VT BIO - Windham Co - ATWOOD, Harrison Henry

Men of Vermont: an Illustrated Biographical History of Vermonters and Sons of 
Vermont. Ullery. Brattleboro, VT: Transcript Pub. Co., 1894, Part III, Sons 
of Vermonters, pp 9-10 (Portrait p 9)

Harrison Henry ATWOOD, of Boston [Suffolk County], Massachusetts, son of 
Peter Clark and Helen Marion (ALDRICH) ATWOOD, was born in North Londonderry 
[Windham County, Vermont], 26 August 1863. Soon after his birth his parent 
located in Boston, where his school training was obtained. He graduated from 
Phillips grammar school in 1877, and immediately entered the law office of 
Godfrey MORSE and John R. BULLARD. At the age of seventeen he took up the 
study and practice of architecture as his chosen profession, and became a 
student of Mr. Samuel J. F. THAYER, where he remained for four years, and 
after spending one year in the office of Mr. George A. CLOUGH, ex-city 
architect, he began practice in the fall of 1886, his prize designs for the 
Suffolk County [Massachusetts] courthouse and the public library being his 
best work as a student. After commencing practice he was at various times 
employed by the city of Chelsea [Orange County, Vermont], on public work, and 
established a reputation for thoroughness and care, his First National Bank 
building in Chelsea being the finest and most expensive building in the city. 
In May 1889 he was appointed by Hon. Thomas N. HART, mayor of Boston, as 
city architect, in which position he served during Mayor HART's 
administration, being re-appointed in 1890. While city architect he 
completed the legacies in the way of unfinished public buildings left by 
former administrations: the Horace Mann School for Deaf Mutes, the South 
Boston grammar school, the Roxbury high school, and several minor buildings; 
and the new work laid out, completed or placed under contract during his term 
of office comprise four of the finest public school buildings in New England: 
the Henry L. Pierce grammar school, the Prince primary school, the Bowditch 
grammar school, and the Adams primary school. All the new work was placed by 
him in one single contract, a method of doing the public business never 
before or since adopted by the architect department. Besides these beautiful 
buildings, much work was accomplished during these two years for the fire, 
police, water, sewer and park departments.

Mr. [Harrison Henry] ATWOOD was a member of the House of Representatives of 
1887 from the 8th Suffolk representative district, was re-elected in 1888, 
and honored again in 1889, at which election he received the highest number 
of votes ever cast before or since for any representative candidate, and this 
too, despite the fact that the district was over a thousand Democratic 
majority. During his service in the Legislature, his committee appointments 
were among to the most important. His work upon the committees on state 
house extension, liquor law, mercantile affairs and cities was most 
creditable, and gained him much in character and reputation. He was elected 
an alternate delegate from the old 4th congressional district to the national 
Republican convention at Chicago in 1888, and was again honored by being 
chosen as delegate to he Republican national convention at Minneapolis in 
1892. He has been a member of the Republican city committee of Boston since 
1884, serving as its secretary for four years, and for the years 1887-1888 
was a member of the Republican state committee. On 14 September 1892 he was 
nominated by the [p 10] Republicans of the new 10th Massachusetts 
congressional district as their standard bearer in one of the hardest fought 
political campaigns that Massachusetts has witnessed in many years. His 
dignified and manly course throughout this most exciting congressional 
canvass, and especially towards those of his own party whose support was 
given to an independent Republican candidate, was such as to win even the 
plaudits of his political opponents and make even keener the regret when at 
the close of what at first considered a hopeless task, his election was 
defeated by only 685 votes with the independent Republicans attracting the 
support of over 2,200 voters.

He [Harrison Henry ATWOOD] was married in Boston [Suffolk County, 
Massachusetts] on 11 September 1889 to Clara, eldest daughter of the late 
John August and Sophie (KUPFER) STEIN. They [Harrison Henry and Clara 
(STEIN) ATWOOD] have two sons, Harrison Henry, Jr., and August Stein. Mr. 
[Harrison Henry] ATWOOD is a member of St. John's Lodge, Free & Accepted 
Masons, St. Paul's Royal Arch Chapter, and Boston Commandery, and also 
belongs to the Independent Order of Odd Fellows.

Submitted by Cathy Kubly