William M. Butterfield
# William M. Butterfield

William M. Butterfield (1860–1932) was an American architect from New Hampshire.

## Early life and education

Butterfield was born October 22, 1860, in Sidney, Maine. His father, Chesmon Butterfield, was a carpenter and builder. The family moved to Waterville in 1871, when young Butterfield was 11 years old. At that time, his father established himself as an architect as well as a builder. He trained with his father and, at the age of 16, took a job with Foster & Dutton, a Waterville contracting firm with a statewide reputation. He quickly rose through the ranks, and by the age of 17 was supervising the construction of large structures, most notably a major expansion in 1879 of the Hotel Wentworth in New Castle.

## Career

In 1880, he established himself as a contractor in Concord, Massachusetts, but moved in 1881 to Manchester, New Hampshire, to open an architect's office.

Upon his arrival, he formed a partnership with Albert E. Bodwell, who would later become Edward Dow's head designer. The partnership, Bodwell & Butterfield, had been dissolved by September. Butterfield remained in private practice for the duration of the 19th century. In about 1907 he took his son Clinton C. Butterfield and Parker K. Weston into the firm, which became the William M. Butterfield Company. By 1920, Butterfield was managing the practice alone. In 1924 Butterfield formed a partnership with architect Jean-Noël Guertin. The firm was known as the Butterfield-Guertin Company and lasted until 1927, after which Butterfield resumed his private practice until his death in 1932. During his final years, his chief associate was Norris W. Corey. Corey would be Butterfield's successor, and practiced until his retirement in the 1970s. Among Corey's designs is the Town Hall of Goffstown, New Hampshire, built in 1947.

## Personal life

Butterfield was married twice. First in 1882 to Rose E. Annis of Peterborough. She died in 1884, not long after giving birth to their son, Clinton Chesmon Butterfield. He married again in 1885, to Belle Knox of Manchester.

Butterfield died June 6, 1932, in Manchester.

## Legacy

Butterfield was the leading architect in Manchester and New Hampshire from about the 1890s until the time of World War I. During that period he was highly sought after as a designer of town halls, courthouses, churches, and other public and private buildings.

During the 1880s Butterfield employed John F. Stanton, who would go on to be a noted architect in Topeka, Kansas.

At least nine of his designs have been placed on the United States National Register of Historic Places, and many others contribute to listed historic districts.

