Maginnis, Charles Donagh, 1867-1955

Charles Donagh Maginnis was born in Londonderry, Ulster, Ireland on January 7, 1867. He attended intermediate school in Londonderry and studied at Cusack’s Academy of Art in Dublin. In 1885, Maginnis immigrated to America with his widowed mother, brothers, and sisters, and eventually settled in Boston. In 1891, Maginnis began work as a designer in the office of Edmund M. Wheelwright, the City Architect of Boston. In 1898, Maginnis went into partnership with Timothy F. Walsh and Matthew Sullivan to form Maginnis, Walsh and Sullivan. In 1906, Sullivan withdrew and the firm was renamed Maginnis & Walsh.

Maginnis served as the first president of the Liturgical Arts Society in 1932 and President of the American Institute of Architects from 1936 to 1937. He was also named as an honorary member of many other architectural societies, including the American Society of Landscape Architects, the Architectural Association of Chile, and the Royal Institute of Canadian Architects. Several universities, including Harvard, Boston College, Holy Cross, and Tufts, awarded Maginnis honorary degrees.

The serial Pen Drawing was authored and illustrated by Maginnis and was published in seven editions beginning in 1899. Maginnis also wrote articles and essays for other publications. His subjects ranged from Catholic architecture to an architect’s view on war memorials. Maginnis was wary of the “modern” philosophy of art and architecture; he called for a reasonable and fresh approach to ecclesiastical design. Maginnis married Amy Brooks in 1908 and raised four children: Alice, Charles, John, and Elizabeth. He died on February 15, 1955, in Brookline, Massachusetts.