Town, Ithiel

SUBJECT AREA: Architecture and building, Civil engineering

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b. 1784 Thompson, Connecticut, USA

d. 1844 New Haven, Connecticut, USA

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American architect and bridge builder.

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Town studied in Boston, Massachusetts, under Asher Benjamin. His first important work was the Center Church on New Haven Green, and in 1814 he was commissioned to build Trinity Church, also on New Haven Green. He designed many more public buildings in many cities, including the Customs House on Wall Street, New York, and the Indiana State Capitol in Indianapolis. He patented the "Town lattice" for truss bridges in 1820, which established his reputation as a bridge builder; he also built a number of covered bridges. He entered into partnership with Martin E.Thompson in 1827–8 and with Alexander J.Davis in 1829–43. He was a collector of books on architecture and fine arts, using the money from his bridge building to acquire what was said to be the best collection in the country.

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Principal Honours and Distinctions

Founder, National Academy of Design.

Further Reading

1975, Webster's American Biographies.

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