H. H. Richardson's Frank William Andrews House

The Frank William Andrews House, Middletown, R. I. (1872-1873), H. H. Richardson's first large country residence, has long been regarded as a significant work in the development of 19th-century American architecture. However, it has remained largely unknown, except for a single plan and elevation which have been widely published. This article presents new information regarding the client, the history of the commission, its construction and demise. Previously unknown working drawings and photographs, which were retained by the Andrews descendants (who were traced by the author), are included and are the basis for a detailed description of the house. This description and an examination of possible sources for the house provide the basis for a reevaluation of its significance, in terms of the development of American domestic architecture in the 1870s and 1880s and in terms of H. H. Richardson's development of a formally integrated architecture.