Twelve Year Old Aspiring Architect Makes Good

JohnLaneEvans

A hundred years ago today, November 13, 1914, the Philadelphia Evening Ledger carried this illustration of this 12-year-old young man, one John Lane Evans of 5215 Chester Avenue in that city, with his model of the U.S.S. Oregon.

Ship upon which the model was based, 1898 (Wikipedia image)

Ship upon which the model was based, 1898 (Wikipedia image)

As might be expected, Mr. Evans went on to become an architect. In 1961, he became the City Architect of Philadelphia, serving in that position until 1975, where he designed buildings such as this police station. He died in 1994. His papers are held by the Architectural Archives of the University of Pennsylvania.