Rufus Sargent


Rufus Sargent was an American architect practicing in Newburyport, Massachusetts during the nineteenth century.

Life and career

Rufus Sargent was born January 7, 1812, in Amesbury, Massachusetts to Nicholas Sargent and Sally Sargent. In 1840 he moved to Newburyport, where he first worked as a carpenter. By 1843 he had formed a partnership with Henry Morse which lasted only briefly. By 1848 he was calling himself an architect rather than carpenter, and would also advertise services as a civil engineer in later years. Sargent was the most prominent architect practicing in Newburyport and Essex County during his lifetime, and after the Civil War also built extensively in New Hampshire. In the Spring of 1886 he moved south to Palatka, Florida, possibly for his health. While there he worked as an architect for the Henry B. Plant-affiliated Florida Southern Railway, and died there in 1886.
Sargent was consulting engineer for the Newburyport City Railroad, completed in 1872. His major buildings include the First Baptist Church of Methuen, the bank for the Institution for Savings in Newburyport and the City Hall of Peabody.

Personal life

Sargent was a descendant of William Sargent, an early settler of Amesbury in the 1630s.
In 1835, while still living in Amesbury, Sargent married Abigail Buswell of Northfield, New Hampshire. They had two daughters. After living in various houses around Newburyport for most of his life, including 3 Fruit Street, in 1877 Sargent purchased land at 8 Harris Street, where he built his own house in the Italianate style. His family continued to live there after his death. Sargent died November 1, 1886, in Palatka. He was buried in Newburyport.

Legacy

Sargent's buildings were designed in the popular styles of the Victorian era, especially the Italianate and Second Empire styles. They contrast with the earlier architecture of Newburyport, a city best known for its Federal architecture.
At least three of Sargent's works have been listed on the United States National Register of Historic Places, and others contribute to listed historic districts.

Architectural works