Jeremiah O'Rourke

Jeremiah O'Rourke
Born	1833 Dublin, Ireland
Died	1915
Nationality	USA
Known for	Architect

Jeremiah O'Rourke, FAIA, (1833, Dublin – 1915), was an Irish-American architect known primarily for his designs of Roman Catholic churches and institutions and Federal post offices. He was a founder of the Newark-based architectural firms of Jeremiah O'Rourke (active from the 1850s to the 1880s) and Jeremiah O'Rourke & Sons (active from the 1880s until his death).

Born in Dublin, Ireland, In 1850, and graduated from the Government School of Design, Queens College, Cork. He thereafter emigrated to the United States.

He set up his architectural firm in Newark, New Jersey, where he was Patrick Charles Keely's chief "competitor for Roman Catholic church and institutional commissions in metropolitan New York and northern New Jersey."

He became a member and Fellow of the American Institute of Architects in 1886.

O'Rourke was appointed to the office of the United States Supervising Architect in Washington, D.C. on the recommendation of both New Jersey senators in early 1893 at an annual salary of $4,500, succeeding W. J. Edbrooke of Chicago (other sources state he was appointed under the administration of Grover Cleveland (March 4, 1885 – March 4, 1889 and January 1, 1883 – January 6, 1885)), where he designed several federal post offices.

He returned in 1894 to private practice, founding Jeremiah O'Rourke & Sons in Newark, New Jersey and New York City with sons William P. O'Rourke, Joseph B. O'Rourke, and Louis J. O'Rourke. O'Rourke and his sons specialized in ecclesiastical designs.

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