James Bogardus

Biography

James Bogardus championed the use of cast iron in American architecture, crafting façades that defined the emerging skyline of nineteenth-century New York. His inventions and advocacy for prefabricated building components allowed for both grandeur and efficiency, leaving an enduring legacy on the city’s streets.

In later years he continued to defend his vision of safe, expressive architecture, and his final rest among the trees of Green-Wood Cemetery reflects the solemn reverence afforded to one of the era’s most inventive builders.