John E. Tourtellotte | |
---|---|
Born |
John Everett Tourtellotte February 22, 1869 East Thompson, Connecticut |
Died | May 8, 1939 Portland, Oregon |
(aged 70)
Nationality | American |
Occupation | Architect |
Spouse(s) | Della Wallace Tourtellotte (1869–1946) |
Children | 2 |
Practice | John E. Tourtellotte & Company; Tourtellotte & Hummel |
Buildings |
Idaho State Capitol, U. of Idaho Administration Bldg. |
John Everett Tourtellotte (February 22, 1869 – May 8, 1939) was a prominent western American architect, best known for his projects in Idaho. His work in Boise included the Idaho State Capitol, the Boise City National Bank, the Carnegie Library, and numerous other buildings for schools, universities, churches, and government institutions. From 1922 to 1930, he worked in Portland, Oregon.
He was associated with partnerships John E. Tourtellotte & Company and Tourtellotte & Hummel, based in Boise. Works by these firms were covered in a 1982 study and many of the buildings were immediately or later listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
Tourtellotte was born in East Thompson, Connecticut, to a well-respected French Huguenot family. His father, Charles W. Tourtellotte, was a prosperous farmer and grist-mill owner. At age 17, he enrolled as an apprentice to the architectural firm of Cutting & Bishop, based in Webster, Massachusetts, where he studied architectural drawing for two years. During this time, he supervised roof construction for the Butler Insane Asylum in Providence, Rhode Island, and the Anne & Hope factory in Lonsdale, which was then the largest factory in the United States.
Following his apprenticeship, Tourtellotte traveled westward, working on construction projects in Chicago, Kansas City, Albuquerque, and Pueblo, Colorado, before arriving in Boise in 1890, months after Idaho achieved statehood.