Personal Data

Henry Forbes Bigelow was born on May 12, 1867, in Clinton, the son of Henry Nelson Bigelow and Clarisa Forbes (daughter of Franklin Forbes).

He married on October 15, 1896, in Worcester, to Eliza Frothingham Davis (b. 17January1871 in Worcester; d. 20Jun1907), daughter of Edward L. Davis and his wife, Maria L. Robbins.

He married second on June 1, 1912, in Lancaster, to Susan Thayer (b. 1Oct1885 in Boston), daughter of Eugene van Rensselaer Thayer and his wife, Susan Spring (daughter of Isaac H. Spring).

Henry Bigelow died on August 12, 1929.

Career

Henry Bigelow studied at MIT. In the early 1890s, he joined the offices of Winslow and Wetherell (Walter Thacher Winslow and George Homans Wetherell), and in 1898, he had become a partner, the firm becoming Winslow, Wetherell, and Bigelow.

In about 1901, George Wetherell left the firm and it became Winslow and Bigelow, which it remained until Walter Winslow’s death in January of 1909.

In February of 1909, Philip Wadsworth (who had been a draftsman in the office since 1907) became Henry Bigelow’s partner and the firm became Bigelow and Wadsworth.  The firm remained Bigelow and Wadsworth until about 1928, when Edward A. Hubbard and Giles M. Smith — both of whom already were with the firm — were made partners, and it became Bigelow, Wadsworth, Hubbard, and Smith.  After Bigelow’s death in August of 1929, the firm continued as Wadsworth, Hubbard, and Smith.

According to Withey’s Biographical Dictionary of American Architects, Henry F. Bigelow “probably contributed more to the creation of charming and distinguished house interiors than any one person of his time.”

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