The death of architect John W. Root on January 15, 1891, delt a devastating blow to the Columbian Exposition—for which Root served as consulting architect—and even more so to his partner and close friend, Daniel H. Burnham. In the shock and grief from the sudden loss, Burnham offered these generous words on the life and legacy of John Root.

It is hard to speak of him, for he had no salient greatness being great in all things. He was the rarest thing—a genius. In his profession he and Richardson are the two who deserve the word. His knowledge was profound and wide reaching. His theory, his mathematics, his construction were all sound and perfect. He was too great a man to invent new forms, but he could do that most difficult thing—design in accordance with pure classical standards so as to delight all and yet command the admiration and praise of the most critical scholar. And so also in the French gothic. In the Rookery Building his treatment was the East Indian and his fidelity to his theme and yet the exquisite way in which he worked it out stands there in the building itself. Yes, we made all these buildings together, but they are chiefly his, for he it was who did the designing of the form.

Some of John W. Root’s original “East Indian” architectural detail for the lobby of the Rookery Building can be seen today in the exposed portion of a pillar buried inside the white marble and gilding used in the 1905 renovation by Frank Lloyd Wright.

As contrasted with the sketchy, bizarre style of much of modern work, his was solidly founded on architectural thought. It was his favorite remark of a building, it is “architectural,” or it is “not architectural.” And he was most severe in his criticism of his own work, sedulously watching it as construction progressed to correct any error that might appear.

He was deeply read in lore of many kinds and able to enter heartily and thoroughly into discussions on the most difficult and abstruse subjects. In every walk of life he was brilliant to the extent that it was rare that he did not out-top those among whom he was. Withal the extreme sweetness of his disposition endeared him to hundreds. He was a royal prince of good fellows and few men had so wide a circle of friends and acquaintances as he. His membership in so many clubs is partly indicative of this.

He was a prince of men, an athlete both in body and mind, and how great a loss has been sustained in his death will not be fully realized for a long time. His mind it was that set and laid out all the great plans for the World’s Fair buildings. I have lost a friend, indeed, and many men in this city will repeat these words to-morrow.

Daniel Burnham and John Root in their office in the Rookery Building c. 1890.

The fireplace in the Burnham library on the 11th floor of the Rookery Building in 2024.

SOURCE

“John W. Root at Rest” Chicago Inter Ocean Jan. 16, 1891, p. 6.