Woodruff Marbury Somervell was the son of Augustus Hugh McCafferty and Mary Elizabeth Somervell. He changed his name in 1904 from McCafferty to Somervell. He married Helen Mary Hughes, the daughter of Elwood Clarke Hughes and Emma Jane DeHart in Seattle WA in 1907. They had one daughter, Jane DeHart Somervell, born 1908. They were divorced about 1930.
He studied architecture at Cornell University in Ithaca NY in 1889 and 1890, but did not graduate. He won the American Architect Travelling Scholarship and studied in Italy and France during 1892-93.
One critic described him as "the supreme (architectural) talent of Vancouver":
Architects and Architecture of Greater Vancouver
by Sean Rossiter
The foremost talent to come north--indeed the supreme talent of Vancouver's pre-war boom--was Woodruff Marbury Somervell. Somervell came to Seattle from New York in 1904 to supervise construction of a cathedral, stayed to build several hospitals and a dozen-odd homes on the U.S. Register of Historic Places, then brought his romantic Mediterranean styles to Vancouver in 1910. Sugar king B.T. Rogers' mansion, "Shannon" (1912-15); the terracotta Birks Building (1912-13, demolished 1974); and the elegant pair of buildings at Abbott and West Hastings, the Merchant's Bank and the B.C. Electric Railway Company edifice, are Somervell's forgotten legacy. He also left behind the blueprints for the Toronto-Dominion Bank at Hastings and Seymour (built as the Union Bank in 1920) when he went off to World War I.
His building designs include:
38th Street School, Los Angeles , 1924 ; built works - public buildings - schools - elementary schools
Alaska-Yukon-Pacific Exposition, Seattle, WA, Machinery Building , 1908-1909
Alaska-Yukon-Pacific Exposition, Seattle, WA, Manufactures Building , 1908-1909
Foxen, Mrs. Charles, House, San Luis Obsipo , 1927 ; built works - dwellings - houses
House by Somervell, W. Marbury, Santa Barbara , 1925 ; built works - dwellings - houses
Hughes, E.C., House, The Highlands, Seattle, WA
Library Project , 1904
Providence Hospital #2, Seattle, WA , 1910 ; built works - public buildings - hospitals
Saint James Cathedral, First Hill, Seattle, WA , 1903-1907 ; built works - religious structures - cathedrals
Seattle Fire Department, Fire Station #25, Seattle, WA , 1909 ; built works - public buildings - fire stations
Seattle Public Library, Green Lake Branch #2 , 1909-1910
Seattle Public Library, Main Branch #1 , 1904-1906 ; built works - social and civic buildings - libraries
Seattle Public Library, Queen Anne Branch , 1913
Seattle Public Library, University Branch , 1909-1910
Seattle Public Library, West Seattle Branch , 1909-1910
Seattle Public Library, Yesler, Henry L., Branch , 1914 ; built works - social and civic buildings - libraries
During WWI, he served in France, as a major in the Chemical Warfare Service. After the war, he returned to France to assist with reconstruction and later died there.
He studied architecture at Cornell University in Ithaca NY in 1889 and 1890, but did not graduate. He won the American Architect Travelling Scholarship and studied in Italy and France during 1892-93.
One critic described him as "the supreme (architectural) talent of Vancouver":
Architects and Architecture of Greater Vancouver
by Sean Rossiter
The foremost talent to come north--indeed the supreme talent of Vancouver's pre-war boom--was Woodruff Marbury Somervell. Somervell came to Seattle from New York in 1904 to supervise construction of a cathedral, stayed to build several hospitals and a dozen-odd homes on the U.S. Register of Historic Places, then brought his romantic Mediterranean styles to Vancouver in 1910. Sugar king B.T. Rogers' mansion, "Shannon" (1912-15); the terracotta Birks Building (1912-13, demolished 1974); and the elegant pair of buildings at Abbott and West Hastings, the Merchant's Bank and the B.C. Electric Railway Company edifice, are Somervell's forgotten legacy. He also left behind the blueprints for the Toronto-Dominion Bank at Hastings and Seymour (built as the Union Bank in 1920) when he went off to World War I.
His building designs include:
38th Street School, Los Angeles , 1924 ; built works - public buildings - schools - elementary schools
Alaska-Yukon-Pacific Exposition, Seattle, WA, Machinery Building , 1908-1909
Alaska-Yukon-Pacific Exposition, Seattle, WA, Manufactures Building , 1908-1909
Foxen, Mrs. Charles, House, San Luis Obsipo , 1927 ; built works - dwellings - houses
House by Somervell, W. Marbury, Santa Barbara , 1925 ; built works - dwellings - houses
Hughes, E.C., House, The Highlands, Seattle, WA
Library Project , 1904
Providence Hospital #2, Seattle, WA , 1910 ; built works - public buildings - hospitals
Saint James Cathedral, First Hill, Seattle, WA , 1903-1907 ; built works - religious structures - cathedrals
Seattle Fire Department, Fire Station #25, Seattle, WA , 1909 ; built works - public buildings - fire stations
Seattle Public Library, Green Lake Branch #2 , 1909-1910
Seattle Public Library, Main Branch #1 , 1904-1906 ; built works - social and civic buildings - libraries
Seattle Public Library, Queen Anne Branch , 1913
Seattle Public Library, University Branch , 1909-1910
Seattle Public Library, West Seattle Branch , 1909-1910
Seattle Public Library, Yesler, Henry L., Branch , 1914 ; built works - social and civic buildings - libraries
During WWI, he served in France, as a major in the Chemical Warfare Service. After the war, he returned to France to assist with reconstruction and later died there.
