Vernon S. Watson as Tallmadge & Watson.

Biography

Thomas Eddy Tallmadge was born in Washington, D.C. on April 24, 1876. He was raised in the Chicago suburb of Evanston, graduating from Evanston Township High School. He graduated from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology in 1898 with a bachelor's degree in Architecture. He returned to Chicago to study under Daniel H. Burnham, one of the city's most prominent architects. While working for Burnham, Tallmadge received a scholarship from the Chicago Architectural Club for his work "A Crèche in a Manufacturing District". He used the scholarship to travel through Europe.
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Upon his return in 1905, Tallmadge decided to start his own architectural firm with fellow Burnham draftsman Vernon S. Watson. Although Watson was the chief designer, Tallmadge became the face of the firm due to his commitment as a historian and teacher. He taught at the Armour Institute of Technology from 1906 to 1926. Tallmadge is credited for coining the term "Chicago school" in an article for Architectural Review to describe the recent trends in architecture pioneered by Burnham, Louis Sullivan, and others. Tallmadge took sole control over his firm after Watson retired in 1936. Late in his career, Tallmadge focused on publishing books instead of articles, completing three works. In 1940, Tallmadge was killed in a train accident near Arcola, Illinois. He is buried in Graceland Cemetery in Chicago along with many other famed Chicago architects.