He designed New York University, then lost everything in 1841 New Orleans

James Dakin’s Rise and Ruin in New Orleans

James Dakin rose from apprentice to star architect in just five years.

After buying his way into the top New York firm in 1829, he soon quit over who should call the shots. His next move paid off big.

The 1837 Bank of Louisville showed his genius with its perfect Greek columns and stunning details. Yet success led him to New Orleans, where family feuds and political fights doomed his career.

His Gothic state capitol won praise, but battles over the Custom House cost him everything.

The Old Bank of Louisville still stands today, its grand columns telling the tale of Dakin’s brilliant but troubled legacy.

From Carpenter’s Apprentice to New York Architect

James Dakin was born in Northeast Township, New York on August 24, 1806.

When his father died in 1819, young James moved to Hudson, New York to live with his aunt and learn carpentry from his uncle. By 1829, Dakin moved to New York City and got an apprenticeship with the Town and Davis firm.

That same year, he married Joanna Belcher, a widow. They had seven children together, but only two lived to adulthood.

He Invested Big Money to Become a Partner

Dakin moved up quickly, becoming a full partner by 1832.

The firm changed its name to Town, Davis and Dakin after he put up lots of money for a stake in the business.

While there, he worked on major projects like the North Carolina State Capitol and New York University’s Gothic building. Dakin also started creating his own style through side projects like the J.W. Perry house in Brooklyn and Washington Square Dutch Reformed Church.

Money and Control Tore the Partnership Apart

By November 1834, the partnership fell apart over heated fights.

Ithiel Town wrote that Dakin thought his money gave him more right to make decisions than his older partners liked. The power struggle grew too much, and Dakin left to start his own practice in New York.

The firm had briefly hired James Gallier Sr. for four months, where Gallier met Charles, Dakin’s younger brother.

This connection later shaped Dakin’s career path.

His Louisville Bank Became an Architectural Gem

In 1834, Dakin got one of his first solo jobs designing the Bank of Louisville in Kentucky. Working with a narrow 40-foot-wide lot on Main Street, he created what many experts consider one of his best works.

Dakin drew up at least four different design options with various column styles.

The final Greek Revival building used smart column placement and scaled ancient Greek details to fit the building. He borrowed many ideas from Minard Lafever’s popular architecture books.

New Orleans Called with Fresh Opportunities

Dakin followed his brother Charles and rival James Gallier to New Orleans in November 1835, looking for new jobs in the busy southern city.

On December 24, 1835, he formed a partnership with Charles, creating Dakin and Dakin, Architects. Their first big job was the Verandah Hotel, built across from the St. Charles Hotel.

For a short time, both brothers worked with Gallier in a loose three-way partnership, but clashing personalities soon pulled them apart.

Rival Architects Fought Over Credit

Bad blood grew when Dakin designed St. Patrick’s Church in 1838, a bold Gothic Revival building based on York Minster in England.

The project hit trouble in 1839 when structural problems showed up during building. James Gallier stepped in to fix the foundation issues but then wrongly claimed he designed the entire building.

That same year, Dakin faced personal loss when his brother Charles died in Iberville Parish and was buried in St. Gabriel Catholic cemetery.

War Service Didn’t Slow His Building Boom

Despite personal and work challenges, Dakin kept creating remarkable buildings.

In 1839, he designed the Louisiana State Arsenal, now seen as his most important surviving work in New Orleans. The building stood out for its creative square columns of different sizes that gave it a grand look.

He added the Canal Bank building in 1843 and the University of Louisiana complex in 1847. Dakin took a break to serve as colonel of the 2nd Louisiana Volunteers during the Mexican-American War in 1846.

A Gothic Castle for Louisiana’s Government

Dakin hit a career high point when he won the 1847 contest to design Louisiana’s new State Capitol. He chose Gothic Revival style because he felt other styles would create “mere copies of buildings already built.”

From 1847 to 1850, he watched over construction in Baton Rouge, creating one of only two Gothic Revival state capitols in America. Mark Twain later mocked it as a “pathetic whitewashed castle with turrets.

His Custom House Changes Sparked Outrage

In 1850, Dakin left the capitol project to become architect for the New Orleans Custom House. After looking at Alexander Thompson Wood’s original design, he found it lacking and suggested major changes.

His bold plans included a freestanding cast-iron frame and central courtyard to improve air flow in the humid climate.

Most controversially, he wanted to move the main banking room from the center to the Canal Street front for better air.

Cultural Battle Lines Formed Over His Designs

The banking room move triggered fierce opposition from Creole Democrats from the French Quarter. They claimed the changes would unfairly help the Anglo-American business district across Canal Street.

What started as an architecture dispute quickly turned into a cultural and political fight that reached all the way to Congress, where Creole Democratic congressmen publicly debated the changes.

During heated hearings, famous architect Isaiah Rogers supported Dakin’s design changes, but political forces proved too strong.

His Final Days Remain Shrouded in Mystery

Pushed out of the Custom House project as the political storm intensified, Dakin returned to Baton Rouge to finish interior work on the state capitol.

His career came to an abrupt end when he died on May 13, 1852, at just 46 years old, after what newspapers called a “long and painful illness.”

Adding to the mystery of his final chapter, Dakin’s burial site was never identified.

Some historians believe he might have been buried in the Girod Cemetery in New Orleans, which was later demolished, taking the secret of his final resting place with it.

Visiting Old Bank of Louisville, Kentucky

You can visit James Dakin’s Old Bank of Louisville at 316 West Main Street, where it now houses the Actors Theatre of Louisville.

This 1837 National Historic Landmark connects to the adjacent Myers-Thompson Display Building. Check out free gallery exhibits in the theatre lobbies featuring local artists.

The box office is open daily with varying hours, and you can take backstage tours through their theatre programs to explore this Greek Revival masterpiece.

This article was created with AI assistance and human editing.

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