Dresser Figure 5

Figure 5: Daniel Lincoln Practiced Law in this building. Front View of Portland Bank, 1806, Alexander Parris Sketchbook, 1806-1812, Mss octavo volumes P, Courtesy, American Antiquarian Society. Alexander Parris (1780-1852), architect and builder, began as an apprentice to a carpenter in Pembroke, Me., and worked as an architect in Portland, Me., before his enlistment as captain of a company of engineers during the War of 1812. Afterwards, Parris settled in Boston, where he performed his most important work, such as St. Paul’s Church and Faneuil Hall’s market hall. In 1847, he was appointed civil engineer of the Portsmouth, N.H., navy yard. This collection consists of Alexander Parris’ sketchbook, for the period 1806 to 1812, with a folder of negative and positive photostats of its content. The book is a portfolio of architectural designs, including the Portland Church, 1807, the Governor of Virginia’s House in Richmond, 1811-1812, Commodore Edward Preble’s (1761-1807) house in Portland, 1807-1808, and the Portland Bank Building, 1807. The book also contains sketches of dogs, a list of books Parris planned to read, and names of famous architects.


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Welcome to Commonplace, a destination for exploring and exchanging ideas about early American history and culture. A bit less formal than a scholarly journal, a bit more scholarly than a popular magazine, Commonplace speaks—and listens—to scholars, museum curators, teachers, hobbyists, and just about anyone interested in American history before 1900. It is for all sorts of people to read about all sorts of things relating to early American life—from architecture to literature, from politics to parlor manners. It’s a place to find insightful analysis of early American history as it is discussed in scholarly literature, as it manifests on the evening news, as it is curated in museums, big and small; as it is performed in documentary and dramatic films and as it shows up in everyday life.

In addition to critical evaluations of books and websites (Reviews) and poetic research and fiction (Creative Writing), our articles explore material and visual culture (Objects); pedagogy, the writing of literary scholarship, and the historian’s craft (Teach); and diverse aspects of America’s past and its many peoples (Learn). For more great content, check out our other projects, (Just Teach One) and (Just Teach One African American Print).

 

How to cite Commonplace articles:

Author, “Title of Article,” Commonplace: the journal of early American life, date accessed, URL.

Sophie White, “Trading Looks Race, Religion and Dress in French America,” Commonplace: the journal of early American life, accessed September 30, 2019, https://commonplace.online/article/trading-looks-race-religion-dress-french-america/

 

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