## Architectural works

| Year | Building | Address | City | State | Notes |
| - | - | - | - | - | - |
| 1881 | Farmington Town Hall | 356 Main St | Farmington | New Hampshire | Highly altered. |
| 1882 | House for Freeman Higgins | 537 Pine St | Manchester | New Hampshire | |
| 1882 | House for Charles Morrill | 1799 Elm St | Manchester | New Hampshire | |
| 1882 | Peoples' M. E. Church | 60 Pennacook St | Manchester | New Hampshire | |
| 1882 | St. Paul's M. E. Church | Union and Amherst Sts | Manchester | New Hampshire | Demolished. |
| 1885 | Central Police Station | Manchester and Central Sts | Manchester | New Hampshire | Demolished. |
| 1886 | Hollis Town Hall | 7 Monument Sq | Hollis | New Hampshire | Listed on the United States National Register of Historic Places in 2001 as part of the Hollis Village Historic District. |
| 1886 | Swedish Evangelical Lutheran Gethsemane Church | 65 Sagamore St | Manchester | New Hampshire | |
| 1888 | Beth Eden Baptist Church | 82 Maple St | Waltham | Massachusetts | Listed on the United States National Register of Historic Places in 1989. |
| 1888 | Fire Station No. 5 | 44 Webster St | Manchester | New Hampshire | Demolished in 1993. |
| 1888 | House for Hosea B. Burnham | 74 Brook St | Manchester | New Hampshire | |
| 1888 | House for Nelson S. Whitman | 263 Main St | Nashua | New Hampshire | |
| 1889 | Goffstown Town Hall | 216 Main St | Goffstown | New Hampshire | Burned in 1937. |
| 1889 | Immanuel M. E. Church | 545 Moody St | Waltham | Massachusetts | |
| 1889 | Pittsfield High School (former) | 85 Main St | Pittsfield | New Hampshire | Listed on the United States National Register of Historic Places in 1980 as part of the Pittsfield Center Historic District. Now the Town Hall. |
| 1890 | Goffstown Congregational Church | 8 Main St | Goffstown | New Hampshire | Listed on the United States National Register of Historic Places in 1996. |
| 1891 | First Baptist Church | 298 Blackstone St | Woonsocket | Rhode Island | |
| 1891 | Odd Fellows Building | 142 Main St | Nashua | New Hampshire | |
| 1891 | House for John Butler Smith | 62 School St | Hillsborough | New Hampshire | Listed on the United States National Register of Historic Places in 2002. |
| 1891 | House for Roger G. Sullivan | 168 Walnut St | Manchester | New Hampshire | Listed on the United States National Register of Historic Places in 2004. |
| 1892 | Franklin City Hall | 316 Central St | Franklin | New Hampshire | Listed on the United States National Register of Historic Places in 1982 as part of the Franklin Falls Historic District. |
| 1892 | Kennard Block | 1008 Elm St | Manchester | New Hampshire | Burned in 1902. |
| 1892 | Monadnock Block | 1140-1160 Elm St | Manchester | New Hampshire | Demolished in 1987. |
| 1892 | Nesmith Hall | University of New Hampshire | Durham | New Hampshire | Highly altered. |
| 1892 | Pittsfield Academy | 5 Park St | Pittsfield | New Hampshire | Listed on the United States National Register of Historic Places in 1980 as part of the Pittsfield Center Historic District. |
| 1892 | Smith and Dow Block | 1426-1470 Elm St | Manchester | New Hampshire | Listed on the United States National Register of Historic Places in 2002. |
| 1892 | Varick Building | 815 Elm St | Manchester | New Hampshire | Rebuilt after a 1914 fire. |
| 1892 | Weston, Hill & Fitts Building | 1061 Elm St | Manchester | New Hampshire | |
| 1893 | Bank Building | 20 W Park St | Lebanon | New Hampshire | Listed on the United States National Register of Historic Places in 1986 as part of the Colburn Park Historic District. |
| 1893 | Belknap County Courthouse | 64 Court St | Laconia | New Hampshire | |
| 1893 | Pumping Station | Oak Hill Reservoir | Manchester | New Hampshire | Demolished. |
| 1893 | "Wildwood Hall" for George H. Moore | 506 Moore Hill Rd | Newbury | Vermont | Listed on the United States National Register of Historic Places in 1978. |
| 1894 | Hillsborough County Buildings (former) | 329 Mast Rd | Goffstown | New Hampshire | Originally home to Hillsborough County's social services, now used for courts and offices. |
| 1894 | Pearl Street School | Pearl St | Manchester | New Hampshire | |
