Morris Benham Payne
BornJanuary 19, 1885
DiedJanuary 31, 1961
NationalityAmerican
OccupationArchitect
Memorial Town Hall, Old Lyme, 1920.

Morris B. Payne (1885-1961) was an American architect from New London, Connecticut.[1] He also reached the rank of major general in the Connecticut National Guard, commanding the 43rd Infantry Division at the beginning of World War II.

Life and career

Morris Benham Payne was born in Waterford, Connecticut, on January 19, 1885. He attended the public schools. Wishing to become a civil engineer, he entered the offices of Daball & Crandall, a New London engineering firm. from 1906 to 1912 he was employed by the United States engineering department. When he left government work in 1912, he established a partnership with architect James S. Duffy as Duffy & Payne, architects and engineers. They went separate ways in 1913, and Payne worked alone for the next two years.[2]

In late 1915, he established a partnership with B. Bouis Adams, an architect from Washington, DC.[3] Payne went abroad to France in 1917 with the Coast Artillery Corps, at which point Adams managed the office alone. Due to his declining health in Payne's absence, he closed the office in late 1918,[4] and died in February 1919. Payne returned in January of that year, and after Adams' death, established a new partnership, Payne & Griswold, with Harry Todd Griswold.[5] Edward R. Keefe joined the partnership in 1920, which became Payne, Griswold & Keefe. Griswold withdrew in 1922, after which point the firm existed as Payne & Keefe.[6] Payne & Keefe existed at least through the early 1950s.

Military career

Payne enlisted in the Connecticut National Guard in 1902 and was commissioned as a second lieutenant in the Coast Artillery Corps in 1906. He was promoted to major in 1912 and was mobilized for service on the Mexican border in 1916. He was remobilized in 1917 and served on active duty during World War I. After the war, he was promoted to colonel in 1921 and brigadier general in 1923 when he was appointed Quartermaster General of the Connecticut National Guard.

On July 18, 1927, he was promoted to major general and placed in command of the 43rd Division. In February 1941 the division was mobilized and Payne served as its commander until he was relieved of command in August of that year. Payne's relief was, apparently, not due to any misconduct on his part but because of an Army policy to replace National Guard division commanders with Regular Army officers.

Death and burial

Payne died on January 31, 1961, and was buried in Arlington National Cemetery.

He was an active Freemason.[7]

Legacy

One of Payne's buildings, the U. S. Post Office in New London, has been listed on the National Register of Historic Places.[8] In addition, many of his works in New London, Old Lyme, and Groton contribute to listed historic districts.

In a 1921 publication detailing Connecticut domestic architecture, the work of Payne's firm was described as "...in the style so highly esteemed by the Founders. The people here seem to revere the architectural traditions of their old homes, but it appears to be a reverence thoroughly intermixed with discriminatory appreciation which counts for a clientele that stimulates because of its intelligent enthusiasm".[9]

Architectural works

Payne & Adams, 1915-1918

Payne & Griswold, 1919-1920

Payne, Griswold & Keefe, 1920-1922

Payne & Keefe, from 1922

References

  1. Marshall, Benjamin Tinkham (1922). A Modern History of New London County, Connecticut, Volume 2. p. 108.
  2. A Modern History of New London County, Connecticut. Ed. Benjamin Tinkham Marshall. Vol. 2. New York: Lewis Historical Publishing Co., 1922.
  3. American Contractor 11 Dec. 1915: 67.
  4. American Architect 14 Aug. 1918: 206. Boston.
  5. American Contractor 23 Aug. 1919: 32. Chicago.
  6. American Contractor 13 May 1922: 37. New York.
  7. "The Builder Magazine: January 1924". Phoenix Masonry. Retrieved 28 August 2016.
  8. Smith, Greg. "New London post office possible future home to city offices". The Day. Retrieved 28 August 2016.
  9. "Perpetuating Colonial Traditions". Modern Connecticut Homes and Homecrafts. New York: American Homecrafts Co., 1921.
  10. American Contractor 25 Dec. 1915: 42. Chicago.
  11. American Contractor 8 Jan. 1916: 38. Chicago.
  12. American Contractor 7 April 1917: 67. Chicago.
  13. Stone Nov. 1919: 515. Indianapolis.
  14. "Ansonia National Guard Armory (1921)". Historic Buildings of Connecticut. 19 July 2010. Retrieved 28 August 2016.
  15. American Contractor 3 April 1920: 65. Chicago.
  16. American Contractor 1 May 1920: 66. Chicago.
  17. Engineering News-Record 16 Dec. 1920: 316. New York.
  18. American Contractor 12 Nov. 1921: 53. Chicago.
  19. American Contractor 14 Jan. 1922: 59. Chicago.
  20. American Contractor 22 July 1922: 46. Chicago.
  21. American Contractor 26 Aug. 1922: 40. Chicago.
  22. Engineering News-Record 1923: 182. New York.
  23. Rossano, Geoffrey L. Historic and Architectural Resource Survey of North Manchester, Connecticut. Vol. 1. n.d.
  24. Domestic Engineering 1927: 96. Chicago.
  25. 1 2 "Payne & Keefe (firm)". http://public.aia.org/. n.d.
  26. "History". http://salemct.gov/. n.d.
  27. Architectural Forum 1931: ix.
  28. Engineering News-Record 1931: 64. New York.
  29. Power 1932: 318. New York.
  30. Bridgemen's Magazine 1932: 31. Indianapolis.
  31. Bridgemen's Magazine 1932: 36. Indianapolis.
  32. New London Main Post Office NRHP Nomination. 1985.
  33. Bridgemen's Magazine 1933: 349. Indianapolis.
  34. Bridgemen's Magazine 1935: 151. Indianapolis.
  35. Ruddy, John. "Ocean Beach Park was built, from start to finish, in barely six months". www.theday.com. 29 June 2015.
  36. Montauk Avenue Historic District NRHP Nomination. 1990.
  37. Bridgemen's Magazine 1941: 336. Indianapolis.
  38. Engineering News-Record 28 March 1946: 28. New York.
  39. Engineering News-Record 16 Nov. 1950: 88. New York.
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