William W. Boyington

Trained as an engineer and architect in New York State, William W. Boyington (1818- 1898) later was elected to its state legislature where he served as chair of its Committee on Public Buildings. In 1853, he moved to Chicago and became one of the city's first architects and the first president of the Chicago Chapter of the American Institute of Architects.

Boyington's designs for the Old Chicago Water Tower and Pumping Station, Rosehill Cemetery Entrance, and Soldier's Home represent three of the city's few structures that pre-date the Fire of 1871. He also was recognized for his many hotel and church designs, which exemplified the various eclectic styles of Victorian-era architecture. His projects included numerous out-of-state commissions, as well as--in Illinois--the state penitentiary in Joliet and the State Capitol in Springfield.