Gibson, Robert Williams 1854 - 1927

Robert Williams Gibson was born in Aveley, Essex, England on 17 November 1854 and trained as an architect at the Royal Academy Schools in London. In 1871 he was living in Stoke Newington, London and in 1883 he emigrated to the USA. Later that year began working as an architect in upstate New York.

Among his early commissions in America were a mausoleum for John Augustus Griswold at Oakwood Cemetery in Troy, New York (1883); Notleymere, a house on the eastern shore of Cazenovia Lake in Cazenovia, Madison County, New York (1885); and the Cathedral of All Saints, built in the Gothic style in Albany, New York (1888).

In 1888 he received a major commission, to design the United States Trust Company building in New York City and shortly after relocated his practice to the Potters Building in Manhattan, New York.  Later work by Gibson included St. Stephen's Episcopal Church, a Gothic Revival style church in Olean, New York (1889-90); the Greenwich Savings Bank in New York City (1892); the Grace Episcopal Church, another Gothic Revival style church, in Plainfield, New Jersey (1892); the LuEsther T. Mertz Library, a research library designed in the Renaissance Revival style at the New York Botanical Garden in the Bronx, New York City (1897-1900); and the the Morton F. Plant residence, a New-Renaissance building at 651–653 Fifth Avenue, New York City, now the Cartier Building (1905).

Gibson died in New York City on 17 August 1927.