Woodruff Marbury Somervell was the son of Augustus Hugh McCafferty and Mary Elizabeth Somervell. He changed his name in 1904 from McCafferty to Somervell. He married Helen Mary Hughes, the daughter of Elwood Clarke Hughes and Emma Jane DeHart in Seattle WA in 1907. They had one daughter, Jane DeHart Somervell, born 1908. They were divorced about 1930.
He studied architecture at Cornell University in Ithaca NY in 1889 and 1890, but did not graduate. He won the American Architect Travelling Scholarship and studied in Italy and France during 1892-93.
One critic described him as "the supreme (architectural) talent of Vancouver":
Architects and Architecture of Greater Vancouver
by Sean Rossiter
The foremost talent to come north--indeed the supreme talent of Vancouver's pre-war boom--was Woodruff Marbury Somervell. Somervell came to Seattle from New York in 1904 to supervise construction of a cathedral, stayed to build several hospitals and a dozen-odd homes on the U.S. Register of Historic Places, then brought his romantic Mediterranean styles to Vancouver in 1910. Sugar king B.T. Rogers' mansion, "Shannon" (1912-15); the terracotta Birks Building (1912-13, demolished 1974); and the elegant pair of buildings at Abbott and West Hastings, the Merchant's Bank and the B.C. Electric Railway Company edifice, are Somervell's forgotten legacy. He also left behind the blueprints for the Toronto-Dominion Bank at Hastings and Seymour (built as the Union Bank in 1920) when he went off to World War I.
His building designs include:
38th Street School, Los Angeles , 1924 ; built works - public buildings - schools - elementary schools
Alaska-Yukon-Pacific Exposition, Seattle, WA, Machinery Building , 1908-1909
Alaska-Yukon-Pacific Exposition, Seattle, WA, Manufactures Building , 1908-1909
Foxen, Mrs. Charles, House, San Luis Obsipo , 1927 ; built works - dwellings - houses
House by Somervell, W. Marbury, Santa Barbara , 1925 ; built works - dwellings - houses
Hughes, E.C., House, The Highlands, Seattle, WA
Library Project , 1904
Providence Hospital #2, Seattle, WA , 1910 ; built works - public buildings - hospitals
Saint James Cathedral, First Hill, Seattle, WA , 1903-1907 ; built works - religious structures - cathedrals
Seattle Fire Department, Fire Station #25, Seattle, WA , 1909 ; built works - public buildings - fire stations
Seattle Public Library, Green Lake Branch #2 , 1909-1910
Seattle Public Library, Main Branch #1 , 1904-1906 ; built works - social and civic buildings - libraries
Seattle Public Library, Queen Anne Branch , 1913
Seattle Public Library, University Branch , 1909-1910
Seattle Public Library, West Seattle Branch , 1909-1910
Seattle Public Library, Yesler, Henry L., Branch , 1914 ; built works - social and civic buildings - libraries
During WWI, he served in France, as a major in the Chemical Warfare Service. After the war, he returned to France to assist with reconstruction and later died there.
He studied architecture at Cornell University in Ithaca NY in 1889 and 1890, but did not graduate. He won the American Architect Travelling Scholarship and studied in Italy and France during 1892-93.
One critic described him as "the supreme (architectural) talent of Vancouver":
Architects and Architecture of Greater Vancouver
by Sean Rossiter
The foremost talent to come north--indeed the supreme talent of Vancouver's pre-war boom--was Woodruff Marbury Somervell. Somervell came to Seattle from New York in 1904 to supervise construction of a cathedral, stayed to build several hospitals and a dozen-odd homes on the U.S. Register of Historic Places, then brought his romantic Mediterranean styles to Vancouver in 1910. Sugar king B.T. Rogers' mansion, "Shannon" (1912-15); the terracotta Birks Building (1912-13, demolished 1974); and the elegant pair of buildings at Abbott and West Hastings, the Merchant's Bank and the B.C. Electric Railway Company edifice, are Somervell's forgotten legacy. He also left behind the blueprints for the Toronto-Dominion Bank at Hastings and Seymour (built as the Union Bank in 1920) when he went off to World War I.
His building designs include:
38th Street School, Los Angeles , 1924 ; built works - public buildings - schools - elementary schools
Alaska-Yukon-Pacific Exposition, Seattle, WA, Machinery Building , 1908-1909
Alaska-Yukon-Pacific Exposition, Seattle, WA, Manufactures Building , 1908-1909
Foxen, Mrs. Charles, House, San Luis Obsipo , 1927 ; built works - dwellings - houses
House by Somervell, W. Marbury, Santa Barbara , 1925 ; built works - dwellings - houses
Hughes, E.C., House, The Highlands, Seattle, WA
Library Project , 1904
Providence Hospital #2, Seattle, WA , 1910 ; built works - public buildings - hospitals
Saint James Cathedral, First Hill, Seattle, WA , 1903-1907 ; built works - religious structures - cathedrals
Seattle Fire Department, Fire Station #25, Seattle, WA , 1909 ; built works - public buildings - fire stations
Seattle Public Library, Green Lake Branch #2 , 1909-1910
Seattle Public Library, Main Branch #1 , 1904-1906 ; built works - social and civic buildings - libraries
Seattle Public Library, Queen Anne Branch , 1913
Seattle Public Library, University Branch , 1909-1910
Seattle Public Library, West Seattle Branch , 1909-1910
Seattle Public Library, Yesler, Henry L., Branch , 1914 ; built works - social and civic buildings - libraries
During WWI, he served in France, as a major in the Chemical Warfare Service. After the war, he returned to France to assist with reconstruction and later died there.
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