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John Wellborn Root

John Wellborn Root

Male 1850 - 1891  (41 years)  Submit Photo / DocumentSubmit Photo / Document


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  • Name John Wellborn Root 
    Born 10 Jan 1850  Lumpkin, Stewart, Georgia Find all individuals with events at this location 
    Gender Male 
    Census 10 Oct 1850 
    1850 Wellborn.    		 1850 Wellborn.
    1850 US census, Stewart, Georgia, Family Number 693, Wellborn.
    Census 1860 
    1860 Root    		 1860 Root
    1860 US census, Atlanla, Fulton, Georgia, Family Number 510, Wellborn.
    Biographical Information 1864 
    John grew up in Atlanta. When the Civil War reached Atlanta his father, a prominent Atlanta merchant, sent his son out of the city on one of his blockade-runners to attend school in England. 
    Biographical Information 1869 
    After returning to the U.S. in 1865, John earned an undergraduate degree from New York University in 1869. 
    Census 1870 
    1870 US census.    		 1870 US census.
    1870 US census, New York, New York, Family Number 19, Wellborn.
    Biographical Information 1871 
    After an unpaid apprentice and several minor jobs John moved to Chicago after the Great fire and found work as a draftsman in an architectural firm. He met Daniel Burnham and two years later in 1873, the young men formed the architectural firm of Burnham and Root. 
    Burnham & Root.    		 Burnham & Root.
    Burnham (left) & Root.
    Census 1880 
    1880 Wellborn.    		 1880 Wellborn.
    1880 US census, Chicago, Cook, Illinois, enumeration district 102, Family Number 304, Wellborn. Note: At this point John's first wife has passed and he is living with her parents.
    Occupation John is considered a founder of and one of the greatest architects to work in the "Chicago School" of architecture. The obvious feature of this style was building taller commercial buildings. The 2003 book "The Devil in the White City" by Erik Larson, which is a historical account of the Columbian Exposition held in 1893, Chicago makes the claim that the Montauk Building which John designed was the first building to ever be referred to as a "sky scraper". 
    Distinguished Designers.    		 Distinguished Designers.
    Besides just doing his job John was quite involved in the politics of architecture. He was one of the co-founders of the Western Association of Architects. He served as president in 1886. In 1887, he was elected a director of the national American Institute of Architects. Article from The Evening Star (Washington D.C.) Wednesday, October 22, 1890, page five.
    Montauk building.    		 Montauk building.
    Montauk building. Built in 1882. Demolished in 1902. From "History of Chicago; from the earliest period to the present time Volume 3" Alfred Theodore Andreas. Self published, Chicago, IL. 1886.
    Lake View Presbyterian Church, Chicago.    		 Lake View Presbyterian Church, Chicago.
    Lake View Presbyterian Church, Chicago. Established in 1884. Designed by John Wellborn Root
    Died 15 Jan 1891  Chicago, Cook, Illinois Find all individuals with events at this location 
    • At the time of his death John was working on the plans for the World's Columbian Exposition in Chicago. He died of pneumonia at the age of 41 and therefore never got to see those plans turn into reality.
    John W Root Obituary.    		 John W Root Obituary.
    John W Root Obituary. The Record-Union (San Francisco, California) Friday morning January 16, 1891, page one.
    Death of John Root.    		 Death of John Root.
    The Chicago Tribune, Saturday, January 17, 1891, page 4.
    Buried Graceland Cemetery, Chicago, Cook, Illinois, United States Find all individuals with events at this location 
    John W Root Funeral.    		 John W Root Funeral.
    Chicago Sunday tribune, January 18, 1891, page 9.
    Funeral of John W Root.    		 Funeral of John W Root.
    Chicago Tribune, Monday, January 19, 1891, page 3.
    Marked By A Cross. A newspaper article explaining the significance of John's grave monument.    		 Marked By A Cross. A newspaper article explaining the significance of John's grave monument.
    The Chicago Tribune, Sunday, December 23, 1894 page 14.
    John Root Gravestone.    		 John Root Gravestone.
    The design of John Root's Gravestone reflects his life work as an architect. It was designed by fellow architects Charles B. Atwood and Jules Wegman. The Celtic inspired scroll work is a reflection of his design of the Rookery Building which many consider his greatest work. The arch design in the center is of a drawing he made while designing the entrance of the Phenix (Phoenix) Building.
    Plot: Section: Bellevue Lot: 22 Space: 1
    Root Family Monument. Reverse.    		 Root Family Monument. Reverse.
    Here seen from the back is a good view of the Celtic scroll work that was meant to reflect his design of the Rookery building.
    Phenix Building Entrance_2.    		 Phenix Building Entrance_2.
    The center section of the Root family monument reflects John's design of the Phenix building.
    Root Family Plot.    		 Root Family Plot.
    The above photo was taken in very late summer, September 2007. This photo taken in late spring, June 2017 shows the change in the vegetation over the last decade.
    John Wellborn Root Headstone.    		 John Wellborn Root Headstone.
    John Wellborn Root Headstone.
    John Root Monument Inscription.    		 John Root Monument Inscription.
    John Root Monument Inscription.
    The Rookery LaSalle Street Entrance.    		 The Rookery LaSalle Street Entrance.
    The Rookery building in Chicago, Illinois. The LaSalle Street Entrance shows the Celtic inspired designs that inspired his tombstone design. On 15 May 1875 the Rookery was declared a National Historic Landmark.
    The Phenix Building Entrance. Originally published in the Inland Architect & News Record Vol. X No. 3.    		 The Phenix Building Entrance. Originally published in the Inland Architect & News Record Vol. X No. 3.
    The Phenix (aka Phoenix) Building was an office building in Chicago. It was built in 1887 and demolished in 1957. The center section of John's tombstone is based off a drawing he made while designing this entrance.

