Phil Adds to 'Architecture Week' in the Blogosphere
Joseph François Mangin [click to read] is another 'only in America' story. He was born a slave in Haiti and in 1791, while Banneker was working on Washington, Mangin made his escape during a slave rebellion. He made his way to Paris and studied architecture.
When the French Revolution sent him packing again he came to New York where he made significannt contributions to the city's civic and religious architecture.
Monday, May 24, 2010
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3 comments:
Joseph Francois Mangin was born in "Chalons-sur-Marne, France, "not in Haiti"! In 1764. He fears taken as a slave to Haiti, where he escaped during a slave revolt, and returned to his homeland France. He was educated in Paris as an Architect. During the French Revolution, he fled to America, arrived in NYC, and became a citizen in 1776. He was hired as a surveyor, for NYC. He worked by day, and walked the streets until late at night, drawing up plans in hopes of winning the contract, for he and his friend John McCombe (a builder) to Design City Hall. Joesph kept his design plans secret due to competition . When he revealed his Design, including a grid of improving NYC streets, they were initially rejected . He later won the bid, with his friend John McComb at which time they were paid $382.00. He also designed the original St Patricks Cathedral , and worked as the Architect during it's construction. Mangin street in Manhattan is named after him.
Because of Mr Mangin’s elusiveness he may be confused with another Joseph-François Mangin, incidentally one of the most common first names of the Period.
1) Mangin was born in 1758
2) Mangin left St Dimingue/Haiti for the States and settled in NYC
3) Mangin became a US citizen in 1796 not 1776 (that would not be possible, the naturalization laws had not yet been established, the constitution was only ratified in 1789)
As a licensed NYC tour guide I am required to get it right, as Mangin is an important architect in The history of the city.
Great family history about my Mangin roots
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