The Savings Bank of New London Building in New London, Connecticut, designed by Donnelly in 1903 and completed in 1905.
Dudley St. Clair Donnelly (1870-1937) was an American architect practicing in New London, Connecticut in the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries.
Dudley St. Clair Donnelly was born September 17, 1870, in Barbados to Henry C. Donnelly and Catharine (Barry) Donnelly. In 1875 the family moved to Yonkers, New York, where Donnelly was educated, graduating from high school in 1888. He received his architectural training in the offices of Benjamin SillimaninNew York City and Arthur F. GrayinBoston. In 1892 he was employed by Cole & Chandler, architects of New London and Boston.[1] Cole died in New London in 1893,[2] and Chandler consolidated his practice in Boston. Donnelly then opened his own office in New London. He worked alone until 1899 when he formed a partnership with Louis R. Hazeltine. The partnership of Donnelly & Hazeltine was dissolved in December, 1906, after which Donnelly returned to private practice.[1]
After fifteen more years in New London, in 1919 Donnelly began to live and work in Florida for part of the year.[3] He moved full-time to Coral Gables in 1925.[4] During the land boom many northern architects moved to Florida. The local economy collapsed following the hurricanes of 1926 and 1928, and with the start of the Great Depression Donnelly returned to New London in 1930. He then served as city building inspector, and supervised the construction of WPA projects.[3]
Like many of his contemporaries, Donnelly was an eclectic designer and drew on different historical styles for each project. He was especially fond of the Renaissance Revival style, which he used extensively in his commercial and institutional projects. Other buildings utilized the Colonial Revival or the Gothic Revival styles, while some residential projects were inspired by the Arts and Crafts movement and the American Craftsman style. One of his major clients was Morton Freeman Plant, who commissioned him to design an office building in New London, his hunting lodge in East Lyme, a garage on his Groton estate and golf clubs in Groton and Belleair, Florida.
At least four buildings designed by Donnelly have been listed on the United States National Register of Historic Places, though one has been demolished. Others contribute to listed historic districts.
^Originally built in 1784 probably to a design by Isaac Fitch. Donnelly's alterations included a large rear addition and remodeling of the interior.[16]
^ abcdefghA Modern History of New London County, Connecticut, vol. 3, ed. Benjamin Tinkham Marshall (New York: Lewis Historical Publishing Company, 1922): 289-290.
^"Architect Cole of New London Dead," Boston Daily Globe, July 28, 1893, 6.
^ ab"Dudley St. Clair Donnelly," aiahistoricaldirectory.atlassian.net, AIA Historical Directory of American Architects, n. d. Accessed April 9, 2021.
^"Father of West Hartford Fire Chief Dies at 68," Hartford Courant, March 6, 1937, 4.
^ abcdMontauk Avenue Historic District NRHP Registration Form (1990)
^American Architect and Building News 56, no. 1122 (June 26, 1897): xi.
^American Architect and Building News 76, no. 1374 (April 26, 1902): xiii.
^Hempstead Historic District NRHP Registration Form (1986)
^Daniel Sterner, "Savings Bank of New London (1905)," historicbuildingsct.com, Historic Buildings of Connecticut, January 16, 2014. Accessed April 13, 2021.
^ abWilliams Memorial Park Historic District NRHP Registration Form (1987)
^Boston Home Journal 61, no. 11 (March 18, 1905): 16.
