James McDonald Gardiner
| James McDonald Gardiner | |
|---|---|
 James McDonald Gardiner | |
| Born |
May 22, 1857 St. Louis, Missouri |
| Died |
November 25, 1925 (aged 68) Tokyo, Japan |
| Nationality | American |
| Alma mater | Harvard University |
| Occupation | Architect |
| Buildings | St. Agnes Cathedral (Kyoto) |
James McDonald Gardiner (May 22, 1857 – November 25, 1925) was an American architect, lay Anglican church missionary and educator who lived and worked in Japan during the Meiji period.
Early life and education
Born May 22, 1857 in St. Louis, Missouri, son of James McDonald and Margaret McCartney (Gordon) Gardiner. Educated at Hackensack Academy and Harvard University graduating in 1879.
Mission work and architectural career in Japan
Gardiner first came to Japan in 1880 and designed numerous school, church and private residential buildings while in the country. As a lay missionary in the Anglican Church in Japan his connection with Bishop Channing Moore Williams and the work of US Episcopal Church mission was close, leading in part to his appointment as one of the first Presidents of St. Paul's School, the founding institution of Rikkyo University.
Besides St. Agnes Cathedral (Kyoto), other buildings of note designed by Gardiner and still preserved in Japan include St. John's Church, Kyoto (1907), now in the historic building collection at Meiji-mura, and the former residence of Sadatsuchi Uchida, known as The Diplomat's House (1910), since 1995 a feature of the Italian Garden park in Yamate, Yokohama.[1]
Grave located at the True Light Church, Nikkō, Tochigi, Japan; an Anglican church of his own design.[2]
Gallery
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St. John's Church, Meiji-mura
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True Light Church, Nikko, Tochigi
Family
Married Florence Rhodes Pitman, Principal of St. Margaret's School for Girls, Tokyo in 1882. Three children.
- Eldest daughter, Hasu no Hana, married Episcopal missionary, Shirley Hall Nichols in 1916. In 1925 Nichols was elected to serve as the Episcopal Bishop of Kyoto.[3]
References
- ↑ Kawasaki, Satoko; Sayuri Daimon (October 22, 2010). "Diplomat's House". A Victorian Original on Yamate Bluff. Japan Times. Retrieved 21 May 2014.
- ↑ Satow, Ernest (2003). The Diaries of Sir Ernest Satow (E book ed.). Chiyoda, Tokyo: Edition Synapse / Lulu Press. p. 430. ISBN 978-0-557-35372-9. Retrieved 21 December 2014.
- ↑ Schmidt, Lewis (October 10, 1989). "Interview with Walter Nichols". Foreign Affairs Oral History Division. Library of Congress. Retrieved 1 January 2015.