William Tuthill

American architect

William Burnet Tuthill (February 11, 1855 – August 25, 1929) was an American architect celebrated for designing New York City's Carnegie Hall.

William Burnet Tuthill was born on February 11, 1855, in Hoboken, New Jersey, the son of George Flavius Tuthill and Jane Louise Price. Tuthill graduated from the College of the City of New York in 1875. He trained in the office of Richard Morris Hunt and in 1878 set up practice for himself in the city. He was later granted an M. A. degree. Tuthill married Henrietta Elizabeth Corwin (October 15, 1852 – March 11, 1917), an accomplished pianist and organist. When Henrietta was seventeen she was the organist for the First Presbyterian Church in her hometown Newburgh, New York. William and Henrietta met at Calvary Baptist Church in New York City, where he sang in the choir and she was the church organist. Their only child, Burnet Corwin Tuthill (November 16, 1888 – January 18, 1982), became a clarinetist and composer.

William B. Tuthill was a founder of the Architectural League of New York and served on the Art Commission of the Columbian Exposition at Chicago in 1893. He lectured on architectural history and acoustics for Columbia University, the University of Cincinnati, and the New York City Board of Education. He served for thirty six years as secretary and manager of the Oratorio Society of New York.

William B. Tuthill is best remembered as the architect of Carnegie Hall in New York City. Tuthill was a talented amateur cellist and served as a board member of the Oratorio Society of New York along with Andrew Carnegie. This led to his receiving the commission to design the Music Hall that would be funded by and eventually bear Carnegie's name. The acoustics are celebrated, due to Tuthill's extensive study of European concert halls as well as what has been called his "golden ear". Carnegie Hall opened in 1891 with composer Peter Tchaikovsky conducting the New York Philharmonic and the Oratorio Society of New York. During the performance, Tuthill reportedly left the hall to consult his drawings, to be certain that the supporting columns would withstand the weight of the crowd in attendance.