Hobart A. Walker

Hobart A. Walker
General Information
Birth	November 1, 1869 Brooklyn, New York
Death	June 11, 1955 4327 Marble Hall Road, Baltimore, Maryland

Projects

Map

Library	Church	Government	Commercial	Dwelling	Park	Educational

Listing

Project	Completed	Address	Image
Project	Completed	Address	Image

American Institute of Architects, application for membership: https://aiahistoricaldirectory.atlassian.net/wiki/spaces/AHDAA/pages/39422391/ahd1046841?preview=/39422391/2217870092/Walker_HobartA.pdf

MUSINGS OF AN OLD-TIMER BY HOBART A. WALKER, F.A.I.A., Baltimore

https://usmodernist.org/AJ/AJ-1948-04.pdf

Journal of lhe American Institute of ARCHITECTS April, 1948

I was very much interested in the letter from Victor A. Matteson in the February JOURNAL, "Is it Architecture?" I have been hoping that some architect would have temerity enough to express himself hon estly about the present trend of ultra-modernism in architecture as well as in all of the arts, and Mr. Matteson has eloquently voiced the opinion of many of us, both young and old, who have given much thought to this subject. If I add a few of my ideas, it will naturally be said, "Oh, he is an old-timer and cannot bear to accept any sort of progress." We cannot and do not want to arrest progress, but we must be sure that it is progress. Many years ago the slogan of young architects was "Progress before precedent," and they still adhere to it but unfortunately have added to it "beauty be damned!" Lest it may be imagined that I am in my dotage, I would say that I have watched with great interest the gradual progress of architecture toward honesty and simplicity. We all admit that many of the large buildings erected toward the close of the last century were very bad because the designing of tall commercial buildings was a new art made necessary by skeleton construction. The first step toward simplicity, I think, was made by Burnham & Root in the design of the Monadnock Building, Chicago, ·which attracted great attention at the time, and some ridicule, but I think it · had a profound effect on our architectural thinking. Stanford White has been credited with the axiom, Take care of the sight line and the skyline, and the rest of the building will take care of itself." That is sound advice and, in general, has been accepted until the arrival of "functionalism," which means farewell to architecture and welcome to engineering. If architects are willing to accept this thesis, it means he passing of a great and honorable profession. I hope we have not seen the last of such eminent American architects as are so graciously mentioned in the fine lettter from Sir Ian MacAlister (Feb. JouRNAL). My own opinion is that the pendulum is swinging too far and must retrace its arc until it stops for a while at "Sanity" on the dial. Such buildings as the Empire State and Woolworth buildings are surely modern and yet are a delight to behold. Let us not be content with erecting buildings of blocks, without beauty or character. I would respectfully suggest that architects would do well to ponder these quotations: Longfellow said, "Ah, to build, to build, that is the noblest art of all the arts" ; and Ruskin said, "When we build let us think that we build forever. Let it not be for present delight or for present use alone. Let it be such work as our descendants will thank us for, and let us think, as we lay stone on stone, that a time is to come when these stones will be held sacred because our hands have touched them, and that men will say as they look upon the labor and wrought substance of them, 'See, this our fathers did for us.' "