    Influential critic and noted journalist Montgomery Schuyler said about the entrance: "If beauty be its own excuse for being, this entrance needs no other, for assuredly it is one of the most artistic and beautiful works American architecture has to show".
    Siblings 2 siblings 
    Person ID I26808  Nagel
    Last Modified 8 May 2016 

    Father Sidney Dwight Root,   b. 11 Mar 1824, Montague, Franklin, Massachusetts Find all individuals with events at this location,   d. 13 Feb 1897, Atlanta, Fulton, Georgia Find all individuals with events at this location  (Age 72 years) 
    Relationship Birth 
    Mother Mary H Clark,   b. 1831,   d. 9 Jan 1886, Atlanta, Fulton, Georgia Find all individuals with events at this location  (Age 55 years) 
    Relationship Birth 
    Married 17 Apr 1849 
    Family ID F8593  Group Sheet  |  Family Chart

    Family 1 Mary Louise Walker,   b. 11 Mar 1858, Chicago, Cook, Illinois Find all individuals with events at this location,   d. 22 Feb 1880, Chicago, Cook, Illinois Find all individuals with events at this location  (Age 21 years) 
    Married 15 Jan 1880  Chicago, Cook, Illinois Find all individuals with events at this location 
    Last Modified 14 Jun 2017 
    Family ID F8595  Group Sheet  |  Family Chart

    Family 2 Dora Louise Monroe,   b. 4 Oct 1857, Chicago, Cook, Illinois Find all individuals with events at this location,   d. 27 May 1913, Chicago, Cook, Illinois Find all individuals with events at this location  (Age 55 years) 
    Married 12 Dec 1882  Chicago, Cook, Illinois Find all individuals with events at this location 
    Children 
    +1. Margaret Root,   b. 4 Oct 1883, Chicago, Cook, Illinois Find all individuals with events at this location,   d. 9 Dec 1941, Winnetka, Cook, Illinois Find all individuals with events at this location  (Age 58 years)  [Birth]
    +2. John Wellborn Root, Jr,   b. 14 Jul 1887, Chicago, Cook, Illinois Find all individuals with events at this location,   d. 24 Oct 1963, Barnstable, Barnstable, Massachusetts Find all individuals with events at this location  (Age 76 years)  [Birth]
     3. Mary Louise Root,   b. 18 Oct 1888, Chicago, Cook, Illinois Find all individuals with events at this location,   d. 10 Dec 1973, Santa Fe, Santa Fe, New Mexico Find all individuals with events at this location  (Age 85 years)  [Birth]
    Last Modified 5 May 2016 
    Family ID F8596  Group Sheet  |  Family Chart


Copyright © Kenneth A. Nagel. All rights reserved. The reproduction of anything in these pages for commercial gain or for personal use on commercial web sites is not permitted. Reproduction for personal use especially in family history matters is welcome. Photos used with permission of others remain their property.