John Wellborn Root

1850 - 1891  (41 years)

• Name	John Wellborn Root
  Birth	10 Jan 1850	Lumpkin, Stewart, Georgia
  Gender	Male
  Census	10 Oct 1850
  		1850 Wellborn. 1850 US census, Stewart, Georgia, Family Number 693, Wellborn.
  Census	1860
  		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, 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 (left) & Root.
  Census	1880
  		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".
  		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.
  		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.
  		Lake View Presbyterian Church, Chicago. Lake View Presbyterian Church, Chicago. Established in 1884. Designed by John Wellborn Root
  Death	15 Jan 1891	Chicago, Cook, Illinois
  	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. The Record-Union (San Francisco, California) Friday morning January 16, 1891, page one.
  		Death of John Root. The Chicago Tribune, Saturday, January 17, 1891, page 4.
  Burial	Graceland Cemetery, Chicago, Cook, Illinois, United States
  		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
  		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.
  		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.
  		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".
  		Phenix Building Entrance_2. The center section of the Root family monument reflects John's design of the Phenix building.
  		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 Root Monument Inscription. John Root Monument Inscription.
  		John W Root Funeral. Chicago Sunday tribune, January 18, 1891, page 9.
  		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. The Chicago Tribune, Sunday, December 23, 1894 page 14.
  Siblings	2 siblings
  1. Florence E Root,   b. 9 Jan 1854, Georgia d. 28 Aug 1918
  2. Walter Clarke Root,   b. 8 Dec 1859, Atlanta, DeKalb, Georgia d. 26 Jun 1925, Kansas City, Jackson‎/Clay‎/Platte‎/Cass, Missouri
  Person ID	I26808	Nagel
  Last Modified	8 May 2016

  
  

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

  
  

  Family 1	Mary Louise Walker,   b. 11 Mar 1858, Chicago, Cook, Illinois d. 22 Feb 1880, Chicago, Cook, Illinois (Age 21 years)
  Marriage	15 Jan 1880	Chicago, Cook, Illinois
  Family ID	F8595	Group Sheet  |  Family Chart
  Last Modified	14 Jun 2017

  
  

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

  
  

• Event Map		Birth - 10 Jan 1850 - Lumpkin, Stewart, Georgia Marriage - 15 Jan 1880 - Chicago, Cook, Illinois Marriage - 12 Dec 1882 - Chicago, Cook, Illinois Death - 15 Jan 1891 - Chicago, Cook, Illinois Burial - - Graceland Cemetery, Chicago, Cook, Illinois, United States  = Link to Google Earth
  Pin Legend	: Address       : Location       : City/Town       : County/Shire       : State/Province       : Country       : Not Set

  
  

• Photos » Slide Show		John Wellborn Root. John Wellborn Root.
  		Sidney Kent House 2. Sidney Kent House 2.
  		Sidney Kent House. Sidney Kent House.