Frank Chouteau Brown

Born in Minneapolis in 1876, he studied at the Minneapolis School of Fine Arts, the Boston Art Club, and in Europe before beginning his professional career as an architect. He moved to Boston in 1902, where he established his practice and became part of the city’s architectural and preservation circles.

He is especially remembered for the breadth of his work beyond private practice. From 1907 to 1919 he served as editor of Architectural Review, and in 1916 he joined the faculty of Boston University. By 1919 he had become head of the university’s Department of Art and Architecture, combining teaching, writing, and professional leadership.

Brown also played an important role in documenting and preserving historic buildings in New England. His name is associated with early preservation work and with architectural records that helped save the details of older American structures for future generations. He died in 1947.