| 1895 | Acquilla Building | 3 Pleasant St | Concord | New Hampshire | Listed on the United States National Register of Historic Places in 2000 as part of the Downtown Concord Historic District. |
| 1895 | Calumet Club | 126 Lowell St | Manchester | New Hampshire | Altered. |
| 1895 | Weston Terrace | 70 Lowell St | Manchester | New Hampshire | |
| 1896 | Manchester Central High School | 207 Lowell St | Manchester | New Hampshire | |
| 1896 | House for George E. Gould | 2321 Elm St | Manchester | New Hampshire | |
| 1896 | Stone Memorial Building | N Stark Hwy | Weare | New Hampshire | |
| 1897 | Adams Free Library | 92 Park St | Adams | Massachusetts | |
| 1897 | John M. Hunt Home | 334 Main St | Nashua | New Hampshire | |
| 1899 | Globe Congregational Church | 340 S Main St | Woonsocket | Rhode Island | |
| 1899 | Nurses' Residence | New Hampshire State Hospital (former) | Concord | New Hampshire | |
| 1901 | Josiah Carpenter Library | 41 Main St | Pittsfield | New Hampshire | Listed on the United States National Register of Historic Places in 1980 as part of the Pittsfield Center Historic District. |
| 1902 | Academie Notre Dame | 372 Beech St | Manchester | New Hampshire | |
| 1902 | Batchelder Street School (former) | 12 Batchelder St | Laconia | New Hampshire | |
| 1902 | House for Alonzo H. Weston | 2241 Elm St | Manchester | New Hampshire | |
| 1902 | Newport Academy and Graded School | School St | Newport | Vermont | Demolished. |
| 1902 | Washington Street School (former) | 72 Washington St | Laconia | New Hampshire | |
| 1903 | Beacon Building | 814 Elm St | Manchester | New Hampshire | |
| 1903 | Chutter Block | 43 Main St | Littleton | New Hampshire | |
| 1903 | Littleton Bank Building | 76 Main St | Littleton | New Hampshire | Demolished. |
| 1903 | New Hampshire Masonic Home | 813 Beech St | Manchester | New Hampshire | |
| 1903 | Waterville Savings Bank Building | 165 Main St | Waterville | Maine | Listed on the United States National Register of Historic Places in 2014 as part of the Waterville Main Street Historic District. |
| 1904 | Pembroke Academy | 209 Academy Rd | Suncook | New Hampshire | Burned in 1936. |
| 1904 | Sphinx Tomb | Dartmouth College | Hanover | New Hampshire | Listed on the United States National Register of Historic Places in 2005. |
| 1905 | Hillsborough County Courthouse (former) | Market St | Manchester | New Hampshire | Presently the City Hall Annex. |
| 1905 | Thayer Building | New Hampshire State Hospital (former) | Concord | New Hampshire | |
| 1906 | South Grammar School | 38 Gold St | Waterville | Maine | |
| 1907 | Chapel | Pine Grove Cemetery | Waterville | Maine | |
| 1908 | Concord State Armory (former) | 39 Green St | Concord | New Hampshire | Listed on the United States National Register of Historic Places in 1983 as part of the Concord Civic District. |
| 1908 | Hussey Block | 185 Main St | Waterville | Maine | |
| 1908 | Elmwood Hotel addition | 211 Main St | Waterville | Maine | |
| 1909 | Y. M. C. A. Building | 30 Mechanic St | Manchester | New Hampshire | |
| 1910 | First M. E. Church | 961 Valley St | Manchester | New Hampshire | |
| 1913 | Saidel Apartments | 238 Pearl St | Manchester | New Hampshire | |
| 1915 | House for David W. Anderson | 523 Beacon St | Manchester | New Hampshire | |
| 1915 | Holy Trinity Cathedral | 166 Pearl St | Manchester | New Hampshire | |
| 1916 | Oscar Foss Memorial Library | 111 S Barnstead Rd | Barnstead | New Hampshire | Listed on the United States National Register of Historic Places in 1985. |
| 1920 | Franklin Street School | 255 Franklin St | Manchester | New Hampshire | Demolished. |
| 1921 | City Guaranty Savings Bank Building | 119 Main St | Nashua | New Hampshire | Later known as the Old Guaranty National Bank. Altered. |
| 1921 | LaFlamme Apartments | 10 Prospect St | Manchester | New Hampshire | |
| 1924 | Aaron Cutler Memorial Library | 269 Charles Bancroft Hwy | Litchfield | New Hampshire | |
| 1925 | Brewer High School (former) | 5 Somerset St | Brewer | Maine | Listed on the United States National Register of Historic Places in 2014. |
| 1927 | Berlin State Armory (former) | 135 Green St | Berlin | New Hampshire | |
